John Duncan Milne was born on 29th September 1886 in Musselburgh. His parents were George, a master grocer and Janet m/s McFarquhar who were married in Inverness in 1885.

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On the 1891 census, the family were living at 3 Carlyle Terrace, Maryhill with his two younger siblings. On the 1901 census, the family were living at Montrose Gardens, Milngavie.

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In 1906, he matriculated in the Arts Faculty at the University of Glasgow then taught at Maryhill Public School and graduated with an MA in 1909 from the University of Glasgow. On the 1911 census, John was living at 30 Derby Street, Sandyford, Glasgow with his parents. His occupation is recorded as Assistant Schoolmaster.

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He served as a Corporal and then Sergeant-Instructor in the Scottish Rifles. He was killed by a bursting trench mortar and is buried at Serre Road Cemetery. In addition to the Inverkip War Memorial, he is remembered on the University of Glasgow Roll of Honour and the memorial in Wellington Church.

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His Inverkip connection is yet to be established.