Major Ernest Alexander Maclagan Wedderburn (1912-1944)

Major Wedderburn died 80 years ago on 24 December 1944 as a result of a tragic accident. It seems therefore timely to recognise his death as a member of that well-known legal family which still exists today in the firm of Shepherd and Wedderburn W.S. He had also worked for them as a lawyer before joining the army.

He died in an accident where he either slipped or fell when sliding down the bannisters of a marble staircase of a hotel at Aquila degli Abruzzi and broke his neck. He is buried in Ancona War Cemetery, Italy which includes graves from a large area that was involved in the Italian campaign.

Major Wedderburn, aged 32 when he died, was a graduate with a BA from Cambridge University and an LLB from Edinburgh University. He was the eldest son of Sir Ernest Maclagan Wedderburn Kt, the professor of conveyancing at Edinburgh as well as depute keeper of the signet and chairman of the General Council of Solicitors, the precursor to what became the Law Society of Scotland.

Major Wedderburn had been educated, as the Commonwealth War Grave Commission recognises, at Hill Crest School, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, Dorset. He also appears to have attended various schools due to his longstanding health issues such as asthma. That list included Edinburgh Academy, Clifton College, and the Alpine College, Arveyes, Switzerland.

While at the latter, he pursued what was to become his major interest: he became an experienced mountaineer, gaining much alpine expertise. This led him to becoming a member of the renowned Alpine Club. It was also that speciality in mountaineering that led him to be in Italy on military service when he died.

By 1936, he had published a book on Alpine Climbing on Foot and with Ski. His climbing had also taken him to the Lake District, North Wales, the Scottish Highlands and Skye where he was credited with the first ascent of the Mitre Ridge on Beinn a’Bhùird, Cairngorm. He wrote frequently for the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal.

Following the outbreak of World War Two, he enlisted in 1939 with the Royal Scots, then, on completing his officer training, joined the 5th Scots Guards. By 1941, he had been promoted to major and was an instructor at the Snowcraft Instruction Training School in Iceland.

His work took him as an adviser on Combined Operations to the USA where on his return, he was placed in command of the commandos which were undergoing special training for arctic conditions. By November 1943 he had been appointed as the second in command of the Lovat Scouts.

During the winter of 1943-44, his regiment was sent to Canada to specialise in ski and mountain training at Jasper, Alberta. It focused on cross country practice including survival training to cope with very cold conditions. They learnt how to practise ascents on snow and ice, including sleeping in snow holes. Once their training was completed, they returned home pending deployment.

They, including Major Wedderburn, were then sent to Italy, arriving in Naples in July 1944, following the fall of Monte Cassino. He was working in the Apennines using his long acquired experience and expertise in the mountain warfare which was required by that terrain.

By this time of his death, the regiment had established a reputation for initiative, hardihood and skill as well as commanding respect from the enemy.