Malcolm Neil McIndeor

Lieutenant Malcolm Neil McIndeor - London Regiment (London Scottish), 14^th Battalion

Early Life

Malcolm Neil McIndeor

Malcolm Neil McIndeor was born in 1898, the eldest son of Neil McIndeor, a Scottish-born draper, and his wife Edith Bennett, who had married in 1897.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the McIndeor family lived at 41 Carlton Terrace, Swansea. Neil, then 27, ran his own Credit Draper business, while Edith, aged 30, kept the home. Their two young sons were Malcolm (3) and Charles J. (2). The household also included a boarder, Henry Chappell (25), who worked in the same trade, and a servant, Alice Jones (20).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 17 Northampton Place. Neil, now 37, continued his drapery business, and Edith, aged 40, cared for their growing family. Malcolm, aged 13, and Charles, 12, were both still at school, while a new arrival, Edith Mariel (2), completed the family. They employed Charlotte Helen Thomas (21) as a live-in servant.

Military Service

During the First World War, Malcolm enlisted with the London Regiment (London Scottish), 14^th Battalion, later attached to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 7^th Battalion. Rising to the rank of Lieutenant, he joined many other Swansea men who volunteered for service despite their young age and the risks of war.

On 28^th March 1918, during the Battle of Arras, Malcolm was seriously wounded. His injuries would eventually determine the course of his short life.

Hospitalisation and Death

After his wounding, Malcolm was treated at Parc Wern Hospital, Swansea, which had been made available for use by the Red Cross thanks to the generosity of Dulcie Vivian. Parc Wern was one of several auxiliary hospitals that cared for wounded servicemen in South Wales, easing pressure on larger military hospitals.

Despite this care, Malcolm’s health never recovered. He was later transferred to the Bedford House Officers’ Hospital in Cardiff, where he died on 26^th October 1919, aged just 21.

Burial at Danygraig Cemetery

Malcolm Neil McIndeor
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagraave

Following his death, Malcolm’s body was brought back to Swansea and buried with honour at Danygraig Cemetery. His grave sits among those of many other young men whose lives were cut short by the war, either through wounds, disease, or the long-lasting effects of military service.

Legacy

Lieutenant Malcolm Neil McIndeor represents the generation of young men whose promising futures were lost to the First World War. His story also highlights the role of auxiliary hospitals like Parc Wern, where local communities and individuals such as Dulcie Vivian played their part in supporting the war effort by opening their homes and estates to the wounded.

Malcolm’s grave at Danygraig ensures his name endures, part of the collective memory of Swansea’s sacrifice during the Great War.