John Dunn

Killed in Action between the 09/04/1917 and 11/04/1917 at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe (opening day of the Battle of Arras)

John and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 14/08/1914 and were part of the 76th Brigade, 3rd Division when John fell at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, 9th - 14th April 1917. This was part of the Arras offensive (Battle of Arras), 9th April - 16th June 1917 : Once again the British are called upon to launch an attack in support to a larger French offensive : the battles of the Chemin des Dames and the hills of Champagne. The opening Battle of Vimy and the First Battle of the Scarpe are very encouraging, but once again the offensive - often known as the Battle of Arras - bogs down into an attritional slog. Final attempts to outflank the German lines at Bullecourt prove terribly costly. SEE PHOTOS x 11 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY APRIL 1917. The Battalion War Diary states casualties 9th - 11th April 1917 were 13 Officers and 263 Other Ranks. The 3rd Division was one of the first British formations to move to France as part of the original British Expeditionary Force and one of the first into action, the 3rd Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. John only returned to France in February 1917 after being wounded on the 22/06/1916. He is also remembered on the Airdrie High Church Roll of Honour and on the Airdrie War Memorial (see photos). John was reburied in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery after previously being buried in Blangy Military Cemetery near Arras (see reburial photos). See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report for Blangy Military Cemetery x 2, his Headstone Report for Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, the Gordon Highlanders Cap Badge, John's Pension Records x 2 and Newspaper clippings x 5 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1). John's Grave inscription reads "GOD BE WITH US TILL WE MEET AGAIN". Finally, see photos for the 3rd Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died), another photo of John's grave, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery taken by myself in July 2023 x 2 plus 9 Poppy Crosses placed at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery by myself in July 2023 (John's middle left and also see main grave photo).