Private George Scott

.Private George Common Scott, 14th ( Service ) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. He died of wounds in France, aged 19, on 4th October 1917 and is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Somme, France. He had been born in Greenlaw and was the son of Mr and Mrs William Scott of Church Street Greenlaw and the Grandson of Mrs George Common of Greenhead, Greenlaw. He was seriously wounded in the chest and abdomen and died in the 21st Casualty Clearing Station. Before enlisting he had been apprenticed to Mr D.Veitch, Merchant of Greenlaw. He had originally enlisted in the K.O.S.B.  but in France was transferred to the H.L.I. ( The Battalion was formed in Hamilton in July 1915 and was originally a ” Bantam ” Battalion. These Battalions were set up specifically for men under 5ft 3 inches which was the British Army’s minimum height requirement) His brother William also fell – see below ).