This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.

Corporal, "C" Battery. 94th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Service No: 35565.

Corporal David Celeste Scott.

Early life:

David was born on 24th October 1892, to parents William and Edith Annie Scott née Hey. His birth was registered in Keighley and he was baptised on the 29th April 1894, probably at the Morton Banks Methodist Church.
His Father William was a Spinning overlooker and the family was living at Morton Banks. He had two brothers, Alfred, William and Norman, and two sisters, Sarah and Phyllis.
In the 1901 census he was eight and living at 2, Unity Street, Morton Banks with his parents, 2 brothers and 1 sister.
He was eighteen years old in the 1911 census and living at 37, Ilkley Road, Morton Banks with his parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters. At that time he was employed as a damages clerk.

War service:

After the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the Army in November, 1914 and trained with the Royal Field Artillery. Their hut on camp was humorously named 'Riddlesden Hall' This was almost certainly the work of David and the name can be seen on a group photo which includes him.

The side of their army hut which has the words 'Riddlesden Hall' in white letters.

Almost a year later, the batteries of the 94th Brigade Royal Field Artillery entrained at Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire and set off for Southampton where they embarked and sailed across the channel to Boulogne, disembarking on the 10th September 1915. David's medal card confirms he travelled with them.

They entrained for AUDRIQUE and moved to RUMINGHEM then on 14th they marched to STAPLE and then to METEREN on the 15th where they stayed in bivouacs until 21st September when they marched to GUARBECQUE, then BUSNETTE the next day.
A further march to HALINCOURT on the 24th where they rested until 11 am before marching to MAZINGARBE.
On 26th they advanced along the LOOS ROAD to their firing positions. D Battery shelled German positions at BOIS HUGO and C Battery shelled HILL 70. For these men it was a swift entry into the war, taking part in the Battle of Loos.
David served with them for another year. He was killed in action on 11th October 1916, whilst still serving with C Battery. 94th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Their guns were struck by German artillery. The war diary tells what happened on that day:

WO-95/2141/3: C Battery, 94 Brigade War diary entry for October 1916:

9th October: 6.10 pm. Enemy put up heavy barrage along whole front. Batteries ordered to open fire on SOS lines – no action resulted – SOS call reported not confirmed.
6.20 pm. Fire practically died away.
10th October: Ordinary day & night firing carried out.
12.40 pm. Juice Alley reported full of Germans – all batteries turned on to this.
11th October: 7:00 am:
Bombardment of enemy trenches commenced in accordance with Operation Order No. 6 - Bayonet Trench - Juice Alley, Lime Trench.
C Battery badly shelled and had to withdraw from position and took up new position about S.6.b.8.1 Casualties - killed, wounded 8 OR. [This is the incident when David was killed.] The two men killed were: 37169 Gnr Belshaw, J. R. C/94; 35565 Cpl Scott, D. C. C/94.
The six men wounded were:
48262 Sgt Mackrill, S. W. C/94; 70595 Gnr Dempsey, R C/94; 83220 Gnr Shenton, W. E. C/94 ; 63901 Gnr Whitham, J C/94; 34640 Gnr Tasker, J C/94; 92521 Gnr Wilkinson, H C/94.

Keighley News, 4th November 1916, page 5:

MORTON BANKS
News has been received by Mr and Mrs Scott, of Bank Top, Morton Banks, that their son, Corporal D. C. Scott, of the Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on October 11. Corporal Scott, who was 24 years of age, was very well known in the district, and particularly in local musical circles. He was possessed of considerable talent as a baritone vocalist, and was a pupil of Mr Wainwright, and before joining the Army he had been a member of the Wesleyan choir at Morton Banks and also of the St. John's choir at Ingrow. He was among the first volunteers for the war from the Morton Banks district, enlisting in November, 1914. After training for ten months at home he went out to France in September of last year, and received his baptism of fire almost immediately on landing, his battery being sent on direct to take part in the fighting at Loos.

Post war:

His mother Edith was his next of kin and she received his outstanding Army pay of £21 4s. 8d on 21st April 1917 and a war gratuity payment of £10 on 2nd October 1919.
She also received a dependants pension of nine shillings per week from 29th May 1917, which reverted to David's father William after Edith's death which was registered in Summer 1944, although this was only for a short while as William died soon after Edith, with his death being registered in the last quarter of that year.

David was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service. These medals along with a memorial plaque and scroll, would have been sent to his mother Edith.

Remembrance:

David has no known grave and is named on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
He is also named locally on the Ingrow War Memorial in St John's Church yard; also on a war memorial inside Riddlesden Memorial Institute; Riddlesden St Mary’s Church roll of honour board; Riddlesden Primitive Methodist war memorial board and on the outside wall of Riddlesden War Memorial Institute.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
British Army Service Records 1914-1920 Wo 363 - First World War Service Records
WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923