In 1901, the Dow family were living at The Smithy, Redgorton, Perthshire: Father, Andrew (Joiner), b. c1860, Auchtergaven, Perthshire; Mother, Annie, b. c1858, Auchtergaven; Daughter, Jessie, b. 11th June 1891, Auchtergaven; Daughter, Catherine, b. c1893, Auchtergaven; Son, John, b. c1895, Auchtergaven; and Son, William, b. c1899, Auchtergaven.

John Dow was educated at Stanley Public School, Perth Academy and Edinburgh University. He was a Student of Arts from 1912-1915 and joined the 51st (Graduate) Training Reserve Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in July 1916. John Dow enlisted with the Royal Scots, and achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant.

He then joined the 12th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a Second Lieutenant, Acting Adjutant, in September 1917.

The Battle of Saint-Quentin, 21st –23rd March 1918 

On the morning of 21st March 1918, the British Infantry were attacked in overwhelming strength in thick fog, wearing gas masks for much of the day, finding the fast-moving enemy infantry had broken through gaps in the defences and was rounding them up from behind. Thousands were killed and more captured. Many garrisons of strongpoints held out although surrounded, but the Germans drove deep into the British positions in several areas, precipitating retreat and chaos that developed over the next few days.

The First Battle of Bapaume, 24th-25th March

After three days the infantry was exhausted and the advance bogged down, as it became increasingly difficult to move artillery and supplies over the Somme battlefield. 

John Dow's great-nephew Bruce Thomson, who lives in Paris, contacted Perth Academy in 2017 to tell us that he had in his possession some photographs of John and his personal diary. The diary is John's personal record from the time he enlisted until the last entry in January 1918, a few months before he died on 25th March.

The final page has the following entries:

13/1/18 Godewaersvelde and Steenvoorde

14/1/18 Gas

15/1/18 Bennett on Submarines

16/1/18 Gassed

In an entry the previous year, there is a page which gives a detailed description of the design of gas masks, including sketches, and details of the type of gas used. Images of these two pages are included below.

The exact details of his death are unknown, but he would have died at some time during the Battle of Saint Quentin and the First Battle of Bapaume, where his unit would have been under constant attack and wearing gas masks for most of the day. 

John Dow has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

He was 23 years of age, John Dow is also commemorated on the Stanley United Free Church War Memorial; the Auchtergaven Parish War Memorial; and the Edinburgh University War Memorial.