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was strong in the constituency and campaigned against the practice of "plural farming" by which landowners farmed multiple farms with a single labour force, and which was unpopular with agricultural workers. McLean's work in nursing the constituency paid off as he was elected by 1,331 votes.
502:. He was still working undercover there when the war ended. After some years traveling in the late 1940s, McLean resigned his commission and returned to Albania one last time, joining a clandestine organization operated by the United States and British intelligence agencies to undermine
631:
Being out of
Parliament left McLean more time to travel, especially in the Middle East. He kept up his work in Yemen, and had contacts with most of the Muslim Arab states including Jordan where he had developed a close relationship with then monarch
478:. Meanwhile, the partisans grew suspicious of this outside interference, and eventually McLean and his team had to be withdrawn. Ironically, British strategy was subsequently altered to recognize only the LANÇ who went on to convert Albania into a
585:
in 1957, but did declare that he was in sympathy with them and that "the M.P.s who have resigned have raised the flag for many of us who have not resigned". In general McLean's
Parliamentary contributions were concentrated on foreign affairs.
593:
and
Algeria to find the situation on the ground, and reported back to British newspapers. In September 1962 while visiting Algeria he was pinned down for an hour by a firefight between rival groups. That year he also began to work with
1270:
602:
where he became the principal military advisor to the
Royalist forces. He persuaded the Foreign Office not to recognize the Communist-backed government in the country; an accomplishment described by McLean's biographer
581:, and an equally strong opponent of the decision shortly thereafter to withdraw. The Members of Parliament who took this view were known as the "Suez Group"; McLean did not join those who abandoned the Conservative
390:
in
Ethiopia, where he commanded a mixed group of Ethiopian and Eritrean irregulars (nicknamed "McLean's Foot") against the occupying Italian army. For his efforts he was awarded the Distinguished Military Medal of
1255:
542:, but was again defeated by the extremely narrow margin of 16 votes. This was the smallest majority in any constituency in that election. In the summer of 1952, McLean was chosen as the
334:, the elder son of Neil Gillean McLean, who had made a great deal of money trading with India and owned an estate at Glencalvie. The family called him "Billy". He was educated at
251:
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forces there. In April 1944, exactly one year later, McLean returned to
Albania with a small team known as "The Musketeers" which included Major
454:. However, even after he left tension between the partisans and the nationalists in Albania was still causing concern to SOE at which point the
644:
which said "You are one of those people whose services to our dear country are known only to a few". In his retirement he was appointed to the
637:
455:
554:
intended to stand down. He toured the constituency continuously, familiarizing himself with its problems and speaking to local groups.
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535:
442:. McLean then organized them into the 1st Partisan Brigade, and arranged their training and armament. Following his evacuation from
1275:
1033:
934:
Xan
Fielding, "One Man in His Time - The life of Lieutenant-Colonel NLD ('Billy') McLean, DSO" (Macmillan, London, 1990), p. 156.
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1201:
895:"Unreconstructed Nationalists and a Minor Gunboat Operation: Julian Amery, Neil McLean and the Suez Crisis", by Onslowa, Sue -
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43:
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285:
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25:
538:, a newly created constituency which was expected to be marginal. He was defeated by 149 votes. He stood again in the
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1138:
1091:
343:
470:. Unfortunately they could not persuade the nationalists to join with the partisans; nor could McLean get SOE-HQ in
1181:
1120:"Albanian Assignment" (1984) Chatto & Windus, London. SOE in Albania by the second Muskeeter, with foreword by
1310:
577:
whom he regarded with extreme concern. McLean was a strong supporter of the decision to invade Egypt during the
1153:
1105:
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aimed at protecting some paper mills, shipbuilding and cotton firms which had received government grants from
311:
and was involved in clandestine missions in
Ethiopia, China, and particularly Albania. In 1954 he served as a
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In early 1943 McLean was selected by SOE to lead a mission in occupied
Albania, for which he was promoted to
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233:
165:
160:
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292:
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and died of heart failure in 1986. At his side were his family, including his step-grandson, the actor
558:
543:
312:
645:
663:. All of his diaries, notes and orders kept meticulously from all his campaigns now reside in the
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443:
427:. His team was parachuted behind enemy lines in April 1943, where they made contact with the
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8:
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366:. The following year he was posted to Palestine and spent the first two years of the
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78:
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612:
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808:
by Gloyer, Gillian; 'Bradt Travel Guides; Fifth edition. 1 March 2015; pp. 13-14
1084:
MI6 : Inside the Covert World of Her
Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service
392:
191:
155:
1229:
1079:(1948) Macmillan & Co Ltd, London. SOE in Albania by the third Musketeer.
