The life of John Douglas Hume

John Douglas Hume was born on 30 November 1896 in Buckhaven in Fife. He was the only son, and second of seven children, of the Rev David Rose Hume and his wife, Florence. He was known as Douglas by his family and friends.

At the outbreak of the First World War Douglas was an apprentice mechanical engineer. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and died on 10 December 1916, aged 20.

Timeline

1915

Spring

Douglas was apprenticed as an engineer to a firm of Millwrights and General Engineers in Kirkcaldy. He decided to support the war effort and at the age of 18, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service.

May

He started his training at Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District.

June-July

Sent to the Royal Naval Air Station at Hendon, north of London.

Aug-Sept

Based at the Navigation School, H M [His Majesty’s] Dockyard, Portsmouth.

Sept-Nov

Based at Calshot Royal Naval Air Station at Fawley in Hampshire.

Dec

Spent December in London with family and friends.

1916

Jan

Sailed to Basra in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) on board ‘SS [Steam Ship] Huntscastle’.

Feb-Mar

Joined Squadron Commander Bowhill’s Squadron, Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’ at Basra.

April-May

Sent on flying missions over Kut-al-Amara to drop food parcels to British troops besieged by the Turkish army.

June

Sent to the British General Hospital, Basra, suffering from jaundice.

July

Transferred to Colaba Hospital in Bombay, India.

July-Aug

On board P&O [Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company] steamer ‘Nyanza’ on his return voyage to Britain.

Sept

Returned to London and spent some time with relatives.

Sept-Dec

Posted to Royal Naval Air Station, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.

30 Nov

Celebrated his 20th birthday.

8 Dec

Wrote his last letter to his mother.

10 Dec

Shot down and killed by friendly fire over the Thames Estuary.

13 Dec

Buried at Eastminster Cemetery, Sheerness in Kent.

1918

17 May

Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by King George V.