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The son of William Rettie Park of Hillside Strichen, farmer, and his wife Elizabeth Barron, John Rettie Park was born at New Pitsligo on 1st April 1893. After leaving school he was employed as an agricultural labourer at Hillside. He joined the Territorials in 1912 and was mobilised on the outbreak of war in August 1914. He proceeded to Bedford with the Battalion and won several prizes for shooting, including a cup with the Bedford Arms. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France from May 1915 and died on 3rd June 1915, following wounds he received at Festubert. he is buried at Jardin-du-Presbytere, Locon. His Commanding Officer wrote: 'He showed himself always so willing to perform any duty, however dangerous. He ran messages often under heavy shell fire : he exposed himself if anything was required from outside the trench, and at once.; he helped carry down wounded, often very dangerous ; he took charge of ration parties, and always brought them back safe and sound. Yet it was while sheltering in a trench from very heavy shell fire that he was struck in the head by parts of a shell. He gained the admiration of all his officers and commrades for his bravery and noble conduct on the field of battle. [From de Ruvigny's Roll of Honour]
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