Poppy In memoriam Poppy

Private John Scott

 

 

 

John Scott was born on 23 March 1897 at Parkmore, Cushendall, County Antrim, the seventh of nine children of iron ore miner John Scott and his wife Mary Ann (nee Steed). According to a report in the Belfast Weekly Telegraph he was "well-known and very popular throughout the Glens and Cushendall districts." At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Parkmore with his parents and four of his siblings, and working as an iron ore miner with his father and his older brother Thomas.

Scott enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Ballymena between 29 January and 9 March 1917 (No.2372 – later Corps of Hussars No.71780). He embarked for France in April 1918, where he was attached to the 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars.

On 8 October 1918 during the Advance to Victory offensive the 19th Hussars saw severe fighting in the vicinity of Serain, Premont and Brancourt as they advanced towards le Cateau. Casualties for the day were 3 officers killed and 8 wounded, and 18 other ranks killed, 36 wounded, and 3 missing.

Private Scott was one of the men killed that day. He was buried near the town of Brancourt-le-Grand (map reference 62b.C.29.c.1.4), the location marked with a cross. After the war his body was exhumed and re-buried in the Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France, grave VI.C.28. The gravestone inscription reads:

71780 PRIVATE
J. SCOTT
19TH ROYAL HUSSARS
8TH OCTOBER 1918 AGE 21

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS

 

 

Gravestone images Copyright © Phillip Tardif with all rights reserved as set out in this Use of Material policy. Newspaper clipping from the Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, November 1918, kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher at History Hub Ulster (www.greatwarbelfastclippings.com).