The Daily Echo looks back 100 years ago at a Southampton soldier given the Victoria Cross for bravery at Ypres during World War One

It was thanks to the presence of Private Hector Macdonald, of the Cameron Highlanders, who had recently been celebrated within the pages of the Daily Echo after he was awarded the Victoria Cross for the selfless act of bravery he demonstrated while on the battlefields at Ypres.

Private Macdonald, who was a native of Stirling but prior to the outbreak of war had settled in Southampton after finding work at the South Western Hotel, was awarded the highest military decoration after defying German gun fire to rescue his captain and a comrade at the battle of Ypres.

Private Macdonald also suffered a serious injury during the fighting, which rendered him unable to continue serving at the Front and following his recovery he joined the 1st Battalion of the Southampton Volunteer Training Corps.

Hector Macdonald, who was working as a pantry man at the South Western Hotel in the months leading up to the war, was called up as a reservist and rejoined his old regiment, the Cameron Highlanders shortly after Britain declared war on Germany.

The Cameron Highlanders were among some of the first troops landed on the other side of the Channel, joining the likes of the Dublin Fusiliers, who also departed for France in the early days of the war.

Private MacDonald was with his regiment in the retreat from Mona to the Marne and the advance to the Aisne, when he went to Ypres, taking part in all the fighting.

Private Macdonald, right, with a member of 1st Battalion Southampton Volunteer Training Corps

When asked about his expe riences at the Front by an Echo reporter at the time Mr Macdonald gave a typically modest account, without even the slightest trace of boastfulness in the way he told the story.

He stated that a scouting party of thirty Cameron Highlanders was going out in charge of Captain Douglas and no sooner had that officer given the word of command to extend than the Germans opened fire with the result that the majority of the party were mowed down in a hail of gunfire.

At the time Private Macdonald was in the trenches nearby and seeing Capt Douglas raise his arm knew that he was alive.

Without hesitation he considered it his duty to make a rush out to him to try his best to get him into shelter.

Acting on impulse he rushed to where Capt. Douglas was lying.

With Captain Douglas almost resigned to his fate the officer asked what Private Macdonald wanted and initially dismissed the assistance being offered by the private.

Macdonald, however, laid down by the side of Captain Douglas and got him on his back.

Then, crawling on his hands and knees, he managed to get him back to the trenches, where willing hands relieved him of his burden.

While he was engaged in rescuing the Captain, Macdonald had seen that Private Alexander Gray was also still alive nearby and so returned a second time on a perilous mission to rescue him as well, which he also accomplished with success.

Having rejoined the fighting it was less than two hours later when Macdonald himself was wounded in the trenches by shrapnel, which tore open his left leg.

The procession headed by the Hants RGA band in Commerical Road

Along with other wounded soldiers he endeavoured to make his way by crawling to what he took to be a road and while considering in which direction to go he heard the sound of men marching.

Frozen in moment of nervous hesitation as the men approached the wounded private soon rejoiced when he heard the men talking in English.

He called out to them for assistance, which was readily given, and he found he was only a short distance from a hospital.

Having spent time being treated in the nearby hospital he then was sent to Boulogne and then to Netley, where he was discharged.

Macdonald, who was left very lame as a result of his injuries and unable to return to active service, remained in Southampton and returned to his previous employees at the South Western Hotel where he was offered work as a silver man.