| 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 Hume and his wife Florence. He died on 10 December 1916, aged 20.
| Spring 1915 |
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 1915 |
He started his training at Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District. |
| June - July 1915 |
Sent to the Royal Naval Air Station at Hendon, north of London. |
| Aug - Sept 1915 |
Based at the Navigation School, H M [His Majesty’s] Dockyard, Portsmouth. |
| Sept - Nov 1915 |
Based at Calshot Royal Naval Air Station at Fawley in Hampshire. |
| Dec 1915 |
Spent December in London with family and friends. |
1916 |
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| Jan 1916 |
Sailed to Basra in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) on board ‘SS [Steam Ship] Huntscastle’. |
| Feb - Mar 1916 |
Joined Squadron Commander Bowhill’s Squadron, Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’ at Basra. |
| April - May 1916 |
Sent on flying missions over Kut al Amara to drop food parcels to British troops besieged by the Turkish army. |
| June 1916 |
Sent to the British General Hospital, Basra, suffering from jaundice. |
| July 1916 |
Transferred to Colaba Hospital in Bombay, India. |
| July - Aug 1916 |
On board P&O [Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company] steamer ‘Nyanza’ on his return voyage to Britain. |
| Sept 1916 |
Returned to London and spent some time with relatives. |
| Sept - Dec 1916 |
Posted to Royal Naval Air Station, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. |
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| 30 Nov 1916 |
Celebrated his 20th birthday. |
| 8 Dec 1916 |
Wrote his last letter to his mother. |
| 10 Dec 1916 |
Shot down and killed by friendly fire over the Thames Estuary. |
| 13 Dec 1916 |
Buried at Eastminster Cemetery, Sheerness in Kent. |
| 1918 |
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| 17 May 1918 |
Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by King George V. |
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John Douglas Hume in uniform
NAS: GD486/193
John Douglas Hume sitting in a car
NAS: GD486/204
 John Douglas Hume's grave
NAS: GD486/194/1 |
