ImportMaster at 15:45, 27 February 2022

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{{Short description|Scottish cricketer and British Army officer (1902–1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name =
| image =
| country = Scotland
| fullname = Kenneth Mackessack
| birth_date = 24 October 1902
| birth_place = [[Alves, Moray|Alves]], [[County of Moray|Morayshire]], Scotland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1982|10|18|1902|10|24}}
| death_place = [[Elgin, Moray|Elgin]], Morayshire, Scotland
| nickname =
| family = [[Douglas Mackessack]] (brother)
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| batting = Unknown
| bowling = Unknown
| role =
| club1 = [[Northern Punjab cricket team|Northern Punjab]]
| year1 = 1926/27
| club2 = [[Europeans cricket team|Europeans]]
| year2 = 1927/28
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1 = 4
| runs1 = 34
| bat avg1 = 11.33
| 100s/50s1 = –/–
| top score1 = 20[[not out|*]]
| deliveries1 = 321
| wickets1 = 8
| bowl avg1 = 25.00
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = 3/42
| catches/stumpings1 = 2/–
| date = 21 April
| year = 2019
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/17198.html Cricinfo
}}

'''Kenneth Mackessack''' {{postnominal|DL}} (24 October 1902 – 18 October 1982) was a [[Scottish people|Scottish]] first-class cricketer and [[British Army]] officer. Mackessack served with the [[Seaforth Highlanders]] from 1923 to 1948, during which he served in [[British India]] and in the [[Second World War]], in which he was wounded during the [[Battle of El Alamein]]. He served the remainder of the war as a military attaché in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], for which he was appointed to the [[Legion of Merit]]. During his military career he also played [[first-class cricket]] for the [[British Army cricket team]], as well as for teams in British India. Following his retirement from the military, Mackessack served as the deputy lieutenant for [[County of Moray|Moray]] in 1954.

==Early life and military career==
The son of George Ross Mackessack, he was born at [[Alves, Moray|Alves]] in the [[County of Moray]] and was educated in England at [[Rugby School]].<ref name="MED">{{cite web|url=https://spink.com/lot/1800200434 |title=Auction: 18002 – Orders, Decorations and Medals |publisher=[[Spink & Son]] |accessdate=22 April 2019}}</ref> From Rugby, he attended the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], from which he graduated into the [[Seaforth Highlanders]] as a [[Second_lieutenant#United_Kingdom_&_other_Commonwealth_countries|second lieutenant]] in February 1923.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32792|date=2 February 1923|page=807}}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] in February 1925.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33017|date=3 February 1925|page=778}}</ref> He made his debut in [[first-class cricket]] for the [[British Army cricket team]] against the [[Royal Navy Cricket Club|Royal Navy]] at [[Lord's]] in 1926.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13994/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Kenneth Mackessack |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=22 April 2019 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Later in the same year he was posted to [[British India]], where he served in the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–2010)|North-West Frontier Province]].<ref name="MED"/> Shortly after arriving in India, he played in a first-class match for the [[Indian Army cricket team|British India Army cricket team]] against the touring [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) at [[Bagh-e-Jinnah,_Lahore#Cricket_ground|Lahore]] in November 1926.<ref name="FCM"/> In that same month he played for [[Northern Punjab cricket team|Northern Punjab]] against the MCC, before making his final first-class appearance for the [[Europeans cricket team|Europeans]] against the [[Hindus cricket team|Hindus]] in March 1928.<ref name="FCM"/> He scored 34 runs across his four first-class matches, as well as taking 8 wickets with best figures of 3 for 42.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13994/13994.html |title=Player profile: Kenneth Mackessack |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=22 April 2019 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He married Rose Elizabeth Craik, daughter of [[Henry Duffield Craik|Sir Henry Duffield Craik]] in June 1929.<ref name="PEER">{{cite web|url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p5297.htm#i52966 |title=Profile: Lt.-Col. Kenneth Mackessack |publisher=thepeerage.com |accessdate=22 April 2019}}</ref> He served as an [[adjutant]] with the 1st Battalion from 1935 to 1938,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34222|date=22 November 1935|page=7416}}</ref> during which he was promoted to the rank of [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] in January 1936.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34261|date=3 March 1936|page=1383}}</ref> He was appointed as the military secretary to Craik, who the then [[List of governors of Punjab (British India)|Governor of Punjab]], in November 1938.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34587|date=6 January 1939|page=126}}</ref>

==World War II and later life==
With the start of the [[Second World War]] in September 1939, Mackessack was transferred to the Middle East.<ref name="MED"/> He was promoted to the rank of [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] in February 1940.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34783|date=30 January 1940|page=648|supp=y}}</ref> He commanded the 2nd Battalion during the [[Battle of El Alamein]], in which he was wounded.<ref name="MED"/> He was [[mentioned in dispatches]] for his actions during the battle in January 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36327|date=11 January 1944|page=266}}</ref> He served the remainder of the war as a military attaché in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]].<ref name="MED"/> He was divorced from his wife in 1947, with Mackessack marrying Nora Joyce Edward-Collins in March of the same year.<ref name="PEER"/> He retired from active service on account of ill health in January 1948, upon which he was granted the honorary rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant colonel]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38168|date=2 January 1948|page=128|supp=y}}</ref> He was appointed to the [[Legion of Merit]] by the United States in November 1948 for his service during the war.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38459|date=16 November 1948|page=6059|supp=y}}</ref>

He later served as the [[List of Deputy Lieutenants of Moray|Deputy Lieutenant of Moray]] in 1954, alongside [[Iain Tennant]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=40340|date=30 November 1954|page=6793}}</ref> He served as the chairman of the Moray [[County Territorial Association|Territorial Association]] from 1953 to 1962, alongside duties as the convenor of Moray County Council.<ref name="MED"/> He served as the vice-lieutenant of Moray in 1964.<ref>{{London Gazette|city=Edinburgh|issue=18219|date=14 February 1964|page=95}}</ref> He died at [[Elgin, Moray|Elgin]] in October 1982. He was survived by his two children from his first marriage.<ref name="PEER"/> His brother, [[Douglas Mackessack|Douglas]], was also a first-class cricketer.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=17198}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackessack, Kenneth}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Moray]]
[[Category:People educated at Rugby School]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Seaforth Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:Scottish cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian Army cricketers]]
[[Category:Northern Punjab cricketers]]
[[Category:Europeans cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Moray]]
[[Category:Scottish military personnel]]
[[Category:British military attachés]]

Kenneth Mackessack - Revision history

ImportMaster at 15:45, 27 February 2022