The Personal Luggage Bag of Major General Ewen George Sinclair-MacLagan, CB, CMG, DSO

Of Gallipoli interest is this personal leather luggage bag named to Major General Ewen George Sinclair-MacLagan. A British officer in command of Australian troops during the Gallipoli campaign.

A medium sized Gladstone brown leather bag, with personalized name on the side. Overall heavy ware and some damage to the ends consummate with age.

Major General Ewen George Sinclair-MacLagan, CB, CMG, DSO (24 December 1868 – 24 November 1948) was an officer in the British Army who fought in British India and the Second Boer War. He was later seconded to the Australian Army and served with the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. During the latter stages of the war, he commanded the 4th Australian Division. After the war, he returned to service with the British Army. He retired in 1925 and died in Dundee, Scotland at the age of 79.

Upon the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Bridges was instructed to form the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for service overseas. He selected Sinclair-MacLagan to be the commander of 3rd Brigade, 1st Division. Sinclair-MacLagan was the only brigade commander of the division to be a professional soldier. He oversaw the training of the brigade, most of whom were miners, in the Middle East Sinclair-MacLagan's brigade was selected to be the lead element of the division when it landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. On reaching the high ground at Plugge's Plateau, he quickly realised that his brigade had been landed in the wrong position. Making the best of a confusing situation, he directed his forces to secure Baby 700, a prominent feature overlooking the ANZAC positions. This could not be done, and he opted to establish positions on what would become known as the Second Ridge. Exhausted after dealing with Turkish counterattacks the following day, he was relieved of his command. After a period of rest, Sinclair-MacLagan returned to his brigade but was medically evacuated in August. He was promoted to temporary brigadier general around this time, dated back to 15 August 1914. His substantive rank was made up to brevet colonel in June. He resumed command of the brigade in January 1916, at which stage it was reforming in Egypt after being evacuated from Gallipoli.

Not often does a personalized item of such importance come up for sale.

Code: 2836