Private John Hewitt

Private John Hewitt, 1st/13th( Kensington Battalion ), London Regiment. He was killed in action in Belgium on 9th May 1915 during the Battle of Aubers Ridge, aged 21. He was the eldest son of Adam and Agnes Hewitt of 11 Rodgers Place, Earlston and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Flanders, Belgium. He had been employed in the Labour Exchange Department of the Civil Service in Westminster and whilst there he had joined the ” Kensingtons ” as a Territorial. He had been educated at the Berwickshire High School and is also commemorated on the Memorial Tablet placed in the new Berwickshire High School, Duns. The battle was an unmitigated failure with 11,000 casualties and no ground gained. The artillery barrage was feeble and led to the German wire being uncut and their trench positions not degraded. This shortage of artillery ammunition led to the ” Shells Scandal” and the Government was blamed for the shortages. The pictures show troops before the attack.

Scroll to Top