224348 L/Cpl. Charles "Scotty" Dennis British Army 1st/9th Btn Royal Scots (Lothian) Regiment from:Prince Rupert, BC, Canada (d.9th April 1917) Charles "Scotty" Dennis lived and worked in Prince Rupert, BC, Canada. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Dennis, he emigrated from Edinburgh to Canada in 1913, joining his older brother, William George, in the pioneer city of Prince Rupert, where William worked as a printer for a local newspaper, The Daily News.
Scotty was an active community member, playing football on the Merchants team and serving as secretary of the St. Andrews Society. He was often mentioned in the newspapers, and was noted for the original verse he would write and recite for every special occasion.
While most of the young men in town, including his brother, enlisted with Canadian units, Scotty chose to go back to Edinburgh to sign up with the Royal Scots. He communicated regularly and continued to write poetry. The Daily News reported that one of his poems had been accepted for publication by the Weekly Scotsman.
Scotty died on the 9th of April 1917, in an advance during the Battle of Arras. At least six of his friends from Prince Rupert died the same day on nearby Vimy Ridge. Scotty was 28. He is buried in Roclincourt Valley Cemetery. His brother survived the war and returned to Prince Rupert.
One can imagine that the significance of the date and place of his death would not have been lost on Scotty, and if it had been possible, would have been the subject of a new poem.
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