Private John Scott

Private John Scott, 1st/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action in Belgium on 26th April 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium. The Battalion had only landed on the Continent a few days before when they were rushed into Belgium to support an attack near St Julien. They attacked over open ground into heavy machine gun and artillery fire with little reconnaissance of the ground, were caught in the open and consequently suffered heavy casualties. A dreadful baptism of fire for the Territorials. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Church Street, Berwick upon Tweed. He was a cabinet maker with R. K. Gaul, Hide Hill ,Berwick upon Tweed before enlisting. Between 26th April and 2nd May the Battalion had 2 Officers and 19 Other Ranks killed and 12 Officers and 217 Other Ranks wounded. In addition 161 Other Ranks were posted missing presumed dead. Almost all of theses casualties were suffered on 26th April. The artist’s  illustrations show Allied troops during the fighting and colour photo shows the impressive Memorial was raised to commemorate the fallen of the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Division of which the Battalion was part until February 1918 when it was transferred to the 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Division as a Pioneer Battalion. It was erected near the village of Wieltje in the Ypres Salient where the Division had fought its first action on 26th April 1915.