John Durward
1st/7th Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Sergt. J. Durwood – Gordon Hrs
John Durward was a Lance Serjeant in the 1st/7th Bn. Gordon Highlanders (No.290611). He was born 28 March 1892, the son of Samuel Durward, farmer at Milton of Ennets, and his wife Ann. Samuel was a native of Kincardine O’Neil and Ann came from Kineff. Their children were all born in the parish – first Samuel in about 1882, who in due course carried on the farm, then Mary two years after and John who, in 1901 at least, was the youngest.
Durward enlisted at Banchory, joining the 7th (Deeside) Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders. In the absence of his service record, nothing is known about the circumstances of his death, other than that he died of wounds aged 25 on 28 April 1917. He may well have been a casualty of their involvement at that time in the diversionary Arras offensive. The 7th Gordons, as part (at that time) of the 153rd Brigade and 51st (Highland) Division were in the forefront of an attack on the German line which commenced on 23 April 2017 and developed into “perhaps the most savage infantry battle that the Division took part in”*, as the advance was met with heavy machine-gun fire and a ferocious artillery barrage.
He is buried at Étaples Military Cemetery.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Register of births
Census 1901
National Archives – War Diary of the 7th Gordon Highlanders – WO95/2882/1
*Major F.W. Bewsher: The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918” (The Naval & Military Press
2009)
Online sources re 7th Gordons in April 1917
Aberdeen Press & Journal 2 May 1917
