John was born 1889 and birth registered at Cromdale.

1891 Census: family living at Balmenach Cottage, Cromdale. His father was a distillery brewer.

Rank: Air Mechanic 1st Class

Service No: 27376

Service: Royal Air Force, 78th Sqdn. 

No. 78 Squadron was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps on 1 November 1916 for home defence at Harrietsham and tasked with protecting the southern English coast. The squadron received Sopwith Camels in mid-1918 arriving at Sutton’s Farm, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden. 

John died 15 July 1918 aged 29 years at Sutton’s Farm, Hornchurch, Essex hit by the propeller of B9249.

Buried: Duthil Parish Churchyard in the family grave. Also remembered on the gravestone Father William (1850 - 1905) Mother Elsie m.s. McGregor (1860 - 1889) Siblings Alexander (1882 - 1911) James (1882 - 1890) Christina (1888 - 1919) Jeannie (1889 - 1890)

Diary of the Sopwith Aviation Company on the day of John's death, when he was hit by the propeller of B9249, records the following -

"On 15th July in low cloud and rain the Germans launch a major new offensive in the French sector and four RAF Camel squadrons are being sent there with squadrons of SE5s and DH9s. 

‘Camel’ E1416 claims two victories and D6603 claims one but the pilots of D1778, D1945 & D9401 are killed in combat, as is F5916 in a crash.  The pilot of ‘Camel’ D9627 is drowned stalling into the sea off Nieuport with an engine failure.

In Italy ‘Camels’ D1975 & D8113 each claim two victories whilst D1910 & D9388 each claim one. 

In the Aegean ‘Baby’ floatplane N1444 ditches off Port Laki but is retrieved. 

At home the pilot of Marske ‘Camel’ C175 is seriously injured side-slipping with an engine failure as is Sutton’s Farm D6675’s with a choked engine whilst an air mechanic is killed there hit by the propeller of B9249."