John Frederick MacKay was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

He was 26 years old, and a Lance-Corporal in the 1st Bn., The Gordon Highlanders, British Army during the South African War (Boer War) when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 20 May 1900 during the action on Crow's Nest Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa, Corporal Mackay repeatedly rushed forward under withering fire at short range to attend to wounded comrades and dress their wounds. He was himself without shelter and on one occasion he carried a wounded man from the open, under fire, to the shelter of a boulder.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gordon Highlanders Museum (Aberdeen, Scotland).

Reference

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• SCOTLAND'S FORgotten VALOUR (Graham Ross, 1995)
• Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)

See also

External links

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.