681:
One Man in His Time: The life of Lieutenant-Colonel NLD ('Billy') McLean, DSO
636:. Fielding claimed that he was a kind of "unofficial under-secretary" of the
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and the Communist government there. In 1949 he married Daška Ivanović, from
1271:
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
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to support his nominee to lead the partisan fight against the Axis powers,
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and McLean devised a plan to unite them in a common struggle against the
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112:
1098:
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
984:
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
362:
In August 1938 on leaving Sandhurst, McLean was commissioned into the
507:
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475:
379:
168:
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British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine
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247:
1133:
Smiley, David "Irregular Regular" (1994) Michael Russell, Norwich
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in resisting Egyptian efforts to install an ally as President of
499:
374:, an unorthodox military unit which worked behind enemy lines on
339:
255:
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as his "crowning achievement". In June 1964 McLean introduced a
403:, Egypt then in Syria and back in Palestine. He also worked for
346:
to train to become an officer. Having spent his holiday periods
342:, becoming Captain of the school team. He was then sent to the
129:
1130:, "Arabian Assignment" (1975) Cooper, London. Oman and Yemen.
490:
Early in 1945 McLean volunteered to work for SOE against the
400:
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in Croatia. Coincidentally his new brother-in-law, diplomat
299:, was a Scottish politician and intelligence officer in the
471:
412:
395:
I in 1941. 1942 saw McLean shifted to a staff job with the
1144:
786:"One Man's Great Game: Lieutenant Colonel "Billy" McLean"
404:
382:. After completing his training he was sent to join Col.
573:
until March 1956, and he chose to speak about Egypt and
1100:(2014) Touchstone; First edition (14 October 2014)
986:(2014) Touchstone; First edition (14 October 2014)
514:, had been a member of the Yugoslav section of the
1281:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
1143:Au cœur de l'action clandestine. Des Commandos au
837:
683:, London: Macmillan; 1st Edition (1 November 1990)
518:(PWE), the propaganda arm of SOE, during the war.
434:(LANÇ) and the nationalist, anti-Communist, anti-
1227:
937:
619:he found himself under severe pressure from the
295:(28 November 1918 – 17 November 1986), known as
1141:. Translated into French by Thierry Le Breton,
16:British Army officer and politician (1918–1986)
1286:British Special Operations Executive personnel
1156:). The Memoirs of a SOE officer and MI6 agent.
1114:(1999) West Lafayette, Purdue University Press
1004:"Billy McLean, Boxes and Brits behaving badly"
950:
498:to Sir Clarmont Skrine, the British consul in
876:
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56:21 December 1954 – 25 September 1964
1148:, L'Esprit du Livre Editions, France, 2008 (
1070:The Oxford Companion to the Second World War
915:
589:He also visited areas of concern, including
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726:
557:Lord Malcolm resigned in autumn 1954 and a
1173:contributions in Parliament by Neil McLean
1077:Sons of the Eagle. A Study in Guerilla War
902:
569:Owing to illness, McLean did not make his
370:there. In 1941, he was transferred to the
1057:Daily Telegraph Second Book of Obituaries
963:
550:, where the sitting Member of Parliament
446:in November 1943, McLean was awarded the
899:, Volume 20, Issue 1, 2006, pages 73-99.
863:
811:
357:
166:General Service Medal, Palestine 1945-48
1306:Members of the Royal Company of Archers
1034:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
824:
350:, he was a keen sportsman and won many
325:
1251:British Army personnel of World War II
1228:
739:
648:, the Queen's bodyguard in Scotland.
154:Distinguished Military Medal of
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418:
1086:, (2000) The Free Press, New York,
13:
494:forces in China and was appointed
14:
1322:
1160:
1032:"McLean, Neil Loudon Desmond" in
354:races while attending Sandhurst.
344:Royal Military College, Sandhurst
1182:Parliament of the United Kingdom
869:"Inverness Stays Conservative",
640:, and quoted a 1979 letter from
561:was called for 21 December. The
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1276:People educated at Eton College
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921:"No Rush To Vote In Algeria",
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778:
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623:and ended up losing his seat.
