SCOTT, William [M.M.]
No. 12864, Sergeant, William Francis SCOTT. M.M.
Aged 24
7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
Killed in Action on Tuesday 31st July 1917
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Born in Q2-1893, in Exning [Newmarket 3b:533], son of George and Ann SCOTT (née PLUMB). 1901 census...At Cotton End, Exning were William [8] with his father George [45] a domestic houseman, born Burwell, his mother Ann [33] born Chevington, and his sister Alice [5] born Exning 1911 census...At Rose Cottage, Exning were his parents, sister Alice and brother Raymond [7] born in Exning. William Francis SCOTT has not been identified in the census. The family were later at 5 Bradmore Terrace, Exning. |
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Unable at present to find a citation for his Military Medal. Shrewsbury Wood is about 4 kilometres SE of Zillebeke,near Ipres. The 3rd Battle of Ypres is now known generally as Passchendale. This offensive cost the British 310,000 casualties. Imagine advancing to fight through a field of mud, then add in the fact that in the ten days leading up to the attack, 4.25 million shells were fired by our artillery alone. The 7th battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment were involved in the attack on Shrewsbury Forest, and lost 12 Officers and 246 other ranks. Three Exning men died on the first day of the battle, As well as William SCOTT, they were Robert FALLICK and Bertram FINCH. None of their bodies were ever identified and they are all named on the Menin Gate in Ipres. William's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Scott, W.F. 7th Northants William Francis Scott joined up on August 30th, 1914, but did not go out to France till the end of the following year. He has the great distinction of winning the Military Medal for bravery and presence of mind on April 18th, 1917. He with several others were on outpost duty, and most of them, including their officer, had been wounded. All their ammunition was gone, and Scott took his officer's revolver and with it killed several Germans, with the result that the remainder fled. He did not live long to enjoy his well merited honour, as he was killed instantaneously during an advance on July 31st, the same year, at Shrewsbury Forest by a shell at the age of 24. His Major-General writes: "I have heard with great pleasure from your Commanding Officer of your conduct on the 18th of April, 1917, and send this to let your know it is highly appreciated by your comrades of all ranks in the division." As a boy he was a chorister in St. Martin's Church, and on leaving school was for two years a telegraph boy at Newmarket. At the time of his joining up he was valet to Lord Downes at Market Harborough. |
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