Profile

SCOTT, Robert William
(Service number 15978)

Aliases Robert SCOTT on Cenotaph Database, Archway & CWGC
First Rank Rifleman Last Rank Rifleman

Birth

Date 20 July 1887 Place of Birth Banff, Banffshire, Scotland

Enlistment Information

Date 5 April 1916 Age 28 years 8 months
Address at Enlistment C/o P.O. Pareora
Occupation Labourer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin W. SCOTT (father), Loan Head, Muiry Hill, Alvah, Banffshire, Scotland. Also Mr J. Lair (friend), Rathmore Street, Timaru.
Religion Presbyterian
Medical Information Height 5 feet 10 inches. Weight 171 lbs. Chest measurement 36½-39½ inches. Complexion fair. Eyes grey. Hair brown. Sight – both eyes good. Hearing – both ears good. Colour vision correct. Limbs well formed. Full & perfect movement of all joints. Chest well formed. Heart & lungs normal. No illnesses. Free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, inveterate or contagious skin disease. Vaccinated. Good bodily & mental health. No slight defects. No fits.

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 6th Reinforcements 3rd Battalion, G Company
Date 26 July 1916
Transport Waitemata
Embarked From Wellington Destination Devonport, England
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, 3rd Company

Military Awards

Campaigns Western European
Service Medals British War Medal; Victory Medal
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

Prisoner of War Information

Date of Capture
Where Captured and by Whom
Actions Prior to Capture
PoW Serial Number
PoW Camps
Days Interned
Liberation Date

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

6-7 October 1916 - wounded. 1 October 1917 - wounded, but remained at duty.

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 30 August 1918 Age 32 years
Place of Death France
Cause Killed in action
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
Memorial Reference I. D. 14.
New Zealand Memorials Timaru Memorial Wall - 2015 additions to the Timaru Memorial Wall

Biographical Notes

Robert Scott was born on 20 July 1887 at Banff, Banffshire, Scotland, the third of the four sons of William Scott and his wife, Jane (Jean) née Greenlaw. In 1891 and 1901 Robert was at home at Banff with his family, listed as a farmer’s son in 1901. Robert Scott, a wool-presser, care of J Laird, Rathmore St, Timaru, was listed on the South Canterbury 1st Division Reserve Roll. He underwent his medical examination on 23 March 1916 at Timaru. On 5 April 1916, the South Canterbury quota for the 15th Reinforcements left by the express for the military camps, the Infantry – including R. Scott, Pareora - proceeding to Trentham. Before departing Timaru, the men were entertained by the Ladies’ Patriotic Committee at luncheon in the Stafford Tea Rooms. Falling in at the Drill Shed at 3pm, they were addressed by the Mayor, Mr Craigie, M.P., and the Rev. Dean Tubman. The 2nd South Canterbury Regimental Band was in attendance, and the High School Cadets and the Honorary Territorials formed a cordon at the railway station.

And on 5 April 1916 Robert Scott enlisted with the New Zealand Forces at Trentham. He was 28 years 8 months old, single, and a labourer for Mr Walls, Pareora. Robert gave his address as care of the Post Office, Pareora. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 171 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 36½-39½ inches. His complexion was fair, his eyes grey, and his hair brown. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all correct; his limbs and chest well formed; and his heart and lungs normal. He was in good bodily and mental health, with perfect movement of all joints, and without illnesses, diseases, defects and fits. He had been vaccinated. He bore scald scars on the inside of his right thigh and right leg. Robert nominated his father as next-of-kin – William Scott, Loan Head, Muiry Hill, Alvah, Banffshire, Scotland. He also named a friend – Mr J. Laird, Rathmore Street, Timaru.

