John Dunn likeness

John Dunn cap badgePrivate John Dunn

1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Service No: S/3535

John Dunn grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of William and Agnes Dunn of 161 Calder St, Coatbridge. His younger brother Tom was a trumpeter in the Royal Engineers. In his Will John left everything to his mother Mrs J McGowan (formerly Agnes Dunn) of the above address. From the 1901 Census - Address - 29 Aitcheson St, New Monkland - William Dunn aged 43, Agnes Dunn aged 32, William I Dunn aged 9, John Dunn aged 7, Thomas Dunn aged 2. John's Pension was awarded to his mother Agnes.

Born / Resided

Airdrie / 161 Calder St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action between the 09/04/1917 and 11/04/1917 at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe (opening day of the Battle of Arras)

Enlisted

Coatbridge /09/1914

Employed

Rochsolloch Iron Works.

Age

23

Buried / Remembered

Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery (XVII. G. 40), Souchez, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

Situated between two war cemeteries, one French and the other German, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery lies south of the town of Souchez in France. The cemetery contains more than 7,650 burials of servicemen of the British Empire in the First World War, over half of which remain unidentified. Cabaret Rouge was a small café, its brick building with red tiles was distinctive in the village where most of the houses were thatched. It stood less than a mile south of Souchez and was destroyed by heavy shelling in May 1915. The cemetery contains the graves of many units that served in this sector including British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and South African forces

Additional Information

John and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 14/08/1914 and were part of the 76th Brigade, 3rd Division when John fell at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, 9th - 14th April 1917. This was part of the Arras offensive (Battle of Arras), 9th April - 16th June 1917 : Once again the British are called upon to launch an attack in support to a larger French offensive : the battles of the Chemin des Dames and the hills of Champagne. The opening Battle of Vimy and the First Battle of the Scarpe are very encouraging, but once again the offensive - often known as the Battle of Arras - bogs down into an attritional slog. Final attempts to outflank the German lines at Bullecourt prove terribly costly. SEE PHOTOS x 11 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY APRIL 1917. The Battalion War Diary states casualties 9th - 11th April 1917 were 13 Officers and 263 Other Ranks. The 3rd Division was one of the first British formations to move to France as part of the original British Expeditionary Force and one of the first into action, the 3rd Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. John only returned to France in February 1917 after being wounded on the 22/06/1916. He is also remembered on the Airdrie High Church Roll of Honour and on the Airdrie War Memorial (see photos). John was reburied in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery after previously being buried in Blangy Military Cemetery near Arras (see reburial photos). See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report for Blangy Military Cemetery x 2, his Headstone Report for Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, the Gordon Highlanders Cap Badge, John's Pension Records x 2 and Newspaper clippings x 5 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1). John's Grave inscription reads "GOD BE WITH US TILL WE MEET AGAIN". Finally, see photos for the 3rd Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died), another photo of John's grave, Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery taken by myself in July 2023 x 2 plus 9 Poppy Crosses placed at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery by myself in July 2023 (John's middle left and also see main grave photo).

Photos
John Dunn Medal Index CardJohn Dunn remembered at homeJohn Dunn remembered at homeJohn Dunn remembered at homeJohn Dunn remembered at homeJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photoJohn Dunn additional photo

War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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