Lieut Dudley Holme Scott

• Age: 38
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Sunday 2nd July 1916
• Commemorated at: Heath Cem Harbonnieres
  Panel Ref: IX.D.3

Dudley Holme Scott was born in Birkenhead on 21st September 1877 and baptised in Christ Church-cum-Grange on 02nd December 1877. He was the son of George Scott and his wife Frances (nee Hassall).

The 1881 Census finds 3 year old Dudley living with his parents and elder brother at 18 Rolighed, Stanley Road, Little Meols, Cheshire. His father is a 39 year old coal merchant born in Newcastle, Staffordshire, whilst his mother is 38 years of age and was born in Liverpool. His brother is Gilbert Meir aged 7 and born in Oxton, Birkenhead. There is also a nurse recorded in the household; Frances Cotterel aged 36. 

The 1891 Census finds the family at 7 Mount Pleasant, Birkenhead. Dudley is 13 years of age and lives with both parents and two brothers who are listed as Walter Hassall, 21, a cotton salesman and Gilbert Meir 17 a general broker. Also declared as present in the household are Mary E Jones aged 20, a waitress and Ann M. Williams aged 23 a cook. 

His mother died on 29th February 1896. 

The 1901 Census finds Dudley now aged 23 and a cotton salesman living with his widowed father, now recorded as a 59 year old retired coal merchant, and brother Walter a 31 year old cotton merchant at 7 Mount Pleasant, Birkenhead. Also present are Fanny Roberts a 31 year old cook and Jessie Roberts an 18 year old housemaid.

At the time of the 1911 Census Dudley was visiting friends at Dolwyddelan, Llanwrst.

His father died on 27th May 1911.   

Dudley was educated at Birkenhead School between 1888 and 1893 where he excelled at cricket and hockey. He later played for Oxton Cricket Club, but it was as a hockey player he was most notable. He was a leading player at Oxton Hockey Club and repesented Cheshire and North of England. He was also capped by England in a Hockey International against Ireland on the 19th March 1904 at Leinster Cricket Ground. He played Centre Forward and scored a goal on debut but Ireland won the match 3-2 inflicting England's first ever defeat. He also played golf and rugby to a high level being a member of Chester and Royal Liverpool Golf Clubs and of Birkenhead Park Rugby Club.

Dudley was still employed as a cotton salesman at the outbreak of war when he enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914 as Private No 15187 and posted to the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was described as being 5' 10" tall, weight 144lbs, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Church of England. He was accepted for a commission on the day he enlisted, remaining with the 17th Battalion.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

On 09th November 1915, he gave evidence at the Corners Inquest into the death of Lieutenant /Honorary Quartermaster Charles Ernest Ryder at Salisbury in Wiltshire. This is perhaps why he did not join the main draft of the Battalion when it embarked for France in November 1915. He joined up with the Battalion on 16th March 1916, at which time the Battalion had just arrived at Grove Town Camp at Bray sur Somme.

On the 01st July 1916 the Battalion was in the front line opposite Montauban on the Somme France. Its objectives were the capture of Dublin Trench and Dublin Redoubt. Lieutenant Scott was in command of ‘A’ Company, who were on the right of the British Line, in contact with the left flank of the French Army. ‘A’ Company was in the first wave of the attack and went ‘Over The Top ‘at 07.30. Because of the preliminary British and French bombardment German resistance was not heavy, apart from some shelling and light Machine Gun fire, and the objectives were taken on schedule by 08.30. At some time during the morning Lieutenant Scott was wounded, as was Captain Mirascou the Commander of the left flank of the French 153e RI, which had attacked the German positions to the right of the 17th Battalion.They were both evacuated to the French Military Hospital at Cherisy.

17^th Battalion Diary

3.30 am the Battalion in position in assembly trenches -Battalion frontage from Maricourt – Briqueterie Rd to 100 yards west of Maricourt – Montauban Rd – 1^st wave, 2 platoons of A Company on the right and 2 platoons of B company on the left. 2^nd wave remaining platoons of these companies. 3^rd wave C Company and 4^th wave D Company in parallel trenches at about 100 yards distance. 3^rd Battalion 153^rd French Infantry on our right and 20 KLR on our left. The Battalion’s objective was Dublin Trench from Dublin Redoubt exclusive to a point 400 yards west.

