Alan Mcilwraith
Captain Sir Alan Mcilwraith, CBE, DSO,MC, MiD (born 03 March 1978) is a British army officer, currently serving with the Scottish TA. Capt Mcilwraith is know throught the military world as a man that can get things done and thought of as a Hero that the United Kingdom and NATO can look to in times of trouble.
Capt Mcilwraith's father was an Engineer. Capt Mcilwraith went to Shawlands Academy, then in 1994 he went to Glasgow University. Mcilwraith was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment aged 18 finishing top in his class at Sandhurst Military Academy , specialising in the threat from Terrorism. He spent 6 months commanding a parachute Platoon in Northern Ireland, and later the Balkans, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.
In 2000s, Mcilwraith served in the NATO chain of command as an Advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Wesley Clark.He is best known for risking his own life when his company was attaked by a battalion to protect his men he took charge of a GPMG and held off the enemy long enough for his men to retreat. For this action he was awared the DSO. He was also badly injured protecting a young woman from an angry mob without any weapons to hand he placed himself between the young woman and mob this act of heroism made him a hit within the Military world. He is also known for his no-nonsence way of talking and during a debate at the UN he told Ronald E. Neumann AmericanAmbassador to Afghanistan "If you think that normal Afgan's live they'er life's free of fear and violence then can i suggest that you get out your ivory tower and go to Afghanistan and see how they live". with this the Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai stood up and appluaded along with the rest of the chamber. There have been rumours that Mcilwraith stopped an act of terrorism in the heart of London but these rumours are denied by both the British Goverment and Capt Mcilwraith alike. He was awared the CBE for services to the United Kingdom. He is also one of one only fourteen men whos face's are eched into the wall at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst under his name are the words "Courage and Honor"
Very few Photos of Capt Mcilwraith are in circulation one of which appear's on this site "he is very camera shy but a splendid soldier and credit to the country" says General Mike Jackson Chief of the General Staff