Sir Iain Colquhoun, 7th Baronet facts for kids
Sir Iain Colquhoun (born June 20, 1887, died November 12, 1948) was an important Scottish landowner. He was known as the 7th Baronet and the 29th Laird of Luss. Sir Iain was also a brave soldier in the British Army during the First World War. He received special awards for his courage, like the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
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Sir Iain's Military Service
During the First World War, Sir Iain Colquhoun served in the Scots Guards. In 1914, soldiers on both sides of the war had a special, unofficial break called the Christmas truce. The next year, in 1915, Captain Colquhoun (who was 28 years old) agreed to a short truce with a German officer on Christmas Day. This truce lasted about an hour.
The Christmas Truce Incident
Because he agreed to this truce, Captain Colquhoun was later brought before a court-martial. This is like a trial for military members. His lawyer was Raymond Asquith, whose father was the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith. The Prime Minister was also Captain Colquhoun's wife's uncle. On January 17, 1916, after a five-hour trial, Sir Iain was found guilty. However, he received the lightest possible punishment: a reprimand. A reprimand is a formal telling-off. Soon after, General Sir Douglas Haig, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, removed the punishment. He did this because Sir Iain had shown great bravery in battle before.
Fighting in 1918
By 1918, Sir Iain was in charge of the 2/4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. This group was part of the 59th Division. On March 21, 1918, Germany launched a big attack called the German spring offensive. The British front lines were quickly taken over. Sir Iain's battalion had just finished 24 hours of continuous duty in the trenches. But they were sent right back to help defend the area.
His soldiers could only reach a place where the "line" was just a marked-out trench that hadn't been dug yet. There was no barbed wire to protect them. The men spread out along this line, even though they were completely out in the open. Under the amazing leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel Colquhoun and Regimental Sergeant-Major 'African Joe' Withers, the battalion held back the Germans for the rest of the day. They did this with only a few soldiers getting hurt.
Awards and Later Roles
Sir Iain Colquhoun was wounded during the war. He was given the Distinguished Service Order in 1916 and again in 1918. He was also mentioned in official reports for his bravery, which is called a Mention in Dispatches. After the war, he became an Honorary Colonel for the 9th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He also held this role for the Glasgow University Officer Training Corps. He was also the President of the Dunbartonshire Territorial Association.
Life After the War
After the war, Sir Iain continued to serve his country in many important ways. From 1919 until his death, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire. This role meant he was the King's representative in that area. He was also the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland three times: in 1932, 1940, and 1941. This is a special role representing the King at the Church of Scotland's main meeting.
From 1934 to 1937, he was the Lord Rector of Glasgow University. In 1937, he was made a Knight of the Thistle. This is a very high honor in Scotland. In 1938, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which is a group of important scientists and thinkers. He left this group in 1942.
Sir Iain's Family Life
Sir Iain Colquhoun was the son of Alan John Colquhoun, who was the 6th baronet. His mother was Justine Henrietta Kennedy. When his father passed away in 1910, Iain became the 7th baronet. He was then known as Sir Iain Colquhoun of Luss and the Chief of the Clan Colquhoun.
On February 10, 1915, Sir Iain married Geraldine Bryde Tennant, who was also known as Dinah. She was the granddaughter of Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet. Sir Iain and Dinah had five children together: two sons and three daughters. Their older son later became the 9th baronet. One of their daughters, Fiona, was a famous car racer who won the Segrave Trophy. She married the 8th Earl of Arran. Their son is the current 9th Earl of Arran.
