225947 Pte John "Jock" Paterson British Army 10th Battalion Gordon Highlanders from:Bellshill (d.25th Sep 1915) John Paterson was my maternal grandfather. He was born in Banff on 2nd October 1878, the son of James and Barbara (nee Morrison), and spent his childhood and early adulthood in the town. On his mother`s side he came from generations of farmers in Auchterless who all enjoyed longevity; his great grandmother lived to 108! He left Banff around 1900 and moved to the industrial town of Bellshill to find work and be near his brothers and sister; he began work in the mines as a coal hewer. He married Elizabeth Steele on 23rd December 1911 and they went on to have three daughters - Elizabeth, Christina (my mother) and Helen. John`s first daughter died in infancy of whooping cough and he was haunted by the sight of his baby daughter lying in her white coffin. His wife Elizabeth`s family had moved to Bellshill from their small holding near Cullybacky in County Antrim and all her brothers served in various regiments in WW1 and two survived.
John was recruited in Hamilton into the 10th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, part of the 15th Scottish Division S/5531. He cut quite a dash back home in his uniform; his nephew told me that there was no finer kiltie in Bellshill! He had a premonition that he would not be returning home and said his goodbyes before leaving for France, and making provisions for the care of his wife and daughters. Sadly, this was realised. He was struck by an enemy shell on the Loos Redoubt Road on the first day of the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915.
John`s daughter Christina married George, the son of Samuel McGarrity - another soldier in the same division lost in the same battle on the same day. Christina and George had five children and there are grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren in England and the United States of America.
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