7.30 am – “Zero Hour”. The assault commenced, some shelling but very slight infantry resistance and little machine gun fire encountered, the work of our artillery having been very effective on the German trenches.

8.30 am – the objective was taken at 08.30 am the French on our right gaining their’s at the same hour. Lieutenant-Colonel B C Fairfax and Commandant Le Petit commanding 3^rd Battalion 153^rd Regiment arrived together in Dublin Trench. A and B Companies dug in almost 100 yards south of Dublin Trench which the Germans shelled intermittently all day hardly touching the new trench. Casualties up to 12 noon, Captain E C Torrey commanding C Company, Lt D H Scott commanding A Company and 2^nd Lieutenant P L Wright wounded 100 other ranks. Later in the day the 90^th Brigade took Montauban and the 20^th KLR captured the Briqueterie. Lt Scott died of wounds in a French hospital at Cerisy where Captain Mirascou commanding the left Company of the French also lay wounded. Perfect liaison existed between the French and ourselves the above two officers commanding respectively our right Company and the French left Company being in constant touch. Shortly after the attack commenced the Battalion Headquarters moved to a German dugout in Favieres Support under Briqueterie Road where Commandant Le Petit also established his H.Q. During the remainder of the day there was intermittent bombardment of Dublin and Casement and  Favieres Support trenches. Rations were brought up safely at night. Disposition of the Battalion – 2 Companies in Dublin and 2 in Casement.

Lieutenant Dudley Holme Scott died of wounds on 02nd July 1916. He was originally buried in Cerisy Communal Cemetery Extension, Cerisy-Gailly, near Amiens but his remains were moved and reburied in Heath Cemetery, Harbonieres, South of Cerisy, where he now rests.

Harbonnieres was captured by French troops in the summer of 1916. It was retaken by the Germans on 27 April 1918, and regained by the Australian Corps on 8 August 1918. Heath Cemetery, so called from the wide expanse of open country on which it stands, was made after the Armistice, next to a French Military Cemetery, now removed. Graves were brought into it from the battlefields between Bray and Harbonnieres and from other burial grounds in the area.There are now 1,860 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 369 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 26 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 21 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

He was reported as wounded in the Birkenhead News 08th July 1916

LIEUT. DOUGLAS(sic) SCOTT WOUNDED

News was received yesterday that Lieut. Douglas(sic) Scott of the 17th Service Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment (the 1st Pals), has been wounded in the recent British advance north of the Somme. No details had been received by his relatives, but simply the intimation that he was wounded on the 1st inst. Lieut. Scott, whose home is in Mount Pleasant, and who is the brother of Mr Gilbert Scott, of Grosvenor Place, Birkenhead, was amongst the first to join the Liverpool Pals.

The Birkenhead News of 19th July 1916 reported the news of his death:

LIEUT. DUDLEY HOLME SCOTT

Mortally Wounded On First Day Of Big Advance

"Lieut.Dudley Holme Scott,of the 17th Service Batt.King's Liverpool Regiment (Pals), who was wounded on the 1st July, died on Sunday morning, the 2nd inst., aged 38 years. He was the youngest son of the late Mr.George Scott, of Oxon, and was educated at Birkenhead School. He was a very keen sportsman, and played cricket with the Oxton C.C.for many years, and hockey for the Oxton H.C., Cheshire County, and the North, also obtaining his international cap, representing England against Ireland in 1904. In late years he devoted his leisure hours to golf, and was a member of the Chester and Royal Liverpool Clubs". 

Soldiers Effects to brother Walter Halsall and Gilbert Meir, no Pension record found.

He left estate valued at £5,990 10d (based on average earnings this is worth about £1,620,000.00) to his two brothers. 

Dudley is commemorated on the following Memorials;

Parish Church of St Saviour, Oxton, Birkenhead

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 40 

Liverpool Cotton Association 

Birkenhead Park Rugby Club

Oxton Cricket Club, Birkenhead

He is also remembered on the family grave in Flaybrick Hill Cemetery, Birkenhead. The inscription on the family grave reads:

LIEUT. DUDLEY HOLME, KING’S L’POOL REGIMENT YOUNGEST SON OF THE ABOVE GEORGE AND FRANCES SCOTT DIED OF WOUNDS IN FRANCE 2ND JULY 1916

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