Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Sir Donald Hamish Cameron of Lochiel, (12 September 1910 – 26 May 2004) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer, landowner and the 26th Chief of

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber, and within their lands lies Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isl ...

. He served as commanding officer of the

Lovat Scouts The Lovat Scouts was a British Army unit first formed during the Second Boer War as a Scottish Highland yeomanry regiment. They were the first known military unit to wear a ghillie suit, and were renowned for their elite reconnaissance capabili ...

throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He succeeded his father as

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

of the Camerons in 1951 and later served as

Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire The Lord-Lieutenant of Inverness is the British monarch's personal representative in an area which has been defined since 1975 as consisting of the local government districts of Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey, and Lochaber, in Scotland, and this ...

Early life

Born at

Buchanan Castle Buchanan Castle is a ruined castle in Stirlingshire, Scotland, located west of the village of Drymen. The house was commissioned by the 4th Duke of Montrose and built in 1852–1858 as a home for the Montrose family, serving as such until 1925 ...

near

Drymen Drymen (; from ) is a village in the Stirling district of central Scotland. Once a popular stopping place for cattle drovers, it is now favored by visiting tourists given its location near Loch Lomond. The village is centred around a village gr ...

, Cameron was the eldest son of Col. Sir

Donald Walter Cameron of Lochiel Colonel Sir Donald Walter Cameron of Lochiel, (4 November 1876 – 11 October 1951) was a British Army officer of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and the 25th Chief of Clan Cameron. Early life Lochiel was born at Dalkeith Palace on 4 No ...

, and his wife, Lady Hermione Graham (1882–1978), daughter of

Douglas Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose Douglas Beresford Malise Ronald Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose, (7 November 1852 – 10 December 1925), styled Lord Douglas Graham until 1872 and Marquess of Graham until 1874, was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and landowner. Early life Born a ...

. After attending

Harrow Harrow may refer to: Places * Harrow, Victoria, Australia * Harrow, Ontario, Canada * The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland * London Borough of Harrow, England * Harrow, London, a town in London * Harrow (UK Parliament constituency) * ...

, the 19-year-old Cameron was commissioned as an officer in the

before going to

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

where he graduated as BA in 1933.

Second World War

At the outbreak of the

in 1939, Lochiel joined his regiment on mobilisation and was promoted to Major.

Lord Lovat Lord Lovat () is a title of the rank Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser by summoning him to the Scottish Parliament as Lord Fraser of Lovat, although the holder is referred to simply as Lo ...

, supported by Cameron, had devised the strategy of ''

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

'' – elite, unorthodox shock raiders, modelled on old Boer soldiers. In 1940, the

Commando Basic Training Centre The Commando Basic Training Centre was a British Army training establishment primarily for the training of Commandos (United Kingdom), British Commandos during the World War II, Second World War. It was located in the grounds of Achnacarry Cast ...

(CBTC) was established. Between 1942 and 1946, over 25,000 allied personnel were trained at

Achnacarry Achnacarry () is a hamlet, private estate (land), estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the w ...

and it is widely believed that this was the birthplace of modern

special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

. In 1943, the Lovat Scouts underwent specialist ski and mountain training in the Rocky Mountains of

Alberta, Canada Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

before being sent to Italy. Arriving in Naples in 1944, Cameron fought in the aftermath of the infamous

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

, described as a scene of "utter and total devastation". He served with distinction for the remainder of the Italian campaign and was frequently

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

. Following the

German surrender German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...

, the Lovat Scouts moved to Austria to hunt for fugitive Nazi and SS personnel before occupying the village of Ebene Eichenau in the Alps. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and then

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1945. Cameron was then stationed in Greece before the regiment was disbanded in 1947. Upon his former regiment's disbandment, he was transferred to the

Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders or 79th (The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. It amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders (the Duke of Albany's) to form ...

, the ancestral regiment of the Camerons which had been founded in 1793 by

Alan Cameron of Erracht Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Cameron of Erracht (1753 – 9 March 1828) was a Scottish British Army officer who, at his own expense in 1793, raised the 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameron Highlanders). Background Born near Banavie in Lochaber in 1 ...

. From 1958, Lochiel served as honorary colonel of the 4th and 5th Battalion of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders (TA).

Later life

After

active service Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standing ...

, Cameron worked in London as an accountant and qualified as FCA. He and his wife lived in

Kensington, London Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensing ...

before taking up residence at

Achnacarry Castle Achnacarry () is a hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of the Highlands, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west. Achnacarry has a long associ ...

upon his succession as Clan Chief in 1951 following the death of his father. His experience as a chartered accountant helped with the restructuring of the

Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 19 ...

estates Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representativ ...

