| Surname: | Stewart |
| Forename(s): | Andrew Alexander McFarlane |
| Rank: | Sergeant Pilot |
| Service number: | 93551 |
| Regiment: | 84th Sqn RAF |
| Date of death: | 16 September 1918 Aged 19 |
| Place of death: | Proyart on the Somme |
|
Buried Commemorated |
Heath Cemetery, Harbonniers – IX.B.6 Kingussie War Memorial and Kingussie and Insh Memorial in Kingussie Parish Church. |
Background
Andrew was born on 30 August 1899 at Viewfield, Kingussie to William and Catherine (m.s. McFarlane) Stewart. The family home at that time was the School House at Duthil, Dulnain Bridge. The family were still at the School House at Duthil at the 1901 and 1911 Census.
Andrew’s parents William and Catherine (m.s. McFarlane) married 30 November 1893 at Kingussie where William was a schoolmaster. It is understood that Andrew was an only child. His father was schoolmaster/head teacher at Duthil School.
He was educated at Grantown and was employed in the office of John Grant, solicitor and later in the branch of the Royal Bank in Grantown- on-Spey. He studied electrical engineering in Glasgow. He joined the Royal Flying Corps at Farnborough.
His parents had lived at Airleywight, Kingussie. In April 1919 his mother Mrs Catherine McKenzie was living at Viewfield, Kingussie.
War Record
He joined the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet at Farnborough. For some time he was stationed at Wendover, Hastings and St Leonards. His theoretical training he undertook at Corpus Christ College. At Northolt he recieved his wings as a certified pilot. He went on to attend the school of ariel gunnery at Marske.
On 20 May 1918 Andrew achieved the Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate in an Avro biplane at the Military School, Ruislip.
He was Killed in Action on 16 September 1918 over the Somme whilst flying in a . His body was later exhumed from a temporary grave at Proyart and re-interred at Heath Cemetery, Harbonniers.
Proyant Communal Cemetery Extension was created by the Germans in April-June 1918, and used by the British in August and September 1918 for the burial of 64 soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and 3 Australian soldiers.