411:aiding resistance fighters in
1:
1266:Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs
1191:Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
908:"Possible Tory Abstentions",
714:
670:
552:Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
897:Contemporary British History
856:"Dilemma In The Highlands",
843:"Speculation In Inverness",
432:National Liberation Movement
397:Special Operations Executive
372:Special Operations Executive
309:Special Operations Executive
234:Special Operations Executive
7:
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516:Political Warfare Executive
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448:Distinguished Service Order
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289:Neil Loudon Desmond McLean
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646:Royal Company of Archers
266:Arab revolt in Palestine
67:Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
1072:(1995), pp. 24–26.
338:, where he excelled in
1311:People from Sutherland
1066:Albania at War 1939-45
651:McLean suffered from
617:1964 general election
540:1951 general election
528:1950 general election
415:-occupied countries.
358:WWII and Army service
161:General Service Medal
1198:Member of Parliament
1126:Smiley, David, with
1122:Patrick Leigh Fermor
1044:8 March 2011 at the
925:, 21 September 1962.
609:Private members bill
530:, McLean ran as the
326:Family and education
316:Member of Parliament
252:1st Partisan Brigade
40:Member of Parliament
1110:Fischer, Bernd J.,
873:, 24 December 1954.
860:, 13 December 1954.
665:Imperial War Museum
330:McLean was born in
274:Albanian Subversion
1039:The London Gazette
847:, 4 December 1954.
834:, 27 October 1951.
575:Gamal Abdel Nasser
532:Conservative Party
452:lieutenant colonel
286:Lieutenant-Colonel
220:Lieutenant-Colonel
26:Lieutenant-Colonel
1224:
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1215:Succeeded by
1082:Dorril, Stephen,
1053:, A & C Black
522:Entry to politics
419:Albanian missions
364:Royal Scots Greys
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704:Xan Fielding
699:Julian Amery
694:David Smiley
680:
677:Xan Fielding
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634:King Hussein
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605:Xan Fielding
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468:Julian Amery
466:and Captain
464:David Smiley
422:
388:Gideon Force
361:
336:Eton College
329:
305:World War II
301:British Army
297:Billy McLean
296:
288:
284:
270:World War II
262:Battles/wars
244:Gideon Force
210:British Army
125:(1986-11-17)
74:Succeeded by
51:
30:Billy McLean
18:
1241:1986 deaths
1236:1918 births
1171:1803–2005:
1051:Who Was Who
732:"Fencing",
709:Sophie Moss
657:septicaemia
627:Final years
600:North Yemen
579:Suez Crisis
559:by-election
504:Enver Hoxha
348:fox hunting
62:Preceded by
1230:Categories
1154:2915960275
1128:Peter Kemp
1106:1476764026
1014:22 January
992:1476764026
791:22 January
770:22 January
715:References
671:Literature
661:Cary Elwes
332:Sutherland
180:Allegiance
115:, Scotland
113:Sutherland
106:1918-11-28
1202:Inverness
973:, p. 208.
969:Fielding
960:, p. 170.
956:Fielding
945:The Times
923:The Times
910:The Times
884:The Times
871:The Times
858:The Times
845:The Times
832:The Times
819:The Times
747:The Times
734:The Times
548:Inverness
508:Dubrovnik
480:Communist
476:Abaz Kupi
380:espionage
320:Inverness
303:. During
132:, England
52:In office
44:Inverness
1042:Archived
688:See also
653:diabetes
492:Japanese
486:Post-war
429:partisan
409:Istanbul
376:sabotage
313:Unionist
248:Ethiopia
240:Commands
1168:Hansard
806:Albania
526:At the
500:Kashgar
482:state.
444:Albania
384:Wingate
340:fencing
256:Albania
169:and Bar
1152:
1137:
1104:
1090:
990:
971:op cit
958:op cit
207:
189:
147:Awards
137:Spouse
130:London
720:Notes
425:major
401:Cairo
293:DSO**
163:GVI 1
1211:1964
1207:1954
1200:for
1150:ISBN
1135:ISBN
1102:ISBN
1088:ISBN
1016:2016
988:ISBN
793:2016
772:2016
655:and
583:whip
472:Bari
460:Axis
413:Nazi
378:and
318:for
226:Unit
216:Rank
120:Died
94:Born
42:for
1145:MI6
1068:",
1064:, "
436:Zog
407:in
405:MI9
386:'s
1232::
1006:.
762:.
679:.
667:.
322:.
291:,
254:,
246:,
1209:–
1018:.
795:.
774:.
158:I
108:)
104:(
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