Sandwick will honour Corporal Duncan MacAulay at a community event on 9 May 2026, recognising an act of extraordinary bravery during the Second World War that went unacknowledged for more than eighty years.

The event, titled Honour a Local Hero, will take place from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and is open to all members of the community, with organisers encouraging attendance to mark the life and sacrifice of one of their own.

Corporal MacAulay, from East Street in Sandwick, was just 27 when he was killed in January 1945 during intense fighting near Sitard in Holland while serving with D Company, 7th Cameronians.

New eyewitness evidence has since confirmed the scale of his actions, shedding light on a moment of courage that directly saved the lives of 27 fellow soldiers.

At a point in the battle where heavy casualties had already been sustained and a German machine gun position was holding back his unit, Corporal MacAulay volunteered to move forward alone under covering fire.

What followed was an act that would normally have required a full platoon, carried out by one man advancing into sustained enemy fire.

According to fellow soldier Jack Rafferty, who witnessed the events, Corporal MacAulay located the enemy position and charged forward on his own, reaching the wall of the building from which the gun was firing before throwing a grenade.

He was fatally wounded moments before the explosion, but his actions silenced the position and allowed his comrades to advance, complete the attack and capture the village.

Mr Rafferty later confirmed that the act directly saved many lives and said there was a strong belief within the battalion that Corporal MacAulay would have been awarded the Victoria Cross.

However, with officers killed or wounded during the fighting, the action was never formally recorded or submitted for recognition.

That absence of official acknowledgement has remained for decades, despite the scale of what took place.

Now, Sandwick Community Council is stepping in to ensure that the story is properly recognised and remembered.

A spokesperson for the council said the event is about giving long overdue recognition to a man whose actions had lasting impact.

“We felt it was important to recognise the significance of what Corporal Duncan MacAulay did in Holland.

“This was an extraordinary act of bravery that saved many lives, yet no formal recognition was ever given.

“We want to make sure his courage and sacrifice are properly remembered by the community.”

The event will be free to attend, with a buffet provided, and organisers have asked those planning to come along to confirm in advance to help with arrangements.

For the family, the occasion carries particular meaning, with his son Murdo MacAulay, who still lives in the area, welcoming the opportunity for the community to come together in his father’s memory.

It is a moment that brings together history, memory and place, ensuring that what happened on a battlefield far from home is finally acknowledged where it matters most.

More than eighty years after his death, Sandwick will come together to honour Corporal Duncan MacAulay, recognising a moment of courage that saved lives and ensuring his sacrifice is remembered with the respect it has long deserved.