, which were subject to considerable

death duties International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and prop ...

upon the death of his father, Sir Donald Cameron, 25th Lochiel. Through the sale of Fassiefern and Drimsallie, as well as land on the north side of

Loch Arkaig Loch Arkaig () is a body of freshwater in Lochaber, Scotland, to the west of the Great Glen. It is approximately in length and lies above sea level, and the maximum depth is around . The loch is among the last remaining fragments of the Caled ...

, Cameron successfully negotiated the austere post-war economic conditions, developing a sustainable future for the regional economy. By the time of his death in 2004, his estate comprised over 90,000 acres. His popularity in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

saw him elected a

County Councillor A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...

Inverness County Council Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Highlands and some of the Hebrides, it is Scotland's lar ...

, serving until 1971. Cameron was Chairman of

Scottish Widows Scottish Widows Limited is a life insurance, pensions and investment company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a part of Lloyds Banking Group. The company has been providing financial services to the UK market since 1815 and its product range ...

(

Life Assurance Life insurance (or life assurance, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations) is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer or assurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death ...

) between 1964 and 1967, and Vice-chairman of the

Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland Public Limited Company () is a major retail banking, retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest and Ulster Bank. The Royal Bank of Sco ...

from 1969 until 1980. He was also a Crown Estates Commissioner from 1957 until 1969, and President of the Scottish Landowners Federation (1979–85). At the beginning of a biography of Lochiel's 18th-century great-uncle, Jacobite Army

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

and Roman Catholic Martyr Fr. Alexander Cameron,

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

Thomas J. Wynne wrote, "At a ceremony to inaugurate the new floodlighting for the Prince's Monument on an August evening in 1988 at the National Trust Centre,

Glenfinnan Glenfinnan ( ) is a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising of 1745, Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his House of Stuart ...

, Lochiel addressed a large number of guests who had assembled for the occasion. He described briefly, from the wealth of oral and written tradition handed down in his family, what must have been the scene on the nineteenth of August 1745, when 1,500 Highlanders, among them 800 Camerons, gathered round the Prince's Standard, which was unfurled by the Duke of Tullibardine, and blessed by Bishop Hugh MacDonald of

Morar Morar (; ) is a small village on the west coast of The Rough Bounds of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the northern part of the peninsula containing the village, though North Morar is more usual (the region to the ...

, a relative of ' the Gentle Lochiel'. He mentioned in the address that he was very much aware of the criticisms concerning the wisdom of the '45 Rising, and the ensuing sufferings of so many innocent Highland people caused by the avenging troops of the

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom w ...

's victorious army, but with a deep legitimate pride, forged by generations of Cameron loyalty to the Stuart Cause, he spoke these words with such feeling that they struck a chord in the hearts of all his listeners: 'The Rising may have failed, but the Year of the Prince was a glorious year in our history, and we will never forget it!'" He was

from 1971 to 1985. In 1973, he was honoured as a

Knight of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The ...

(KT). Following his knighthood, Cameron's

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

hung in

St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh St Giles' Cathedral (), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; significant alteratio ...

until his death in May, 2004.

Family

In 1939, Lochiel married Margaret Doris Gathorne-Hardy (1913–2006), only daughter of Lt.-Col. The Hon. Nigel Gathorne-Hardy (son of the 2nd Earl of Cranbrook), and his wife, Doris Featherston Johnston, daughter of Sir Charles Johnston. They had four children: * Margaret Anne Cameron (born 1942) * Caroline Marion Cameron (1943–2019), married Blaise Hardman, son of Air Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman, and had issue. *

Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel, (2 August 1946 – 20 October 2023) was the 27th Chief of Clan Cameron. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Inverness from 2002 to 2021. Early life He was the eldest son of four children born to Col. Sir Donald ...

(1946–2023), married Lady Cecil Kerr, daughter of the

12th Marquess of Lothian Peter Francis Walter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian, (8 September 1922 – 11 October 2004) was a British Peerage, peer, Politics of the United Kingdom, politician and landowner. He was the son of Captain Andrew William Kerr by his wife, M ...

. * John Alastair Nigel Cameron (born 1954)

Honours

– KT 1973 * Royal Victorian Order UK ribbon

– CVO 1970 * –

KStJ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

1974 * – TD 1944 * Ribbon - 1939-45 Star

–

1939–1945 Star The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Battl ...

–

Italy Star The Italy Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in the Italian Campaign from 1943 to 1945, during the Second World War. The Second World War Stars O ...

– Defence Medal * Ribbon - War Medal

– War Medal

References

External links

www.lochiel.net

: Tam Dalyell MP
''History of the Camerons''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Donald 1910 births 2004 deaths Lovat Scouts officers Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders officers British Army personnel of World War II Members of Inverness County Council Lord-lieutenants of Inverness-shire Deputy lieutenants of Inverness-shire

Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

Scottish clan chiefs 20th-century Scottish landowners Scottish accountants Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Knights of Justice of the Order of St John Knights of the Thistle Lochiel, Donald Hamish Cameron, 9th Lord 20th-century Scottish businesspeople