Lieutenant-Colonel J.G. Dawson
7th/9th Battalion, Royal Scots

Everyone, apart from the natural dislike of battle itself, thoroughly enjoyed their time with the Armour and we were awfully glad to have stayed with them so long. They were stirring times and length of advances were sometimes amazing. It was an odd feeling at times to find oneself sitting in a car motoring perhaps 60 miles through Germany, knowing full well that only the road itself, and perhaps a quarter of a mile on either side of it, had been cleared the day before.

(Quoted in Trevor Royle, The Royal Scots, 169)

Born on 14 January 1911 in Edinburgh, John Gillon Dawson was a Territorial Army officer and stockbroker. He was commissioned in the Royal Scots and promoted to captain in 1937. He served as second-in-command of the 7th/9th Battalion, Royal Scots, which deployed to Belgium with the 52nd Division in October 1944.

Commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel M.E. Melvill was wounded in the unit’s first action and Dawson took command until the end of the war. He earned the D.S.O. for the final fighting in Germany in April 1945.

Throughout this operation Lt Col. JG Dawson displayed greatest coolness. He constantly moved around from coy to coy while under fire. His personal leadership was an inspiration to all ranks. As a result of this successful operation 10 officers and 228 enemy were captured.

At the end of the war, Dawson reflected on the future, about “what lay ahead of us, the clearing-up of the great destruction and the disorganisation of human life that war brought in its train.”

At the end of his army career, Dawson was appointed honorary colonel of 7th/9th Battalion, Royal Scots in 1960. He died in Edinburgh on 19 July 1978.