Frederick Alex MacFarlan was born in Scotland on 5 July 1866. He was commissioned into the Cameron Highlanders on 9 May 1885 and served throughout the operations of the Sudan Frontier Field Force in 1885-86. He was present at Kosheh during its investment and at the reconnaissance on the 16th December, and at the battle of Ginnis. He was promoted to captain on 1 Feb 1894 and served in Sudan again in 1898 with the 1st Battalion, taking part in the battles of Atbara and Khartoum. He earned the medals for these campaigns and the Order of the Medjidie 4th Class. On 27 Nov 1899 he was appointed instructor at the Hythe School of Musketry with the rank of major and in 1903 was an instructor at RMC Sandhurst. On 9 Mar 1909 he was commanding officer of the 1st Battalion with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was photographed in 1917 in the rank of brigadier-general. Brigadier MacFarlan died on 7 October 1954 at his home, Chudleigh, Devon.
