Desmond7 Posted 25 September , 2005 Share Posted 25 September , 2005 I've tried all sorts of MIC searches for film star Victor McLaglen who, according to his biogs, served with R Irish Fus. in WW1. Can anyone turn him up? Or did he serve under an alias. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gporta Posted 25 September , 2005 Share Posted 25 September , 2005 Bear in mind actors and actresses often shorten their artistic names. Try "Victor Everleigh McLaglen " which -according to imdb, and supposing they are right at this- is his full name. Gloria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 25 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 September , 2005 Nope - tried every possible combination - no luck. Any R Irish Fusilier experts out there? Amanda Moreno??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domsim Posted 26 September , 2005 Share Posted 26 September , 2005 Desmond7 said: I've tried all sorts of MIC searches for film star Victor McLaglen who, according to his biogs, served with R Irish Fus. in WW1. Can anyone turn him up? Or did he serve under an alias. Des Des This is from the Dictionary of National Biography 'McLaglen, Victor Andrew de Bier (1886-1959), film actor, was born on 10 December 1886 at 505 Commercial Road, Mile End, London, the eldest of the eight sons of an Anglican clergyman, Andrew Charles Alfred McLaglen, later bishop of Clermont, South Africa, and his wife, Lily Marian Adcock. Several of his brothers also appeared in films, with varying success. In 1900, lying about his age but impressing with his size, he joined the Life Guards, hoping to fight in the Second South African War. He did serve for some time but without leaving England, even becoming regimental boxing champion, before his father bought his release. He went to Canada where he worked as a labourer, a wrestler, a railroad policeman, and a professional prize-fighter. McLaglen graduated to exhibition boxing in circuses, vaudeville, and Wild West shows when touring in the United States—once going six rounds with world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. He went to Australia and joined the Kalgoorlie gold rush, travelled to Tahiti, Fiji, and Ceylon, and was physical training instructor to the raja of Akola in India. Early in 1914 he went to South Africa where his father was bishop of Clermont, near Durban. At the outbreak of war he returned to Britain and joined the Irish fusiliers. With a lieutenant's commission he served in the Middle East. McLaglen was wounded twice, led the British espionage organization in Baghdad, and became the city's assistant provost marshal. He was demobbed with the rank of captain.' And from the MIC Kew this is your man with a different regiment, probably the reason for the problem. An MIC mistake or is the DNB wrong? Description Medal card of McLaglen, V A De B Middlesex Regiment Temporary Captain Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/13 Cheers Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 26 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2005 Quite possibly him but in most cases his middle name is gven as Everleigh. I'm not an expert on MICs but should they not show his progress through the ranks? Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domsim Posted 26 September , 2005 Share Posted 26 September , 2005 Desmond7 said: Quite possibly him but in most cases his middle name is gven as Everleigh. I'm not an expert on MICs but should they not show his progress through the ranks? Des Des More info. from the London Gazette Victor Andrew De Bier Mclaglen gazetted as 2/Lieutenant 10th Btn. Middlesex Regiment, 19th June 1915. Gazetted Lieutenant 1st July 1917 Dep. Asst. Prov. Marshal (Cl. FF)- Lt V.A. de B. Mclaglen, 10th Midd’x. R., T.F., and relinquishes the temp. rank of Capt, 4th March 1919. Medal card for Mclaglen, V.A. de B. says temporary Captain in the Middlesex regiment and that he arrived in Basrah 10.8.1916. I think this proves it the same Victor Mclaglen and he went straight into the Middlesex' as an officer, if he was promoted from the ranks it would have stated this in the gazette. My guess is the Irish Fusiliers is a slight bit of embellishment to boost his Irish credentials in Hollywood and that the Everleigh name is a mistake. Cheers Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 26 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 26 September , 2005 I reckon you're right. Well done that man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFF Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 Did Victor McLaglen and brothers serve in Royal Irish Fusiliers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 Did Victor McLaglen and brothers serve in Royal Irish Fusiliers? A quick google produced this brief biography here. Dunno about his brothers though. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMG65 Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 Victor McLaglen - remembered by many as an Irishman was actually an Englishman born on 11 Dec 1883 in Tunbridge Wells. His father was a Protestant clergyman and former Bishop of Claremont in South Africa. He joined the Life Guards at 17 to get into the Boer War but his father got him released from the army. McLaglen then went to Canada and became a prize fighter, toured the USA and South Africa and then off to the gold rush in Australia - this is where he fought Jack Johnson. When war broke out he joined the 10th Middlesex Regiment and on 19 June 1915 he became a Second-Lieutenant. The Irish Fusilier story was a Hollywood publicity story. He served in the Middle East and reached the rank of temporary Captain when he left the army on 4 March 1919. Other famous actors to serve in the Great War include: Basil Rathbone - Officer in the Liverpool Scottish Mervyn Johns - Pilot in the RFC Ronald Colman - London Scottish (he fought in the first action that a Territorial regiment fought in on the Western Front at Messines on 31 Oct 1914 and was wounded). Arnold Ridley - severley wounded by the butt of a German rifle. