AN EMOTIVE "SNIPER CASUALTY" 1914-15 Trio.
To:
13487. Pte J.J. STEWART 1st Scots Guards.
From Kerrick, Kirkcudbright, Scotland.

SHOT IN ACTION at BAILLEUL (Gunshot Wound to The Head) ...
& DIED OF HIS WOUNDS at MERVILLE, 22nd DECEMBER 1915
.......after only eleven weeks in France. Age 31.

[BIOGRAPHY]
John James Stewart was born in Kerrick, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, Scotland in January 1883.


Prior to enlistment he was working as a local cattleman and was living at Hoddamtown Cottages, Ecclefechan, Dumfries.

By 1914 he was a thirty one year old married man with four children. He volunteered for service with 1st Scots Guards on 11th February 1915 stating his age as *32yrs, 1mth and 11 days. (*At variance with his official age at death of 31.)

After eight months training, he entered France on 4th October 1915. The 1st Battalion had originally entered France in August 1914 and by late 1915 they had lost a substantial number of men. Indeed, they had only just lost 500 more men during the Battle of Loos during late September & early October 1915. John Stewart was part of the much needed reinforcements which arrived on 4th October, just four days before the end of the Battle of Loos which ended on 8th October.

In the run up to Christmas 1915, John was serving in the front line trenches with 1st Scots Guards at Bailleul, which is near Armentieeres just 3 miles from the Belgian border. This was a critically important position which during the Great War endured the devastating effects of over 100,000 shells and for much of the war was right in the thick of the fighting.

Three days before Christmas on Wednesday 22nd December 1915, John suffered a gunshot wound to the head after being hit by a German sniper and was taken to No.7 Casualty Clearing Station at Merville, where he was pronounced dead. He was 'officially' 31, but more likely almost 33. He had served for just 315 days.


The news of his death must have been a devastating and greatly untimely blow for his wife and family of four kids back at home in Scotland who probably received the sad and dreaded telegram between Christmas 1915 & New Year 1916.

The group comes with copy cuttings of items in the local newspapers of 23rd December 1916, which were placed by the family on the first anniversary of John's death. These confirm that he was shot by a sniper and contain a group of four lovely epitaphs to him written by his wife Joseann and family.

He was clearly a greatly missed family man. His wife received a widow's pension of 22/6d (£1.12p) per week for herself and the four kids.

John is buried & remembered with eternal honour in Merville Military Cemetery.
His Grave Inscription Reads:
"OF BARRASGATE COTTAGE, ANNAN,
HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY"

In the local newspapers of 23rd December 1916, on the 1st anniversary of his death, his wife and family all wrote greatly emotive & touching pieces in celebration of his life.

[His Wife Wrote:]
"Dear John, your life is o're.
Your hands for me will toil no more;
Your precious life could not be saved,
And now you lie in a soldier's grave.
But, oh! the aching heart you've left behind
No one but God knows best.
The silent grief that's in my heart
No human eye can trace,
For many a broken heart lies hid
Behind a smiling face."

[His Four Little Children Wrote:]
"As we look upon your empty chair,
Where you nursed us on your knee,
We always think of thee;
But our tears are mingled with our pride;
What more could father give:
With heroes side by side
He died that we might live."

[His Brother-in Law & Sister Wrote:]
Had I but got one last fond look
Into your loving face,
Or had I only got the chance
To kneel down in that place,
To hold your aching head, dear brother,
While your life blood ebbed away,
My heart would not have felt so much
The pain it feels today.

[His Brother,Allan (also a serving soldier) Wrote:]
"In midst of the fray God's messenger came,
And slowly relieved our dear brother of pain;
A brother more gentle no one ever knew:
Our tears start afresh in remembrance of you.
In the midst of life we are in death.







The Medals are to a greatly collected unit and are in Nice original EF+ with original ribbons.
The group comes with his rarely surviving copy attestation & service papers. A total of 27 sheets of research papers are included with copies of the war diary for 22/12/15 ....also copies of the touching newspaper articles.

An outstanding & exceptionally complete casualty group to a 'crack' Scottish Regt.

£475