John was born on 5 August 1894 in South Street, Greenock. He was the youngest of three children of William, a timekeeper in the shipping industry, and Margaret, who were married in Castle Douglas in 1879. William's address at the time of his marriage is recorded as West Parish, Greenock.

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On the 1901 census, John was living at 18 South Street with his 5 siblings. His father's occupation is recorded as a shipbuilder's clerk.

John's mother died in 1905 at Greenock of heart failure, when he was just 11 years old. In 1911, the family were living at 22 South Street, Greenock and he worked as a commercial clerk in the sugar industry, aged 16. At some point after this date, the family moved to Main Street, Inverkip.
 

John served initially in the Cameron Highlanders and then the 2nd/3rd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. He is remembered at the Tyne Cot Cemetery, on the Hyslop family headstone in Greenock Cemetery and on the Inverkip War Memorial.

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His older brother, Thomas, served in Merchant Navy and was lost at sea in November 1916 while on board the SS Leslie. He is remembered on the family headstone, at the Tower Hill Memorial but not on the on the Inverkip War Memorial.

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His father William died in December 1931 at Larkfield Hospital, Greenock.

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