Harry Aubrey de Vere Maclean
General Sir Harry Aubrey de Vere Maclean (Kaïd), KCMG | |
|---|---|
 General Sir Harry Aubrey de Maclean | |
| Born | 1848 |
| Died | 1920 |
| Allegiance | Army of Morocco, United Kingdom |
| Years of service | 1869 - Unknown |
| Rank | General |
| Awards | KCMG |
General Sir Harry Aubrey de Vere Maclean (Kaïd), KCMG (Chatham, Kent, 1848–1920) a British Army Officer in Canada, Bermuda, Gibraltar and Morocco, the son of an Inspector General of Army Medical Services, was a Scottish soldier, and instructor to the Moroccan Army.
1870 to 1873. 69th Foot (The South Lincolnshire Regiment) . Later, after 1877, Maclean became commander of the Sultan of Morocco's Army, adopted Moorish costume, was one of the heads of the Moroccan delegation to attend the coronation of King Edward VII.
Military career
He began his military career in the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot in 1869. He was dispatched overseas to fight the Fenians in Canada. In 1877, Maclean went to Morocco and began his career as an army instructor for Hassan I of Morocco. He gained the trust of the King of Morocco, Sultan of Morocco and his successor in 1894, his 14 years old only inheritor and cadet son Abdelaziz of Morocco, protected by his Regent mother, visir Abd El Hadj-El Moktar , and a Council of Regency with a wide number of British advisers to their service till no less than 1901, fought against opposing tribes and factions throughout Morocco.
The Algeciras Conference, 1906, tried to neutralize however British influence on the new young ruler through pressures by Germany to set up a small Spanish Protectorate in the poor and rugged Northwest Rif region and a much wider and prosperous French Protectorate as from 1908 by cadet brother of Abd al-Aziz, Abdelhafid of Morocco assisted by Englishman Andrew Belton (Kaid) to avoid up to a certain degree the fell of Morocco in a full branded colonialism after January 1908 . After 1912 howewever, Sultan Abdelhafiz abdicated on cadet brother Yusef of Morocco by the Treaty of Fes fixing the French Protectorate age till 1957.
During his career, he was kidnapped by a Berber leader at the Northwest Rif region, Mulai Ahmed er Raisuni, Sharif of the Jbala tribes,smehow also some sort of a pirate, and held for ransom after a failed first attempt. He visited the forbidden city of Tafilalt, and eventually became commander of the Sultan of Morocco's Army.
Although he was loyal to his employer to a fault, he was regarded as an unofficial British agent in the United Kingdom. He was made a Knights Commander of St Michael and St George by King Edward VII upon his return to the United Kingdom for the Moroccan Delegation.
Life in Morocco
He was physically large and used this to his advantage when disciplining insubordinates. Although maintaining his Scottish personality and expert bagpipe skill, he adopted Moorish costume.
Various heirlooms of the Kaïd Sir Harry Maclean, including his ceremonial sword, pistol and Matriculation of Arms are now housed for the Clan Maclean Heritage Trust at the Isle of Mull Museum.
See also
External links
References and notes
- EL RAISUNI. (CAUDILLO DE YEBALA), Eliseo Bermudo Soriano, Presentación Crítica de Luis A. De Vega. Retrato de Caudillo de Yebalas. Grafica Literaria Francisco G. Vicente (1944) Madrid España
- http://bddoc.csic.es:8080/detalles.html?tabla=docu&bd=ISOC&id=204638. On a work by Spanish author from Larache, (Morocco), Carlos Federico Tessainer y Tomasic.
- Forbes, Rosita (2010). El Raisuni, sultán de las montañas. Editorial Almuzara, (Cordoba, Spain). ISBN 978-84-92924-07-3.
Notes
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