Memorial stone to commemorate a Scottish soldier who died
in 1748
Photo: Donald Cameron of Lochiel died of meningitis and a virulent
fever whilst billeted in Bergues.
A memorial stone in remembrance of the Scottish gentleman
Donald Cameron of Lochiel was unveiled in the military cemetery in
Bergues on Saturday afternoon.
The ceremony took place in the presence of many prominent
persons from Scotland: Alan Cameron, present president of the Clan
Cameron Association and elected member of the Scottish National
Party, John Graham of the 1st Marquis of Montrose Society, Peter
Lole of the Royal Stuart Society, Brig. John MacFarlane, chairman of
the 1745 Association, Julian Hutchings, president of the Alliance
France-Écosse, Mme Sylvie Brachet, mayor of Bergues, Didier
Schreiner, deputy mayor responsible for cultural affairs, Pierre
Devos, master of ceremonies and many other municipal officials.
Didier Schreiner explained that Donald Cameron “ in the collective
memory of the Scottish people is a bit like Roland de Roncevaux in
our French cultural history.”
In the XVIII century the Scots had made several attempts to
liberate themselves from the English might in Westminster and to
restore the Stuart dynasty to the Scottish throne, sometimes with
the aid of France but without success. In 1746, after the defeat at
Culloden, veritable genocide was perpetrated against the Scottish
army and the population of the Scottish Highlands. Donald
Cameron of Lochiel, known as the “Gentle Lochiel” was sent to
France where his Prince and King Louis XV of France consigned to
him the Régiment d’Albanie.
Whilst billeted in Bergues in October 1748, Lochiel contracted
meningitis, complicated by a virulent fever provoked by malaria. He
died in the military hospital in Bergues at the age of 53.
Thanks to the research conducted by the historian Jean Bonduelle of
Armbouts-Cappel, a bronze plaque was installed/erected in 1998 to
commemorate the place where Lochiel died (this was the “post
office” in the film “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”).
On Saturday a second plaque, Scottish in its orientation was
unveiled close to the spot where the body of Lochiel had been
reburied. Musicians of the Bergues municipal band and a
detachment of Scottish pipers paid tribute to this gallant gentleman.