William John Scott Laidlaw (1893 - 1917)

Born 17 Sep 1893 in Eastnor Township, Bruce, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Died 27 Nov 1917 at age 24 in Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France

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Biography

Scott was born in 1893 in Eastnor township of Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. He was the son of William Laidlaw and Isabella Gowan and grew up in Lion's Head on the Bruce Peninsula. ^[1]

William John Scott Laidlaw enlisted during World War I on 12 February 1915 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Scott's sister Bella was a nurse in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and he was working as a clerk at the time, was unmarried and had no dependents. He fought with the 5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment of the Canadian Infantry. ^[2]

According to the Adjutant General Office of the Canadian Militia, Scott was struck by "enemy bombs" thrown from the windows of a house just off the Lens-Arras Road on 27 November 1917. ^[3]

Scott is buried in a village cemetery at Fouquieres-les-Lens, France. The caretakers of this cemetery have maintained Scott's grave, and those of two Allied servicemen beside his, for over one hundred years. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ "Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNGC-N5F : 10 August 2017), William Laidlaw in entry for William John Scott Laidlaw, 17 Sep 1893; citing Birth, Eastnor, Bruce, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,846,452.
2. ↑ Lt. WJS Laidlaw, Commonwealth War Graves
3. ↑ Laidlaw family tree and records, collected by Howard S. Anderson (Ontario Genealogical Society # 7031) 21 April 1993.
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (memorial page for William John Scott “Scott” Laidlaw (17 Sep 1893–27 Nov 1917), Find a Grave Memorial no. 50453885, citing Fouquieres-les-Lens Communal Cemetery, Fouquieres-les-Lens, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France ; Maintained by Joanna Gariepy (contributor 50072498) .