John Nigel MacRAE
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John Nigel Macrae was born on 13th March 1894 in Newark and was the son of Stuart a maltster and Ethel MacRae of Handley House, Newark and later Rhu Lodge, Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Argyllshire. His father Stuart was born in 1857 in India and his mother Ethel Evelyn Martin Smith was born in 1869 in London, they were married on 12th December 1891 and went on to have the following children, Kenneth Stuart b1892, John Nigel b1894 and Grace Emily b1897 all were born in Newark. In the 1911 census the family are living at 7 North Gate, Newark and are shown as Stuart Macrae 54 yrs a maltster he is living with his wife Ethel 42 yrs and their children, John 17 yrs a maltster and Grace 4 yrs. His probate was proven on 31st January 1919 at London and shows him as Macrae John Nigel of Handley House, Newark on Trent, died 11th April 1918 at Aire, France, his effects of £357 15 shiilings and 1 penny were left to his father Stuart Macrae a maltster.
Captain John Nigel MacRae, 83 Squadron Royal Air Force, 'At the outbreak of war he was in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, which he left shortly afterwards to join a battalion of the Black Watch. He had for a long time wished to fly, and in October 1915 he joined the R.F.C. He got his wings on February 1st , 1916, and went to France the following month for eight months. He was gazetted Flight Commander in January 1917, and, after instructing in England for fourteen months, again went to the front last March. He was killed in a flying accident on 11th April 1918. He is buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
An article published on 16th April 1918 in the Nottingham Journal and Express :- “FLYING ACCIDENT. “WELL-KNOWN NEWARK AIRMAN KILLED IN FRANCE. “Notification has been received that Captain John Nigel MacRae, R.F.C., youngest son of Mr. Stuart MacRae, J.P., and Mrs. MacRae, of Handley House, Newark, was killed in France in a flying accident. “Captain MacRae, who was only 24 years of age, held a commission in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry at the outbreak of war, and soon afterwards transferred to the battalion of the Black Watch commanded by his uncle, Major MacRae-Gilstrap. He joined the R.F.C. in 1915 and saw eight months' flying service in France. He was promoted Flight Commander in January, 1917, and returned to France so recently as 5 March last.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 His name is commemorated on the Malvern College War Memorial and also Kilfinan Parish Church.
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