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 A bit more info - I believe, based on info in the biography on the imdb site, that this could be the McLaglen family in 1891: If so, you've got names & ages for 4 of Victor's brothers. I'll see if I can find them on 1901 - no luck so far, but indexing on most of the online sites leaves a lot to be desired and of course they may have been out of the country. Jim PS I've just seen Sean's post - there's some discrepancies between the biographies it appears... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 And here's the Bishop's family recorded as McLaglan and living at East India Road in 1901 - 2 more brothers identified, and Victor recorded as a Marine Engineer. Despite the discrepancies, the coincidences still persuade me that this is the correct McLaglen family - unless someone knows better Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 19 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 19 March , 2006 R Ir Fus. does seem to be a bit of spin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 19 March , 2006 Share Posted 19 March , 2006 And finally ... Here's the GRO index record for his birth registration in March Quarter 1887 ... Born 1883? Hmmph. Eversleigh? Pah! R.Ir. Fus.?? Double pah! Jim (off to get a life ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFF Posted 20 March , 2006 Share Posted 20 March , 2006 Thanks for clearing up!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domsim Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 I was up at Kew saturday and had a quick look at Victor's service record-confirms he was in Life Guards as a trooper 1901-1904 (voluntered under age and bought out by parents and commissioned in 10th Middlesex). Just checked the Dictionary Of National Biography and they have changed Victor's entry (see my post #4 for the original entry) . McLaglen, Victor Andrew de Bier (1886–1959), film actor, was born on 10 December 1886 at 505 Commercial Road, Mile End, London, the eldest of the eight sons of an Anglican clergyman, Andrew Charles Alfred McLaglen, later bishop of Clermont, South Africa, and his wife, Lily Marian Adcock. Several of his brothers also appeared in films, with varying success. In 1900, lying about his age but impressing with his size, he joined the Life Guards, hoping to fight in the South African War. He did serve for some time but without leaving England, even becoming regimental boxing champion, before his father bought his release. He went to Canada where he worked as a labourer, a wrestler, a railroad policeman, and a professional prize-fighter. McLaglen graduated to exhibition boxing in circuses, vaudeville, and Wild West shows when touring in the United States—once going six rounds with world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. He went to Australia and joined the Kalgoorlie gold rush, travelled to Tahiti, Fiji, and Ceylon, and was physical training instructor to the raja of Akola in India. Early in 1914 he went to South Africa where his father was bishop of Clermont, near Durban. At the outbreak of war he returned to Britain and joined the Middlesex regiment. With a lieutenant's commission he served from September 1916 as the assistant provost-marshal at Sheikh Saad, 125 miles south-east of Baghdad along the Tigris. He was demobbed with the rank of captain. cheers Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 So he didn`t have a natural Irish accent? I thought his war service was as top sergeant in the US cavalry under Col John Wayne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 If he did not claim his medals as an officer I beleive there would be no MIC, hence you cant find him, its a problem with officer searches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 There is a MIC, his medals were sent to The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane. BWM and Victory. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 His name has cropped up in this forum from time to time, and he already has a thread to himself, though I don't think Desmond's particular query has been addressed until now. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 I'm not so sure, because I'm fairly certain I have seen that MIC before. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintin1689 Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 If you look at the Osprey book on the RMP he is in one of the colour plates in his APM guise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 And here is that MIC - because we can... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 He must have been a very good actor to play the parts he did (Usually a drunken pugilistic Irishman) with that background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 12 January , 2009 Share Posted 12 January , 2009 (edited) There was a large Irish contingent in the East End when he was born. An actor called Sidney James managed to build a career as a Cockney, without being born within the sound of Bow Bells! Edited 12 January , 2009 by per ardua per mare per terram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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