About the product

MC Trio Royal Scots Fusiliers

Military Cross, GV, 1914-15 Star Trio, with MID oakleaf, Lieutenant Alexander Melville Kennedy, 8th Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers, mentioned in despatches for Salonika, Macedonia against the Bulgarian Army

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Origin: United Kingdom
Nearly Extremely Fine

Description

Military Cross, GV, 1914-15 Star Trio, with MID oak leaf, Lieut Alexander Melville Kennedy, Royal Scots Fusiliers, mentioned in despatches for Salonika.

 

Lieutenant Kennedy, a young man from Glasgow, not long after having graduated as a Bachelor of Laws in the University of Glasgow during 1913, joined the war effort early on with a commission through the Officer Training Corps, becoming a field officer with the 8th Service Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, proceeding with his regiment from France to Salonika in late 1915, where they fought hard against the Bulgars during the various Battles of the Doiran, where consistently the Bulgarian Army would put up a valiant fight to push back a combined forces of England, France and Italy. During the fighting Lieut Kennedy received a severe gun shot wound to the chest.

 

1914-15 Star impressed: “Lieut. A.M. Kennedy. R. Sc. Fus.”
BWM and Victory impressed: “Lieut A.M. Kennedy.”

 

Provenance: Ex Christies, 11th May 2001.

 

The group photo of the 8th Battalion was taken by Gale and Polden Limited, during September 1915 (now out of copyright).

 

Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 21st July 1917: “For distinguished service rendered during the past 6 months in the this theatre of Operations (Salonika).”

 

Military Cross announced, London Gazette, 1st June 1917.

 

Shown as wounded, Regimental Casualty List, 1st to 30th November 1916, shown in Army and Navy Gazette, 30th December 1916

 

The Scotsman Newspaper, 3rd November 1916:

 

“Lt Alex. Melville Kennedy, Glasgow,
Lieutenant Alexander Melville Kennedy, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Dangerously Wounded, is the elder son of Mr Alex. Kennedy, Solicitor, Wellington Street and 4 Kelvin Drive, Glasgow.

 

Lieut Kennedy was educated at Larchfield School, Helensburgh, of which he was dux, and at Glasgow University, where he graduated M.A. and L.L.B., being First Prizeman in conveyancing. He qualified as a solicitor, and was in London when war broke out.
His younger brother, who was an Officer in the H.L.I. and Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action in September last.”

 

First commissioned in the London Gazette, 6th November 1914: “The under mentioned Cadets and ex-Cadets of the Officers Training Corps to be temporary Second Lieutenants, dated 4th November 1914 – ….Alexander Melville Kennedy.”

 

Kennedy was posted to the newly formed 8th Service Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, which had just been formed on 1st October 1914 at Ayr, they were then posted to the 77th Brigade, 26th Division.

 

He arrived with his regiment first in Boulogne, France during late September 1915, soon afterwards, during November 1915, the Battalion was given orders they were doing to the “Salonika Theatre” in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, to fight against the Bulgarian Army.

 

Lieut Kennedy relinquished his commission following the war on 8th February 1919, having been suffering from a Gun shot wound to the chest received in action during late 1916.

 

Personal Details:

 

Alexander Melville Kennedy was born on 27th May 1891. The son of Alexander Kennedy and Mary Jane Melville Kennedy in Partick, Glasgow, Scotland.

 

Educated at the University of Glasgow, receiving an Master of Arts in 1911 and LLB, Bachelor of Laws in 1913.

 

Following the war he moved to Java, the address on his Medal Index Card shown as “Harrisons and Crasfield Ltd, Kali Besar, Batavia, Java”

 

The obituary of his brother, Duncan Kennedy, Scotsman, 26th September 1916:

 

“Lt Duncan C. Kennedy, H.L.I. and Machine Gun Corps (Killed in Action) was an art student at Glasgow University at the outbreak of war. He was 26 years of age, and he younger son of Mr Alex Kennedy, writer, 4 Kelvin Drive, Glasgow, His elder brother is an officer in the Royal Scots Fusiliers.”

 

Birth of his son, Singapore Free Press, 28th February 1923:

 

“KENNEDY – At Limekilns, Fife, on the 20th Inst. to Mr and Mrs A.M. Kennedy, Lukut Estate, Port Dickson, a son.”

 

The Singapore Free Press, 30th April 1924:

 

“RUBBER EXHIBITION AWARDS
The awards at the sixth International Exhibition of Rubber, other tropical products and Allied Industries, at Brussels, were:-
Best Commercial Samples of Plantation Rubber, Malaya Section – Gold Medal, Port Dickson-Lukut (F.M.S.) Rubber Estates (Lukut Estate.), Silver Cup to Mr A.M. Kennedy, Manager…..”