Name: Douglas Proctor Scott

Date of Birth: November 1883

Birth Location: Minninup Stratham, Western Australia

Age at Burial: 32 years

Date of Death: 25 July 1916

Death Location: Pozieres battlefield, on the western front, France. while on active duty in WW1.

Date of Burial: No known grave. Buried on the Pozieres battlefield, France. Inscription is on the Villers Brettoneux Memorial France.

Denomination: Anglican

Row/Grave/Memorial: Anglican B section. Row 2. Grave # 25. Multi persons (family) tomb stone.

Family Tombstone Transcription: Front of tombstone at the bottom:

ALSO

A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF DOUGLAS AND PERCY

WHO DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN FRANCE

Father: William Proctor Scott. Born 5 October 1856 at ‘Eelup’, Bunbury Western Australia. Died 27 October 1930 at Bunbury, Western Australia.

Mother: Lavinia Susannah Higgins. Born ‘Springfield’, Capel, Western Australia. Died 7 February 1916 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia.

Grandparents (father): Robert Scott 18.4.1824 – 5.4.1907 and Jane Roberts c1835 – 7 June 1926

Grandparents (mother): Henry William Higgins 1823 – 1880 and Lavinia Gardiner 1837 1891

Siblings:

Eugene Henry William Scott. Born c1881 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 24 February 1937 at ‘Irwin Farm’ Elgin, Western Australia.

Godfrey Llewellyn Scott. Born c1885 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 19 August 1974 at Armadale, Western Australia.

Wesley Lesley Robert Scott. Born 4 September 1887 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 20 January at Elgin, Western Australia.

Percival James Scott. Born c1889 at Minninup, Western Australia.  Died 5 May 1916 at Estaples Pas De Calais, France while on active service in WW1.

Lavinina Jane (Dolly) Scott. Born 5 June 1892 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 7 June 1978 at Como, Western Australia.

Rueben Gardiner (Dick) Scott. Born 26 February 1894 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 17 March 1975 at Maniana, Western Australia.

Roy Stirling (Jimmy) Scott. Born c1897 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 16 January 1967 at Woodlands Western Australia.

Stafford Lesley (Pat) Scott. Born c1899 at Minninup, Western Australia. Died 1 December 1955 at Claremont, Western Australia

Half Siblings

Derek Scott. Born and died at Bunbury, Western Australia either 31 January 1921 or 1 January 1922. Lived 1 hour.

Alan Rogers Scott. Born 18 August 1923 at Bunbury, Western Australia. Died 8 July 2012 at Perth, Western Australia.

Ethel Joan (Joanie) Scott. Born 29 May 1925 at Bunbury, Western Australia. Died 19 September 2015 at Bunbury, Western Australia.

Spouse:

Children:

Occupation: Farmer

Military Service: Service # 4598. Enlisted for WW1 as Private in 11th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 14th Reinforcements, AIF.

Their Story

Douglas Proctor Scott was the second son of nine children born to William Proctor Scott and Lavinia Susannah Scott nee Higgins of ‘Roselands’ Stratham. Douglas had 7 brothers and 1 sister.

Douglas was a farmer and up until the time of enlisting in WW1 on 26 October 1915, little is known of him. He was 31 years and 11 months old at enlistment. His brother Percival (Percy) James Scott had enlisted for war service on 8 October 2015, 18 days prior to Douglas enlisting on 26 October 2015.

On 12 February 1916, both brothers embarked from Fremantle on HMAT A28 ‘Miltiades’.

He disembarked at the port of Suez on 10 March 1916 and then embarked on HMAT ‘Transylvania’ leaving Alexandria, Egypt on 20 March 1916.

He disembarked at Marseilles, France 4 April 1916.

On 8 April 1916 Douglas joined 1st Australian Division Base Depot in Etaples, France.

On 29 April 1916 he was admitted to the 25th General Hospital Etaples, France suffering from influenza.

Following this hospital stay he re-joined the Base Depot in Etaples, France on 14 May 1916.

From the Base Depot he joined the 11th Battalion on the Western Front, Pozieres Battlefield, France on 12 June 1916.

On 25 July 1916 he was reported as Missing In Action. On the same day he was reported as Killed In Action and buried on the Pozieres Battlefield, France officiated by Rev WE Dexter.

Douglas was in the ANZAC section; 3rd Echelon British Expeditionary Force and his inscription is on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial in France. He has no known grave.

At the time of his death, he was a Corporal. For his service in WW1 Douglas was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1914/15 Star Medal. And later his father received a memorial scroll and plaque in his honour.

Following the death of Douglas, his youngest brother Stafford Leslie Scott wrote to the Officer in Charge, Base Records, Melbourne, Victoria in February 1918 requesting his identity disc and other personal effects be returned to his family. Although the family were advised no personal effects were found in his kit bag, this was disputed as Douglas was known to have had two wrist watches, two silver mounted prayer books and several other articles with him.

Prior to Douglas and Percy’s departure for war service whilst at ‘Blackboy Hill’ training camp, Perth, their mother Lavinia Sussanah Scott died suddenly on 7 February 1916 at the family home ‘Roselands’ Stratham. One can only imagine how this was to affect their father and siblings with the sudden death of wife and mother. Plus, what can only be considered as a sad and worrying time saying goodbye to Douglas and Percy for war service. The war was in its infancy at that time and the worry they would have endured would have been very difficult to bear. Also, for Douglas and Percy to learn of their mother’s death being only days before departure for war service.

Douglas is memorialised on the family tomb stone at Capel Cemetery, Capel, Western Australia.

Memorial notice for Douglas 26 July 1917

 Memorial notice for Douglas 25 July 2017

State War Memorial list of those that gave their lives in WW1

Douglas has accident as nine-year-old in September 1893

Death notice for Lavinia Sussanah Scott Tuesday 8 February 1916

Compiled by Jennifer Scott CDCP member

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© Capel District Cemeteries Project 05/05/2025