4410 Guardsman
2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, 3rd Guards Brigade, Guards Division
Date of Death: 4.7.17
Buried: Duhallow ADS Cemetery VIII.A.18
Family history: He was married to Ellen and they had two children and resided at 24 Main Street, Bainsford, Falkirk.
He had joined the Scots Guards aged 17 in 1902, he had been a moulder in a local iron foundry, and served three years before joining the Reserve and was a reservist for nine years. He rejoined the reserves for a further four years in 1914. In total he was fifteen years as a reservist. He joined the battalion at Zeebrugge in October 1914 and was with them until wounded in the summer of 1915, spending time in hospital at Rouen. From April 1917 to two days before his death, he had been with the baths unit at HQ Guards Division.
The action leading to his death
On the 4 July, the Battalion had provided men for working parties at night in the Elverdinghe area from their camp in the woods at Coppernollehoek east of Proven. It was a four mile march each way.
The working parties, involved burying cables and pushing trucks full of stores and ammunition along railway lines. It was dangerous work as the Germans were always shelling the rear areas and the roads at night. On the 4 July, Lieutenant Frank Pretyman and fifteen men were killed and nine wounded by a shell, one of them John. He later died of his wounds at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station.
Medals Awarded:
1914 Star with Clasp, The British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Headstone
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