Major General Ewen Sinclair-MacLagan

Portrait of Major-General Ewen George Sinclair-MacLagan (1868-1948) CB, DSO, MID, Commanding 4th Division AIF. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ewan George Sinclair-MacLagan served in the militia before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Border Regiment in 1889, serving in India and participating in the expedition to Waziristan in 1894-95. He served in the South African (Boer) War from 1899 to 1901. In 1901he was posted to Australia on secondment as adjutant of the New South Wales Scottish Rifles and Deputy Assistant Adjutant General of the 1st Military District (New South Wales). He returned to England in 1904 and in 1910 returned to Australia as the Director of drill at the new Royal Military College of Duntroon. He was appointed to the AIF in August 1914, as colonel commanding the 3rd Infantry Brigade. He served at Gallipoli and subsequently embarked for France, commanding the 3rd Brigade at Pozieres and Moquet farm. In July 1918 , MacLagan directed the Australian and American attack on Hamel. One of only five seconded British officers to remain with the Australian Army throughout the war, MacLagan was discharged from the AIF in may 1919. He commanded the British 51st (Highland) Division from 1919 to 1923.