Rifleman Robert Scott embarked on board the “Waitemata”, with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 6th Reinforcements, at Wellington on 20 July 1916, destined for Devonport, England. He disembarked there on 3 October 1916 and marched into Sling. From there he proceeded overseas on 20 October, joining his battalion – 1st Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade - in France on 4 November. From 9 to 26 January 1917 he was detached to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station on duty. Although he was wounded on 1 October 1917, he remained at duty. In the latter half of November 1917 he had two weeks leave in the UK, and in early July 1918 two weeks leave in Paris. Then on 30 August 1918 Robert Scott, of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, was killed in action in the Field, France, and was buried in Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. On 7 April 1919 Base Records notified Mr J. Laird, Timaru, and Mr Wm. Scott, Alvah, Banffshire, that 15978 R. Scott was buried in Fremicourt Communal Cemetery Extension, 2¾ miles east-north-east of Bapaume. The Fremicourt Extension was taken over from the Germans by British and Dominion units in 1918, for clearing battlefields and for fresh burials. All the graves have been removed to other cemeteries.

The baldest of reports appeared in the Timaru Herald – Killed in Action – (August 30th) Scott, Robert (Scotland). Some other newspapers confirmed the report with service number or next-of-kin or rank or unit. Robert’s father (legal next-of-kin) and mother were later of 3 Gardiner's Brae, Banff, Banffshire, Scotland. The British War Medal was issued on 15 November 1921 and the Victory Medal on 22 September 1922 – for 15978 Rfm Robert Scott. They were first authorised to father, then to Mr J. R. Simpson & G. Chalmers (Ex), C/o G. Chambers, Mayfield, Canterbury. The scroll was despatched on 15 July 1921 and the memorial plaque on 20 March 1922, both to Mr W. Scott, 3 Gardiners Brae, Banffshire, Scotland, William Scott duly acknowledging receipt of same.

No. 15978 Rifleman Robert Scott, formerly of Timaru, a wool worker, recorded that he had already made his Will and it was in the possession of Mr J. R. Simpson, Lismore, Hinds, Canterbury, New Zealand. A solicitor at Ashburton was advised by the Officer-in-Charge War Expenses that, on production of Probate of the deceased’s Will, payment of the balance due by the War Expenses Department would be made to the Executors by the Postmaster at Hinds. This officer had earlier (25 September 1919) noted that J. R. Simpson of Lismore was one of the executors and wanted details of the other, in order to make the payment arrangements. The solicitor had responded with full names – James Robertson Simpson, of Lismore, farmer, and George Chalmers, of Lismore, farm hand. A credit of £5.3s.8d. was due to the estate. Probate had been granted on 28 February 1919. James Robertson Simpson testified that Regimental Number 15978 was the number given to him by Robert before he left New Zealand and that Robert had received and acknowledged letters addressed to that number. By his Will (dated 19 July 1916), Robert bequeathed all his estate to his sister, Annie Cook of Alvah, Banffshire. Annie was just two or three years older than Robert.

Were James Laird, James Robertson Simpson and George Chalmers Scottish friends of Robert Scott, of perhaps relatives? James Laird was surely known from earlier days; he was born at Alvah, Banffshire in 1863 and died at Timaru in 1927. James Robertson Simpson, too, was born at Marnoch, Banffshire, in 1866. He died in 1956 at Ashburton. And George Chalmers testified that he was born at Alvah, Banffshire. The name of Robert William Scott was a 2015 addition to the Timaru Memorial Wall. This is the only occurrence of the additional name William. William was his father and also an older brother.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [08 November 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives ref. AABK 18805 W5553 0102711) [27 July 2014]; CWGC [10 November 2013]; Timaru Herald, 5 April 1916, 9 October 1917, 1 March 1917, 7 April 1917, 12 September 1918, Sun, 12 September 1918, New Zealand Timaes, 12 September 1918, Marlborough Express, 12 September 1918, Evening Post, 18 October 1918 (Papers Past) [10 November 2013; 03 August 2020]; Paul McNicholl’s list of additional names for the Tiimaru Memorial Wall (August 2013); Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [12 June 2014]; 1891 & 1901 Scotland census returns (ancestry.com.au) [06 August 2020]; Fremicourt Communal Cemetery Extension (Commonwealth War Graves) [07 August 2020]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Logo. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.

Tell us more

Do you have information that could be added to this story? Or related images that you are happy to share? Submit them here!

Your Details
Veteran Details
- you may attach an image or document up to 10MB