JOHNSTON, Hugh McColl
Personal Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Date of Birth | 1887 |
| Place of Birth | Eaglesham, East Renfrenshire, Scotland |
| Veterinary College and Date of Graduation | Glasgow - May 1911 |
Military Service
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Last Rank | Captain |
| Regiment/Service | Army Veterinary Corps |
| Secondary Regiment | 1st Royal Dragoons |
| Secondary Unit | |
| First Theatre of War | France October 1914 |
Casualty Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Death | 04 April 1918 |
| Age at Death | 30 |
| Place of Death | The Somme, France |
| Cause of Death | Wounds in action caused by shell fire |
Cemetery
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Cemetery | Picquigny Cemetery |
| Location | Picquigny, France |
| Grave Reference | C.1 |
| Commonwealth War Grave | Yes - CWGC Headstone |
| Emblem or Badge on Headstone | Army Veterinary Corps |
Honours and Memorials
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name on RCVS Honour Board | Yes |
| Name In Officers who died in Great War | Yes |
| Medals and Awards |
|
Biography
Captain Hugh McColl Johnston MRCVS was born in Polnoon Street, Eaglesham, in 1887, the second son of Robert and Elizabeth Johnston of Newton Mearns. Hugh’s father was employed as a joiner, and Hugh, at the age of 13, was also working as a joiner. The family moved to Newton Mearns and lived at Parklea, Barrhead Road. He later attended Glasgow Veterinary College and qualified as a veterinary surgeon on 18 May 1911 after passing the exams of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
When the war broke out, Hugh was living at Elmdene, Norton on Derwent, North Yorkshire, working as a veterinary surgeon. He applied for a commission on 15 August 1914, and the 1915 Register of the RCVS shows him as a Lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps (Special Reserve). His Medal Card shows that he went to France in October 1914 with the BEF and so was eligible for the 1914 Star. The 1917 Register of the RCVS shows that his rank had changed to Captain.
Hugh died of his wounds in France on 4 April 1918, aged 30. Captain Johnston was talking to two brother officers in his tent and stooped to pick up his belt when a stray shell burst and hit him in the back, also wounding one of the other officers. He is buried in Picquigny Cemetery, Somme, France.
Captain Johnston’s death notice appeared in The Veterinary Record on both 4 and 11 May 1918.
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