In Memory of Lieutenant JOHN GEORGE WILL 29th Sqdn., Royal Flying Corps and, General List who died age 24 on 25 March 1917 Son of Dr. and Mrs. Will. of Bethnal House, Cambridge Road, London. Former Scotland International Rugby Football player. Remembered with honour ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL
Will, John George played for Scotland Internationals: 7: 1912 F+ (1t) W- (1t) I- (1t) E+ ; 1914 W- I- E- (2t) John Will was born on 2 September 1892, son of Dr and Mrs Will. Played as a Wing for: Merchant Taylors’ School, Old Merchant Taylors, Cambridge University (Blue 1911-1913) Remarks: He was one of the six members of the last pre-War Scottish team who were killed in action. War service: Lieutenant, Leinster Regiment, [wounded] and General List, attached to No 29 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. At 0825 hrs on 25 March 1917, Lt Will took off from Le Hameau aerodrome in Nieuport 17 No A6751 on an escort mission in company with another No 29 Squadron aircraft. The other pilot had to return to the aerodrome due to revolution counter problems; he then changed aircraft and returned to the front, but failed to find Will, who did not return. [There were no German fighter claims that day.] He is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France [Addenda Panel]. He is not shown in The Sky Their Battlefield as his loss was not directly attributed to enemy action. In December 1917 John Will’s grave lay in front of a newly-advanced British Artillery battery. 2Lt Huntley Gordon found a cross made from a broken propeller in front of his gun position, and wrote “Round the propeller-hub is painted ‘2nd Lt J G Will RFC’. He was the wing-threequarter known before the war as ‘the flying Scot’ . . . The Grave must have been made by Boche airmen – a curiously chivalrous act, for they can hardly have thought it likely that we would advance far enough to see it.”
Blues Register:- WILL, John George. Born Merton, Surrey 1892. At Merchant Taylor's School 1903-11. Rugby Fifteen 1909-10, Cricket Eleven 1911. Remarkable record in the School Sports. Twice won the long jump, the hurdles, the quarter, the half, and the hundred. Downing College, Cambridge, October 1911. Played in the Cabridge Fifteen in 1911, 1912. Played for Scotland as wing three-quarter in the same seasons. Address: Bethnal House, Cambridge Road, London, NE. Picture. Cabridge XV 1911, John is the right hand man sitting on the ground. Andy
Thanks. It's a coincidence that both the men sitting at the front became fighter pilots. I'll eventually post a thread on Cyril 'Kit' Lowe - and the other fighter ace that he marked in a post-War international match. Gareth
