Joh arrived in France on the 17/08/1914. He was part of the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) who were part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division. The took part in the following Battles - 1914 : The Battle of the Aisne (12th - 15th September), The Battle of Messines (12th October - 2nd November), The Battle of Armentieres (13th - 17th October), The Battle of Gheluvelt (30th - 31st October, a phase of the Battles of Ypres ("First Ypres"). 1915 : Winter Operations 1914-15, The Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10th - 12th March 1915), The Battle of St Julien (26th April - 3rd May, a phase of the Battles of Ypres ("Second Ypres"), The Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge (24th - 25th May, a phase of the Battles of Ypres 1915 ("Second Ypres"). John was previously 4 years a Private (Trooper 8019) with the Royal Scots Greys "C" Squadron and he formed one of the bodyguards for King George V 's Coronation in June 1911 and the Kings visit to Glasgow in June 1914. He fought with the Greys in the early Battles before transferring to the Black Watch on the 30/12/1915. The 8th (Service) Battalion were part of the 26th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. John was wounded on the 16/03/1916 returning to the fighting that October. John wrote a letter to his Aunt on the 08/04/1917 saying he was well and was going into action. He was severely wounded on the 09/04/1916 on the opening day of the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, 9th - 14th April 1917 with the whole of his lower jaw being blown away. This Battle 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 1st 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. John died of this wound 5 days later in the Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. John is listed as TROOPER and ROYAL SCOTS GREYS on the Coatbridge Memorial. Grave photo kindly donated by Mick McCann at the British War Graves website who supply photos FREE OF CHARGE
here. John is also remembered on the 1st Boys Brigade Roll of Honour and at the Family Plot in Old Monkland Cemetery (see photos). See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 3, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Etaples Military Cemetery, John's Pension Records x 2, John's previous Regiment the Royal Scots Greys Cap Badge and the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) Cap Badge. John's grave inscription reads "TOO DEARLY LOVED TO BE FORGOTTEN".
