Page 218 - They Also Served

spots, including French Indocnina and Algeria, where he was pinned down for an hour during a battle between rebel troops. Later accompanied by King Leka of the Albanians, who fancied ‘coming along for the ride’, he attempted to rescue a rebel leader held in an Algerian prison. In North Yemen, he travelled amongst the desert tribes to form a coalition, resisting a takeover by Egypt’s President Nasser. Prime Minister Harold McMillan wrote: ‘You are one of those people whose services to our dear country are known to only a few’. In the 1964 general election, he lost his seat and returned to the Middle East as an unofficial envoy for the Foreign Office, working tirelessly to stem the spread of Soviet influence and forging close ties with many leaders, including King Hussein of Jordan. In retirement, he was appointed to the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen’s bodyguard in Scotland. Lieutenant-Colonel Billy McLean DSO died in November 1986.
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