356:. In early 1941, after his battalion had been transferred from India to Malaya, Stewart began rigorously training his men and developing new tactics to fight in all of the extreme and hostile natural terrain of Malaya. When the 2nd Argylls were thrown into the battle in early December 1941, the battalion was one of the few effective units the Japanese would face in their rapid advance down the peninsula, inflicting heavy casualties in every engagement. The Argylls' effectiveness meant that the battalion was continuously used as the buffer and suffered heavy casualties as a result.
335:. Stewart's military career was dominated by his service with the Argylls, a regiment to which he was so wedded that when he was given command of the 2nd Battalion in the 1930s some of his brother officers did not even realise that he was married with a daughter. Stewart had married Ursula Morely-Fletcher in 1937 when he was 42 years old. He even refused a position at the
413:. Stewart was evacuated unwillingly from Singapore before its surrender due to the need for experienced officers and men who had proven ability to fight the Japanese Army, an ability rare in the British Army at this time. By the time of the surrender on 15 February, the Plymouth Argylls were reduced to 40 officers and men.
433:
for his services in the South West
Pacific area. He was initially employed as a General Staff Officer Grade 1 in India, lecturing on his experiences in Malaya. Officers with jungle warfare experience who had actually fought the Japanese and seen their tactics in action were in high demand by the army
451:
Stewart's report, written after his arrival in India, and his knowledge along with that of the other officers and men who escaped from
Singapore, had a direct effect on the training and tactics that would be used by the British and Commonwealth Armies in fighting the Japanese throughout the rest of
446:
If all units in Malaya had been led with the same foresight and imagination that
Brigadier Stewart showed in the training of his battalion, the story of the campaign might have been different. It was the realization of this that led me to order Brigadier Stewart's return to India...to impart his
416:
What was left of the
Plymouth Argyll Battalion, under the command of three captains, were marched into captivity behind their piper. According to some witnesses hundreds of other British Empire soldiers stood to attention as they marched past. Only 52 Argylls managed to escape before Singapore
351:
Stewart was still in command of the 2nd
Battalion of the Argylls. Stewart was one of the few British officers to realise the need for training in jungle warfare that would be necessary in order to defeat the Japanese in a war in Malaya. Due to this obsession with jungle training Stewart earned
409:, becoming known as the Plymouth Argylls. Stewart had six days to train the new composite battalion before it was put into action on Singapore Island itself. The Plymouth Argylls suffered heavy casualties during the brief
464:
Stewart retired from the army on 13 April 1947 at the age of 52, a short time after the death of his father. Stewart was a substantive colonel on retirement but was awarded the honorary rank of
331:
As with many army officers between the wars, Stewart was placed on half pay, but was restored to full pay as a captain on 3 June 1925. On 8 September 1931, Stewart was promoted to
560:
472:(Thomas Nelson, 1947), which was reprinted by the Argyll and Sutherland Regimental Museum. He became well known in the Scottish farming community, and became President of the
391:
Stewart was soon returned to his beloved
Argylls in Singapore after they had been decimated in the fighting on the mainland. The 250 surviving Argylls were reformed with 210
465:
1048:
434:
command in India. Of the officers to have escaped from
Singapore, Stewart was one of the most experienced. He became the Chief Instructor at the School of Infantry as a
275:. His place of birth, in Surore, Poona, India, was where his father, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kenneth Stewart, 12th of Achnacone, was a medical officer in the
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1028:
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The jungle, the
Japanese and the British Commonwealth armies at war, 1941–45: fighting methods, doctrine and training for jungle warfare
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The jungle, the
Japanese and the British Commonwealth armies at war, 1941–45: fighting methods, doctrine and training for jungle warfare
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on 19 March. He spent a period of time as the
District Commander for Stirling, the home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
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Stewart died on 14 March 1987 at the age of 91. His funeral was well attended, with Major Eric Moss as the piper (Moss was
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in February 1914 and on 11 August of that year became the first British soldier to land on French soil and the first to be
421:. Many others were killed or captured when the ships they were escaping on were sunk by Japanese surface and air attack.
319:. He became heir to Achnacone after his older brother, Captain Alexander D.L. Stewart, died in a motorcycle accident in
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finally ended and the surviving Allied soldiers retreated across the causeway onto Singapore Island, Stewart and his
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283:, on a prize cadetship. He passed through Sandhurst in 1913 as the top student of his year, and the youngest.
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before his parents returned to Scotland. Stewart attended Cheltenham College before going to the
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the war. Stewart returned to the United Kingdom in early 1945, being given command of the
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235:(17 October 1895 – 14 March 1987) was a Scottish military officer who served in the
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247:. Known for his eccentric training methods, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the
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himself a reputation as a crank amongst the more traditional minded officers of
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in late December 1941. He was in command of this brigade during the disastrous
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knowledge and ideas to units preparing for the return match with the Japanese.
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to remain with his battalion, thereby losing the only way to senior command.
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of Stewart's 2nd Argylls in Malaya). The address was given by
375:, where the Argylls suffered their worst casualties. When the
870:
943:(Illustrated ed.). Routledge. pp. 49–50.
838:(Illustrated ed.). Routledge. pp. 49–50.
778:
776:
1049:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
315:. At the end of the war, Stewart was a temporary
267:Stewart was born on 17 October 1895, part of the
1005:
773:
202:Ian MacAlister Stewart, 13th Laird of Achnacone
558:
1044:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
689:(Supplement). 9 December 1919. p. 15438.
359:Stewart was temporarily given command of the
885:Daily Telegraph Magazine, 2 August 2014, 60.
