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Private James Scott

 

James Scott was born on 27 October 1897 at Beltrim, Gortin, County Tyrone, the seventh of eight children of farmer John Scott and his wife Jane (née Scott). His father died when he was just five years old. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Beltrim with his mother and five of his siblings.

Scott enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown).

At the end of December 1916 he was one of forty North Irish Horsemen who volunteered to transfer to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The formal transfer took place on 9 January 1917, and on the same day they embarked for France, where they were posted to the 10th Battalion, joining it at Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres front on 16 January. Scott was issued regimental number 40664.

Scott was wounded in the upper leg at the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917. He recovered and rejoined the battalion, which in January 1918 was disbanded, the men being posted to other units of the Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Scott was wounded again during the German spring offensive in March 1918. On his return to duty he was attached to a unit of the 36th (Ulster) Division's Machine Gun Corps. He was wounded for the third time between August and October 1918 during the Advance to Victory offensive.