Lance Bombardier John Mackay Kelly 326276, 155 (The Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regt., Royal Artillery

John Mackay Kelly, son of Mr and Mrs Kelly, 1 Knocklea, was born in Biggar, educated at Biggar School, and at the outbreak of the war he was engaged with Messsrs Ross, joiners, at the head of the town.

Like his friend, Ian Scott, John joined the Lanarkshire Yeomanry in April 1939 and, when mobilized, went to Haddington for training. The Yeomanry were ultimately made into an artillery unit, and left for India in May 1941, going on to Malaya in August of that same year.

John was attached to the unit H.Q. and found himself right up at the borders of Siam when the Japanese made their attack. He was through much jungle fighting and it was outside Ne Soon village that he was finally caught in an ambush. The boys were travelling in a truck and leapt to take cover among the rubber trees to return the enemy fire. John was hit and instantly killed. This was on February 13th, 1942.

He will be remembered as a fine, upstanding lad, excelling in running and jumping, and many were the prizes he won at the Y.M.C.A. and Gala Day sports. He was only 20 years old when he was killed.