Henry Stewart Wishart was born on 10 January 1885 at 103 Cathcart Street in Glasgow. He was the youngest of six children of William Wishart, a buildings inspector from Cumbrae, and his wife, Catherine McFarlane. Henry studied at Crookston Street School after which he trained as a clerk. On 18 March 1902, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers) and rose to the rank of sergeant while serving with the Lowland Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance. On 3 April 1908, he enlisted with the Territorial Force and consequently took part in the annual camps at Lanark, Troon and Biggar. At the time war with Germany broke out Henry had been working for Merilees, Watson & Co. and as a territorial, was mobilised for service on 5 August 1914. Staff Sergeant Wishart had signed the Imperial Service Obligation but was not considered fit for overseas duties and transferred to a home service unit. On 5 November he joined the Lowland Motor Transport Brigade and promoted to acting sergeant major on 7 February 1915.

Henry was based in the UK until late 1917, during which time he was attached to the 13th and 9th Cyclist Brigade Field Ambulances between October 1916 and January 1917. On 25 January 1917, he was assigned to the 343rd Field Ambulance as an instructor before being sent to the RAMC Depot at Blackpool. On 13 October 1917, he was promoted to Temporary Quartermaster and Honourary Lieutenant and assigned to No. 50 Stationary Hospital in Colchester. However, after some consideration, Henry’s superiors decided that he was insufficiently acquainted with his duties in a hospital environment, and it was recommended that he should acquire experience with a front-line medical unit. Henry subsequently left for France on 30 November and was posted to No.11 Field Ambulance, which was based near Arras at Tilloy when he arrived from the 83rd (Dublin) General Hospital in Boulogne on 10 December. He saw continuous service on the Western Front until the Armistice which he saw in northeast of Cambrai at Haspres. By the start of June 1919, Henry was the sole officer in charge of the 11th and led the Ambulance back to England – leaving from Boulogne on the 18th and dispersing from Marlborough Camp two days later. Henry himself was demobilised on the 22nd and made his way back to Scotland where he rejoined his wife Lily, who he married in 1913.

After the war, Henry worked as a municipal clerk and in the 1940s lived with Lily at 66 Grange Road in Langside. On 4 June 1948, presumably while on holiday in Aberdeenshire, Henry died in the Royal Infirmary from a duodenal ulcer which probably had been left untreated and led to infection and then a heart attack.

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