Private John Andrew Scott
John Andrew Scott was born on 28 April 1898 at Hill View Terrace, John Street, Newtownards, County Down, the ninth of ten children of agricultural labourer William Scott and his wife Jane Duggan Scott (née Brown). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Mill Street, Newtownards, with his parents and three of his eight surviving siblings.
Scott enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 5 and 7 October 1916 (No.2286 – later Corps of Hussars No.71739). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in 1917 or 1918. There he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment. This regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Scott remained with the regiment throughout the war, although by August 1918 he was back at the Antrim reserve camp. On 28 August he married Martha Anna Vincent in Christ Church, Belfast.
He was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, in mid- or late-1919.
After the war Scott worked as a joiner, living at 9 Silvergrove Street, Belfast, from the 1930s. On 28 August 1968 he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
At least two of Scott's brothers, Robert and Samuel, also served in the war, in the Canadian Army. Robert was wounded in 1916.
The postcard below (image sourced from an internet auction site), was written to Scott by his sister Sara on 28 April 1919.
This page last updated 17 September 2023.