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MACLEAN, Bmdr. Thomas Munsey, 24363. 3rd Div. Ammunition Col. Australian Field Artillery. Killed in action 24th June, 1917. Age 33. Son of Donald and Elizabeth MacLean. Pont D'Achelles Military Cemetery Nieppe II. D. 14.

Second Lieutenant Kemp Maclean 13th Battalion Royal Scots killed in action 28 March 1918 age 38. ARRAS MEMORIAL. 

Seems to be some confusion over spelling of surname, McLean or Maclean but they are recorded on Scottish war memorials as Maclean.

Alexander Maclean was the son of Scottish shepherd Donald MACLEAN and "Betsy" Elizabeth MACPHERSON. Resided with his parents and siblings at the shepherd's cottage at Allnacaorach in Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland.

One of ten children with nine siblings - John, Peter, Donald, David, Kemp, Thomas, Kate, William and Jane.

With his siblings walked to Lairg village on Mondays to attend school, lodged in the village, and walked home on Fridays. He later received further education at Dingwall Academy in Dingwell, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland.

In 1901 he was living with his parents and some of his siblings on Back Street in Rosskeen, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. When his father retired the family moved to Drumlea in Bonar Bridge, Sutherland, Scotland.

It is believed, like his parents and sisters, that he would have been a fluent speaker of Gaelic.

He departed London, England on the steamship Kaipara on 1 December 1911 bound for Fremantle, Western Australia. Travelled out on the Kaipara with his brother William Montague MACLEAN, who was a year younger than himself. Their elder brother Thomas Munsey MACLEAN was already in Western Australia, having immigrated in about 1908. He and his brother William arrived on the steamship Kaipara in Fremantle, Western Australia on 12 January 1912.

In 1913 he joined the Education Department of Western Australia, and gave satisfactory test lessons on 8 April 1913. He joined the Department with secondary education, teaching experience in Scotland and after passing the entrance exam. Head Teacher on Probation of the Carnamah State School in Carnamah from 29 April 1913 until August 1914. He was the second teacher to take charge of the one-teacher Carnamah State School which had opened the previous year.

He boarded, except for sleeping, (slept in a tent) with Henry and Mary J. McCLYMANS and their children in Carnamah in 1913.

He was a member of the Carnamah Football Club in 1913. In September 1913 an Education Department inspector reported "Inexperienced but eager to improve. A Good Teacher."      Received an annual salary of £110 in 1913 and 1914, plus an extra £12 per annum as the school had no living quarters. In 1914 sat for his Education Department C Exam of 15 parts - passing nine, receiving an interim for four and failing two parts. In his C Exam he passed in reading, recitation, spelling, arithmetic, drawing, geography, geometry, music and French. Of the other six parts he received an interim for writing, English, history and drill; and failed in education and algebra. The Education Department granted him leave on 27 August 1914 to go to war with the expeditionary forces. While on leave he was appointed Head Teacher off probation of the Carnamah State School from 1 January 1915. The Education Department, who didn't learn of his death, again appointed him Head Teacher on leave for Carnamah in 1916.

Passed as fit and accepted for active service in the Australian Imperial Force on 31 August 1914. Enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Blackboy Hill in the Perth hills on 14 September 1914. He had previous experience from three years of military training camp in Scotland. Upon enlistment he was 6 feet ¾ inches tall, weighed 164 pounds with blue-grey eyes, light brown hair and a fair complexion. He gave his next of kin as his eldest brother Lieut. John MACLEAN of the Partick Constabulary in Glasgow, Scotland. 

On 2 May 1915 it was reported that he had been missing since the landing at Gallipoli on Sunday 25 April 1915. One of his comrades reported he had received a gunshot wound, possibly to the arm, on 25 April 1915 and headed for the beach. After that date he was never seen again and his body was never found. A Board of Inquiry declared on 5 June 1915 that he been Killed in Action at the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey on 25 April 1915.

His name appears on the Carnamah War Memorial and the Carnamah Honour Roll. In Scotland his name appears on the War Memorials in Lairg and Bonar Bridge and also on the Dornoch Cathedral Honour Roll.

He had two brothers who also fell; they too, are honoured on the Lairg War Memorial.

Bombardier Thomas Munsey MacLean, Regimental number 24363, Divisional Ammunition Column 3, Section 1-Killed in Action 24/6/1917 and interred at
Pont D'Achelles Military Cemetery (Plot II, Row D, Grave No. 14), Nieppe, France.

Second Lieutenant Kemp MacLean served with British forces [13th Bn. Royal Scots] He was killed in action  28 March 1918 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial at Bay 1 and 2.