Plea for mourners to attend funeral of veteran with no family

A plea has been issued for people to attend the funeral today of a Second World War veteran who died without family exactly a year ago.

William Mclelland fought with the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in North Africa.

Captured by a German panzer division, he spent two years as a prisoner of war in Italy before returning to Scotland at the end of the conflict and resuming work as a miner.

He was 97 when he died at his home in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, but despite extensive inquiries no living relatives have been traced.

When the funeral arranger learned there were likely to be any mourners at his service, she contacted the Scots Guards and the Regimental Association, which rallied to ensure he will be given military honours.

A Scots Guards piper will play a lament, while members of the Scots Guards and the Regimental Association will parade to pay their respects. Serving Scots Guards will also act as pall-bearers, while the regiment has provided a Union flag to be draped over Mr Mclelland’s coffin.

Martha Mcnaught, funeral arranger with Anderson Maguire Funeral Directors, who started the campaign, asked people to attend to give Mr Mclelland a fitting tribute.

She said: “As a company, we are humbled and honoured to have arranged a funeral service which will pay fitting tribute to Mr Mclelland’s service to his country.”

Mr Mclelland was born in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, on 30 May, 1919, and was a miner before enlisting with the Scots Guards at Motherwell on 24 October, 1939.

After training at Chelsea Barracks in London, he joined 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in Egypt in January 1940. In 1942, William was reported missing, and later confirmed as a prisoner of war. He was held in Italy until being repatriated to the UK in October 1944.

Former neighbour Rab Stewart, 59, said: “Willie didn’t speak about the war or what he had done in it. He always had a smile on his face.

“He was politely spoken, modest and did not seek praise. He would go out of his way to help anybody.”

Neil Crockett, secretary of the Fife branch of the Scots Guards Association, who has been involved in making the funeral arrangements, said: “The Scots Guards prides itself on being a family regiment and the ethos ‘once a Guardsman always a Guardsman’ is at the heart of the regiment.”

The funeral service will take place at noon today at Holytown Crematorium, North Lanarkshire.

0 British prisoners-of-war taken in North Africa being moved to Italy