Killed leading his men in an attack.

Killed leading his men in an attack.

Lieutenant William Douglas Scott 

William was born in 1892 in Merton College, Oxford where his father was a fellow.

He was educated at Rugby School and McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

When the war began he tried to enlist in the Canadian Army but was rejected due to being short sighted. He returned to England and in January 1915 managed to enlist. He joined the 2/4 Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry and was granted a commission.

William was wounded in July 1916 and again in November of that year.

In late 1916 he contracted trench fever and was sent back to England to recover.

He re-joined his unit at the front in May 1917 and fought in the 3rd Battle of Ypres.

On the morning of 22nd August he was killed leading “D” company in an attack in the St Julien area.

He was wounded during the advance but insisted on writing a message to headquarters before receiving aid. While writing the message he was hit by three or four bullets from a burst of machine gun fire and killed instantly.

His company commander Captain G K Rose MC described William as “the best officer I ever had”.

Lieutenant William Scott has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

He was 25 years old.