Kenneth Mackessack (24 October 1902 – 18 October 1982) was a Scottish first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Mackessack served with the Seaforth Highlanders from 1923 to 1948, during which he served in British India and in the Second World War, in which he was wounded during the Battle of El Alamein. He served the remainder of the war as a military attaché in Washington, for which he was appointed to the Legion of Merit. During his military career he also played first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team, as well as for teams in British India. Following his retirement from the military, Mackessack served as the deputy lieutenant for Moray in 1954.
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Early life and military career
The son of George Ross Mackessack, he was born at Alves in the County of Moray and was educated in England at Rugby School. From Rugby, he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from which he graduated into the Seaforth Highlanders as a second lieutenant in February 1923. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in February 1925. He made his debut in first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team against the Royal Navy at Lord's in 1926.
Later in the same year he was posted to British India, where he served in the North-West Frontier Province. Shortly after arriving in India, he played in a first-class match for the British India Army cricket team against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lahore in November 1926. In that same month he played for Northern Punjab against the MCC, before making his final first-class appearance for the Europeans against the Hindus in March 1928. He scored 34 runs across his four first-class matches, as well as taking 8 wickets with best figures of 3 for 42. He married Rose Elizabeth Craik, daughter of Sir Henry Duffield Craik in June 1929.