Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Henry Scott was born on 11th April 1881 in Omaru, New Zealand, the son of William Henry Scott, a civil engineer from Scotland and his English wife Marion Louisa Balfour, nee Wilson.

The family moved to Victoria in 1890. An article in The Argus dated 31st March 1892 stated that his father had been appointed engineer to the shire of Glenelg.
William began education at Greymouth and went to schools at Casterton and Melbourne. He attended Dokic Agricultural College where he was a gold medalist.
Qualifying as a civil engineer, he worked in and around Wangaratta. He married Rosamond Maplesden Carter (d.1940) on 26th June 1912 and they had 7 children.

For his military career, he joined the Victorian Mounted Rifles (a militia battalion) at about 19, and was commissioned on 4th April 1903, promoted to Captain in the 11th Light Horse in 1907 and joined the 58th Infantry (Essendon Rifles) six years later.
He was commissioned into the Australian Imperial Force on November 1914 and was appointed Captain in C Squadron, 9th Horse Regiment, and embarked from Melbourne on 11th February 1915. They landed under shrapnel fire at Gallipoli on 21st May 1915.
In June he was promoted to Major and on the 29th August, following the Commanding Officer’s death at Hill 60, he took command, but on the 6th September he was evacuated to England with dysentery.
Scott rejoined the unit on 1st January 1916 in Egypt and had temporary command during February and March. On 11th April he was ordered to lead a column against a Turkish force that was well-sinking at Jifjafa. They attacked on the 13th and it was a complete success, resulting in the death or capture of all but two Turks. This was the first time the Light Horse had fought as mounted troops. For this he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.).
He was given command on the 11th June and promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in September. He played a notable roll at Romani in August. On 26th March 1917 the 1st Battle of Gaza began and the 9th Light Horse Regiment helped oppose Turkish reinforcements from Huj and acted as a rearguard during the retirement to the Wadi Guzza. The 2nd Gaza Battle was fought unsuccessfully on the 19th April. Scott was wounded by shellfire during the battle and was evacuated. For his work during these actions he was appointed C.M.G. (Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George)
After a months convalescence he returned to duty but on the 28th May he was wounded by machine-gun fire near Shellal. He returned from hospital in July and was
involved in Beersheba-Jerusalem operations from late October to December.
The allies great offensive was launched in September 1918 and Damascus was soon captured. On the 2nd October, at Kubbett I Asafir, Scott’s regiment made a dash to cut off a retreating enemy column. About 1500 Turks were captured. This last Light Horse engagement of the war earned Scott a bar to his D.S.O. He was also Mentioned in Despatches 3 times; 13th October 1916, 28th June 1917 and 5th March 1919.
He briefly commanded the 3rd Light Horse Brigade and helped to quell the Egyptian rebellion in early 1919.

Arrived in Melbourne on the ‘Dunluce Castle’ on 9th August 1919 and returned to consulting civil engineering and worked for the Preston City Council from 1926 to
1932. He was then the engineer to the Shire of Bass for 27 years. When his wife’s sister, Ethel Mary Carter passed away in 1925, she made several gifts to relatives, and left the income from her estate to Mrs. Rosamond Maplesdon Scott, wife of William Henry Scott, of Preston, shire engineer. Mrs. Scott’s children subsequently inherit the estate.
From 1919 to 1931 he commanded various militia Light Horse formations and rose to the rank of Brigadier in 1929. He was Aide-de-Camp to 3 Governor-Generals from November 1928 to October 1932
In 1925 an incident occurred on the night of 27th June, when Brigadier Scott was about to leave his office as shire engineer of Daltston. Wilfred Milligan had been hiding in the bathroom for about half an hour, saying he had gone in after 8pm to ask for work. When Scott came out of his room, he startled him by saying “What do you want?” Milligan drew a revolver and fired a shot, without effect. Milligan was arrested and also charged with other offences and pleaded guilty.
During World War II he again saw war service in a lines-of communication posting.
Under the pseudonym of “Nugget” he contributed items to the Bulletin.
He was an honorary life member of the Melbourne Naval and Military Club.
On 3rd May 1947 he married Susan Eleanor Isobel Longlands (a journalist) at Scots Church Melbourne, in a quiet celebration, officiated by an old friend of both families, Reverend A. J. Stewart and he was devoted to his family.
He retired from the Bass Shire in 1959 and was reported to be the oldest practicing civil engineer in Victoria.
On 21st September 1960 he passed away at his East Malvern home and was cremated.
His wife, five daughters and a son from the first marriage, survived him.

Some of his addresses - 1914 “Vallima” Wangaratta Victoria
1938 82 Cramer St Preston
1955 22 Coolgardie Ave East Malvern Victoria
Religion – Church of England
Regimental Number during WW2 service - V375025

He was the sixth most decorated Light Horseman for World War I


His medals are at the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum