"HIS HIGHEST IDEALS OF LIBERTY HAD BEEN LEARNED FROM THE TRADITIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND THAT SUCH IDEALS SHOULD BE DEFENDED BY EVERY ONE OF HER SONS"

Extract from the Harvard University Roll of Honour.

Alexander Dale Muir was born at Possilpark, Glasgow on 10th March 1887. For a short time he attended Whitehill School, Dennistoun Glasgow, but later, when his father accepted a call to the U. F. Church in Methven, he became a pupil at Methven Public School, whence he entered Perth Academy, for his high school training. For four years he there held the McDougall Scholarship and won, in the two final years, the Classic Medal, Dux Boy Medal and Dux Medal. In 1904, he went to Glasgow University. He took all but one of the examinations for his degree, but, owing to the state of his health, he found it necessary to remove to Canada in March 1907.

As it was his intention to enter the Presbyterian ministry, Alexander Muir obtained an appointment as a Student Missionary in the Jack Fish Lake District, North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

He had originally intended to return to Scotland to complete his studies, but by this time his family had come to Canada and he decided to finish his undergraduate work at McGill University. He entered the third year Arts in 1910, graduating with First Rank Honours in 1912. Alexander Muir’s opinions had been changing slowly and before he left McGill he had given up all thought of the ministry. He entered Harvard University as a student of history in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. At the end of his third year, in 1915, he won the award of the Charles Eliot Norton Fellowship providing for a year of study at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.

By June of 1915 Alexander Muir considered the issues associated with the war so serious that he said that “his highest ideals of liberty had been learned from the traditions of Great Britain, and that such ideals should be defended by every one of her sons…” On 15th June he set sail on the Bohemian, working his passage across by caring for horses. He went to Perth and enlisted as a Second Lieutenant in the Black Watch. After training at Bridge of Earn he attended an Officers’ Training School in Leeds.

In January 1916 he crossed to France and after training with his regiment he went “up the line”. He served on the Somme and in the Ypres salient. Near the end of September he was mentioned in despatches for a first lieutenancy, but he was not gazetted for his promotion due to ill health.

In December he was sent to guard prisoners behind the lines and in January 1917 he was taken to hospital. At the end of the month he was removed to Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow. He was very weak and ill, and knowing that there could be no further service for him, he resigned his commission in order to be transferred to a sanatorium outside Perth.

His letters up to the last told of hopes that he would soon return to Canada, but he grew steadily weaker, and died on 12th April 1917.

Alexander Muir is also commemorated on the Methven United Presbyterian Church War Memorial; the Methven Parish War Memorial; and the Harvard University War Memorial.

Alexander's brother, George, served with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Saskatchewan Regiment) in the Great War. He was killed on 26th August 1918, aged 20, and is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France. At the time of his death his parents, George and Margaret (Love) Muir, were living at The Manse, Bradwardine, Manitoba.