— Others Listed from Previous Genesee County Rolls —

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John L Scatcherd

Lieutenant, 11th Battery, 3rd Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, 4th Division. Died of wounds received in action near Sains-lez-Marquion, France, September 3, 1918. Age 22. Military Cross with Bar.

Listed on “Batavia’s Honor Roll.”

Born in Batavia but grew up in Canada (London, Ontario) as a Canadian citizen.

Burial: Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Plot 1 Row C Grave 44, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, France

 

Although born in Batavia (Genesee County), New York, on October 19, 1895, John Labatt Scatcherd emigrated to Canada at the age of six, grew up as a Canadian citizen, and is most appropriately honored as a Canadian soldier. He is listed in the Batavia Times “Batavia’s Honor Roll” published on February 1 and March 1, 1919, but does not appear on any of the cited countywide lists.

John Scatcherd was the first-born son of a prominent Batavia businessman originally from Canada, Alan D Scatcherd, who came to Batavia in 1892 and was secretary-treasurer of the Batavia & New York Woodworking Company, as well as a director of the Bank of Genesee. John’s mother, Katherine nee Labatt Scatcherd, was also from Canada, and moved to Batavia when she and Alan Scatcherd were married in June, 1894. The 1900 US Census shows John at age 4 living with his parents and two younger siblings (brother Colin and sister Margaret) at 16 Ellicott Street in Batavia.

Alan D Scatcherd died suddenly on August 17, 1901. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Scatcherd moved with her children from Batavia to her previous home in London, Ontario, Canada. John lived the remainder of his life in Canada before joining the service. The 1911 Census of Canada shows John with his family in London, Ontario, at age 15, and lists his birth place as U.S.A., his year of immigration to Canada as 1901, and his nationality as Canadian.

According to the September 26, 1918 Batavia Daily News article announcing his death, Scatcherd volunteered for service in October 1915 and was sent to artillery officers’ schools in Canada and in England. After receiving his commission, Lieutenant Scatcherd was sent to the front lines in France, and “had been there continuously since March 1917,” reported the article, which went on to list several battles in which he’d participated, including Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.

Lieutenant Scatcherd was killed on the second day of an assault on the Drocourt-Queant (D-Q) Line, the northernmost section of the Germans’ heavily fortified entrenched defensive system known as the Hindenburg Line. The day before, on September 2, 1918, Scatcherd’s Canadian 4th Division attacked east into and beyond the D-Q Line’s central and most stubbornly held portion against heavy machine-gun and artillery fire. Lieutenant Scatcherd was a member of a forward party that accompanied the infantry’s attack in order to scout out advance battery sites and direct fire on German emplacements. He received his fatal wounds the next day, September 3, as he continued to direct his battery’s guns from a far-forward observation post near enemy lines under heavy fire.

An entry for 3 Sept 1918 in the War Diary of the 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, reads: “Lieut J.L. Scatcherd, 11th Btry, was seriously wounded at the OP during the afternoon and died in the dressing station. The death of so capable and likeable an officer as Mr. Scatcherd is very keenly felt throughout the Brigade.”

Lt. Scatcherd was awarded a Military Cross in November, 1918. The citation reads, “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He went forward with the advancing infantry in charge of a brigade patrol, keeping in constant touch with the situation, and sending in information which enabled accurate and effective gun fire to be brought to bear by the batteries. Though constantly under fire, he was always at hand to clear up a doubtful situation.”

In February, 1919, Scatcherd received a second Military Cross—represented by a bar added to the first medal. That citation reads, “During the operations on the Arras front, including the capture of the Drocourt-Queant Line, he acted as Reconnaissance Officer in close touch with the Infantry from 31 August to 3 September 1918. He established a series of observation posts, and maintained communications with his battery. This work was done in spite of constant enemy machine gun and shell fire. By his courage and untiring efforts the battery was able to bring fire on to many targets.”

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—— [CLICK ON DOCUMENTS TO OPEN FULL VIEW IN SEPARATE TAB] ——

September 26, 1918 Batavia Daily News p1 c5

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Source: Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War, Library and Archives Canada

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Source: War Diaries of the First World War, Library and Archives Canada

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John L Scatcherd headstone, Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, Pas de Calais, France

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John L Scatcherd Sources:

– BHR

– Aug 17, 1901 BD p1 c4

– Sep 26, 1918 BD p 1 c5*

– Sep 27, 1918 RDC p14 c1-2

– Sep 28, 1918 BT p2 c3

– “United States Census, 1900.” Online index and images, HeritageQuest.com. Entries for Alan D Scatcherd (head) and John L Scatcherd (son, age 4), citing Census Records, Batavia (Ward 3), Genesee, New York; sheet number 25B, line numbers 51 and 53, microfilm series T623, Roll 1038, page 142.

– “Census of Canada, 1911.” Online index and images, Library and Archives Canada (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1911/Pages/1911.aspx). Entry for John Scatcherd [indexed Scatchard], age 15, citing Fifth Census of Canada, 1911, London, Ontario, District 94, Subdistrict 36, page 5, line 2.

– “Canadian Great War Project” website, CEF Soldier Detail, Lieutenant John Labatt Scatcherd (http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.asp?ID=11960)

– Officers’ Declaration Paper, Canadian Expeditionary Forces, John Labatt Scatcherd, Item 216116, search results from “Soldiers of the First World War – CEF” online database (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html)

– “War Diaries of the First World War,” ArchiviaNet online research tool, Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/020152_e.html). Various entries for 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, September 1918: “War Diary, Sept 3rd,” pp 16-17 [Scatcherd death report] (http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e047/e001152217.jpg); “Appendix 1, Notes of 3rd Brigade, C.F.A. During Operations east of Arras,” pp 35-36 (http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e047/e001152235.jpg); “Appendix 4, Notes of 11th Bty 3rd Bdg C.F.A. During Arras Operation,” pp 49-50 (http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e047/e001152253.jpg)

– “Lt. John Labatt Scatcherd,” Military Cross citation, Dec 2, 1918 Supplement to the London Gazette, Supplement 31043, p 14282. Accessed online from The Gazette: Official Public Record database and search engine (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31043/supplement/14282)

– Lt. John Labatt Scatcherd,” Military Cross Bar Citation, Feb 1, 1919 Third Supplement to the London Gazette, Supplement 31158, p 1634. Accessed online from The Gazette: Official Public Record database and search engine (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31158/supplement/1634)

– “Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War,” Library and Archives Canada (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=028f5r8mogpo7mf2v8hjq5qmo2&sqn=796&q2=28&q3=2346&tt=901). Entry for Lieutenant John Labatt Scatcherd. Microform 31829_B016701, pages 796-97.

– “John Labatt Scatcherd,” Memorial Page (with headstone photo), Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) website (www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/Detail/250630)

– Book of Remembrance, First World War, page 497, Veterans Affairs Canada website (http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/books/page?page=497&book=1&sort=pageAsc)

– “Scatcherd, J L,” Graves Registration Reports, Debt of Honour Register, and Headstone Schedule, Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website, (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/250630/)

– “Commonwealth War Graves Registers, First World War,” Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-110.02-e.php?&q2=27&interval=50&sk=0&&PHPSESSID=028f5r8mogpo7mf2v8hjq5qmo2). Entry for Lieut. Scatcherd, J.L.; Serial 81, microform 31830_B016640, pages 228-29

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