429:On 23 January 1942, Stewart was awarded the
1059:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
898:
818:(Supplement). 20 January 1942. p. 394.
516:. Appin of Yesteryear. 2010. Archived from
508:
506:
504:
502:
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1029:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers
827:
825:
313:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
179:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
593:"Stories that bring a lump to the throat"
383:, Drummer Hardy, were the last to cross.
1054:Military of Singapore under British rule
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629:(Supplement). 2 June 1916. p. 5577.
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470:The Thin Red Line, 2nd Argylls in Malaya
1064:Military personnel from Argyll and Bute
1039:British Army brigadiers of World War II
936:
918:Alan Jeffreys, Duncan Anderson (2005).
831:
822:
559:de Quetteville, Harry (2 August 2014).
1006:
303:and was highly decorated, earning the
1034:British Army personnel of World War I
727:
702:
561:"Obituaries from the First World War"
920:British Army in the Far East 1941–45
1074:Military personnel of British India
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342:
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13:
474:National Farmers Union of Scotland
291:Stewart was commissioned into the
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14:
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649:. 15 December 1919. p. 4046.
548:. 24 February 1914. p. 1551.
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293:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
281:Royal Military College, Sandhurst
249:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
139:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
120:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1069:Recipients of the Military Cross
395:, survivors from the sinking of
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879:
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784:"For Argyll – Plymouth Argylls"
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1:
669:. 5 January 1923. p. 23.
490:
459:
369:11th Indian Infantry Division
262:
259:during the Second World War.
1079:Military personnel from Pune
786:. For Argyll. Archived from
361:12th Indian Infantry Brigade
251:, which participated in the
134:12th Indian Infantry Brigade
7:
431:Distinguished Service Order
417:surrendered and make it to
299:. He served throughout the
175:Distinguished Service Order
10:
1095:
903:. England: Penguin Books.
752:Jeffreys and Anderson p.38
732:. England: Penguin Books.
994:The Armed Forces web site
468:. Stewart wrote the book
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67:
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27:
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999:Generals of World War II
966:"Ian MacAlister Stewart"
763:"Ian MacAlister Stewart"
337:Staff College, Camberley
987:10 October 2018 at the
347:At the outbreak of the
311:, and was appointed an
297:mentioned in a despatch
269:Stewart family of Appin
191:Mentioned in Despatches
937:Moreman, T.R. (2005).
867:Joslen Order of Battle
832:Moreman, T.R. (2005).
454:144th Infantry Brigade
449:
130:144th Infantry Brigade
22:Ian MacAlister Stewart
922:. Osprey Publishing.
876:source London Gazette
728:Smith, Colin (2006).
699:Source London Gazette
666:The Edinburgh Gazette
646:The Edinburgh Gazette
514:"Appin of Yesteryear"
485:Lord Maclean of Duart
444:
88:Years of service
970:Orders of Battle.com
899:Colin Smith (2006).
767:Orders of Battle.com
373:Battle of Slim River
598:The Daily Telegraph
566:The Daily Telegraph
411:Battle of Singapore
257:Battle of Singapore
815:The London Gazette
686:The London Gazette
626:The London Gazette
545:The London Gazette
910:978-0-14-101036-6
901:Singapore Burning
739:978-0-14-101036-6
730:Singapore Burning
601:. 21 October 2003
520:on 8 October 2011
245:Second World Wars
196:
195:
163:Fall of Singapore
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569:. Archived from
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440:Archibald Wavell
387:Plymouth Argylls
377:Battle of Malaya
363:after Brigadier
349:Second World War
343:Second World War
327:Between the wars
253:Malayan campaign
239:during both the
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158:Battle of Malaya
153:Second World War
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893:Bibliography
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792:. Retrieved
788:the original
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664:
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603:. Retrieved
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575:. Retrieved
571:the original
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522:. Retrieved
518:the original
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237:British Army
201:
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145:Battles/wars
82:British Army
61:(1987-03-14)
15:
1024:Anglo-Scots
1019:1987 deaths
1014:1895 births
810:"No. 35429"
681:"No. 31684"
661:"No. 13881"
641:"No. 13538"
621:"No. 29608"
540:"No. 28806"
277:Poona Horse
273:Argyllshire
28:Nickname(s)
1008:Categories
605:20 January
577:20 January
491:References
481:Pipe Major
460:Retirement
263:Early life
68:Allegiance
42:1895-10-17
466:brigadier
404:HMS
397:HMS
323:in 1919.
199:Brigadier
100:Brigadier
91:1913–1947
985:Archived
255:and the
126:Commands
76:Service/
858:Moreman
794:6 April
524:2 March
442:wrote:
436:colonel
406:Repulse
317:captain
48:Poona,
31:"Busty"
947:
926:
907:
842:
736:
419:Ceylon
381:batman
321:Dublin
223:&
185:&
171:Awards
78:branch
333:major
241:First
230:
228:,
219:
217:,
212:
210:,
50:India
945:ISBN
924:ISBN
905:ISBN
840:ISBN
796:2009
734:ISBN
607:2016
579:2016
526:2010
402:and
307:and
243:and
116:Unit
111:8329
96:Rank
56:Died
36:Born
309:Bar
271:in
225:Bar
214:OBE
207:DSO
187:Bar
1010::
968:.
824:^
812:.
775:^
765:.
704:^
683:.
663:.
643:.
623:.
595:.
563:.
542:.
499:^
487:.
476:.
232:DL
221:MC
204:,
972:.
953:.
932:.
913:.
848:.
798:.
769:.
742:.
609:.
581:.
528:.
44:)
40:(
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