George Burt Wishart was born on 9 August 1894 at Kirkforther Feus near Markinch in Fife. He was the second of four children of William Boucher Wishart, a papermill fireman from Kettle, and his wife, Mary Aitken Burt. Before the war, young George worked for the Balgonie Colliery Company and was well-known throughout Fife as a footballer having played for Mossburn Club and then Leslie Hearts. He was also a keen cyclist and took part in many local competitions and possessed what was later described as a ‘bright and cheery likeable disposition’. He enlisted in Leven during June 1915 and joined the 5th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders who were part of Kitchener’s First New Army, and in the 26th Brigade of the 9th (Scottish) Division. George arrived in France on 13 October and after being processed at a Base Depot eventually made his way to join ‘A’ Company of the battalion. At the time George arrived with the Highlanders on 7 November they were billeted in the Dickebusch vicinity and left for the trenches three days later.

On 12 November, less than a week after arriving at the front, George passed an exposed part of the line and was shot in the chest by a sniper. He died several hours later without regaining consciousness. It appears that George’s grave was later lost and he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

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