A life in letters: Brackenridge, Sir Alexander (1893-1964)

My father’s uncle. The son of Alexander and Catherine Brackenridge, Alexander was born on 14 June 1893 in Larkhall, Lanarkshire. He was educated at Larkhall Academy and the Royal Technical College Glasgow, and served in the Scottish Horse Brigade, Royal Naval Division. Commissioned on 30th May 1917, Sub-Lieutenant Brackenridge served in the Nelson Battalion from December 1917 until February 1918 when he was posted to the Hood Battalion.  He was demobbed on 12th June 1919.

He was awarded the Military Cross for action near Cambrai, and a Bar to the Military Cross for subsequent action at Niergnies. The London Gazette citations describe these actions:

On September 29th, 1918, near Cambrai, at a crucial point in the fight for the Escaut Canal crossings, he was ordered to take the Marcoing Line [a German defence system] west of the canal at very short notice. By his very able handling of his company and his gallant and fearless bearing under the heaviest machine-gun fire he captured the trench, thirty prisoners, two officers and three machine gund, being one of the first into the trench himself. His fearless leadership was undoubtedly responsible for the capture of this important position. He inspired all ranks with his coolness and courage.

At Niergnies on October 8th, 1918, he showed marked courage, initiative and resource. When his company was driven back by counter-attack by enemy tanks he rendered most valuable assistance in rallying the line. He rushed the occupants of one of the tanks with handful of men, killing them all, as well as a number of other enemy who had got back into the village. He then returned, led the line forward, and eventually by hard fighting and clever leadership established the line on its final objective. It was greatly due to his dashing leadership that Niergnies was won and held.

In 1922, he joined the New York wholesale fabric company Morton Sundour where he worked until his retirement in 1963, for the last 20 years being company President. In the same year, he retired from the boards of Josiah Wedgewood and Sons, Inc, and several Bowater businesses, and from the chairmanship of the United States Committee of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry). He had held this position since 1948, and had been instrumental in bringing to Scotland a high proportion of the American investment in the UK during those years. More generally, he worked to promote British/American trade as President of the British Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce in the United States (1947-51), and as a member of the Dollar Exports Council.

It was said of him that he ‘dedicated his life to bringing American industry to Scotland.’ His colleagues at the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) described him as a ‘completely unselfish man who was directly involved in bringing many thousands of jobs to Scotland.’

The Glasgow Herald dated 26th May 1964 carried the following tribute from Lord Bilsland of the Scottish Council:

When, soon after the [Second World] War, it was decided to form the U.S.A committee of the council to organise publicity for Scotland in America, and particularly to interest American countries in the facilities Scotland could offer for production, Alexander Brackenridge was asked to undertake this, and immediately agreed to do so.

He quickly gathered around him a group of outstanding Scotsmen, all of them leaders of industry. The fact that so many men of the highest calibre agreed to act with him was a reflection not only of their loyalty to Scotland but of the high regard in which Alexander Brackenridge was held by them all.

From 1948 when the committee began operations, until he recently retired from the chairmanship, Alewxander Brackenridge worked incessantly and most faithfully in directing the work his committee was asked to undertake, a great deal of which fell on his shoulders.

He never spared himself. Since 1948 the council have sent 19 missions to the United States, and the arrangements for their programmes of visits to many centres throughout America were carried out most thoroughly and successfully by Alexander Brackenridge.

He was a wise man, a fervid Scot with a good sense of humour and a winning way. His work achieved notable and still-expanding benefits for Scotland.

In 1923 Alexander Brackenridge married Alice Hogg from Cambuslang. They had one son and two daughters and lived in South Orange, New Jersey.

He was made CBE in 1959, and raised to KBE in 1959. The only time I remember meeting the great man was in the year he received his knighthood, when I was seven. My parents and I were invited to a celebration to mark his receipt of the honour, held at the Central Hotel in Hope Street, Glasgow. The event I don’t remember, but I recall Sir Alexander took the three of us up to his bedroom to show us the insignia he had received from the Queen. I wandered over to the window where I was more interested in looking down across the dark street (night had fallen) at the ground floor of the building opposite, a brightly-lit cavern where print workers were running off copies of the next day’s paper on a thundering press.

I was, however, mightily impressed by my connection with a real Knight, and wrote proudly a page about Sir Alexander in my school jotter – and then was embarrassed in case my parents saw it.
(See article on Sir Alexander's father here.)