Dysart is an eastern suburb of Kirkcaldy. The municipal cemetery is on a hillside, offering spectacular views of the Firth of Forth towards Edinburgh, East Lothian, the Berwick Law, and the Bass Rock. Every so often, the peace is disrupted by the sound of trains headed to Edinburgh along the nearby East Coast Railway Line.
William Johnston is buried in a family grave at Dysart Cemetery. He passed away on November 28th due to heart failure after an eight-day battle with influenza at his parent’s home, 11 South Street. At twenty-one, his death was considered “peculiarly sad” by The Fifeshire Advertiser on December 7th. William had survived a long service on the Front Line, only to contract Spanish flu upon his return home.
William was born on July 12th, 1897, in Manse Row, Crossgates, to coal miner George and Elizabeth (née McEwan). He was their first child and eldest son. In 1901, the Johnston family still lived at the same address and had grown in size with the birth of their daughter Jessie. By 1911, the family had moved to 11 South Street, Dysart. Thirteen-year-old William was attending school. George Jr. arrived two years prior. William’s obituary in the Fifeshire Advertiser noted that he was a member of the Dysart Boys Brigade and was “well known” within the town. After leaving school, he found work as a coal miner, following in his father’s footsteps. Additionally, he operated the cinematography at local cinemas, including Dysart and Pathhead.
Both father and son served in the First World War, William as a driver in the 63rd Division of the Royal Field Artillery. George was still serving in France when William died.
William was buried with full military honours on the Monday following his passing.
Sources: Ancestry, British Newspaper Archive, CWGC, ScotlandsPeople
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