The Scottish War Memorials Project

DerekR

I am researching the men from Hawick, Scotland who fell in the Great War.

One of them, Rifleman John Beattie defies my research.

He is listed on the Hawick War Memorial as having served and died in the Northern Rhodesian Rifles.
He is listed on the Allars Church Memorial in Hawick under South African forces.
And he appears in a Hawick newspaper as having been killed prior to 13/7/17:
"Rifleman John Beattie, Northern Rhodesian Rifles, son of the late Archibald Beattie, mason, 1 Twirlees Road, Hawick."

However, I can find no trace of John Beattie on either the CWGC website or the SNWM website. There are no names remotely similar.

There is however a Medal Index Card for a John Beattie, Northern Rhodesian Rifles which may be my man:

The regimental numbers of 121, 124 and 125 are all Northern Rhodesian Rifles men, and all are buried in NDOLA (KANSENSHI) CEMETERY in Zambia so I'm looking at a possible non-commemoration.

I have found John's birth certificate in Hawick. Born JOHN DALGLEISH BEATTIE, 25th October, 1879. Sadly there is no family headstone surviving in the Wellogate Cemetery, Hawick to give any clues what happened to John.

Any suggestions where I go now with tracking John down?
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David McNay · Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject:

10 men called John Beattie died between 1914 and 1918 according to Scotlands People. They were all aged between 23 and 37, which doesn't help to narrow it down.