In 1901 the Shand/Cant family were living at 18, Charlotte Place, Perth. Grandmother, Janet Shand, b. c1838, Kinross, Kincardine; Daughter, Elizabeth Brown Brough Cant, b. c1866, Perth; Daughter, Agnes A. Shand (Teacher), b. c1870, Perth; David Shand Cant, b. 24th August 1895, Melrose, Roxburghshire.

Also living as a boarder at this address was Walter Bourne (Electrical Engineer), b. c1868, Thirsk, Yorkshire.

David Cant enlisted with the 1/4th Battalion Royal Scots (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles), (4RS), in Edinburgh on 10th September 1915.

4RS, including the considerable reinforcement from 6RS, were brigaded with 7RS, in 156 Brigade of 52 (Lowland) Division in April 1915 and left Larbert on 22nd May for Liverpool.

They embarked at Liverpool on H.M.T. Empress of Britain, on 23rd May 1915, for Lemnos.

They then crossed from Lemnos to Gallipoli on the night of 12th June 1915, eventually landing at W Beach on 14th June. 4RS moved into the front line on 19th June, relieving its sister battalion 5RS.

On 28th June the Battalion led the Brigade assault in Gully Ravine. As part of the Battle of Gully Ravine, an attack took place on 12th July 1915, at Achi Baba Nulla.

There were two attacks which both began well, but then descended into chaos and confusion. David Cant would have been wounded at some stage of this action, and died of his wounds on 14th July.

Perthshire Advertiser, 7th August 1915:

“KILLED WHILE TENDING WOUNDED - POPULAR PERTH ROYAL SCOT “A Perth member of the Royal Scots has given his life for King and country in the stern fight which continues to be waged at the Dardanelles.

"The victim is Private D. S. Cant of the 4th Royal Scots, only son of Mrs. Cant, 1 Charlotte Place, who has received the following letter from one of the deceased’s comrades, Private Jack S. Fairbairn:- 

"‘Having been a companion and associate of your son David since we joined the Queen’s, I consider it my duty to acquaint you of the circumstances attending his death on 13th July. The Turks made an attack on our position, but were driven back. Our firing line being crowded, several of the men were drafted back to the reserve trenches. David and I were among those shifted, and were, in fact the last two men to leave the trench.’

"‘As we were leaving David stopped for a little to attend to a wounded man, and it was while doing this that he was struck - a bullet wound behind the ear. He was removed immediately, and, although he was unconscious, we did not consider his wound very serious. Great was our surprise on returning to the rest camp to discover that David had died on admission to hospital.

"'He is buried in the base cemetery overlooking the sea. David was very popular with his company and his loss is keenly felt.’ 

“Private Cant, who was but nineteen years of age, was wounded in the fighting at the Dardanelles and died on the 14th July. He was educated at Perth Academy and had almost finished his apprenticeship in the Perth Branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland, when he joined the Bankers’ Company of the 4th Royal Scots in September.

"He was in the lamentable railway calamity at Gretna, but was then fortunate enough to escape injury. Private Cant was a grandson of the late Mr. Robert Shand, who for many years was headmaster of the Southern District School, Perth.”

David Cant is also commemorated on the St. John the Baptist Church War Memorial, Perth; and the Royal Bank of Scotland War Memorial, Edinburgh.