John Dingewell Mackay

Corporal John Dingewell Mackay - Royal Marine Light Infantry, "F" Company, Portsmouth Division

Early Life

John Dingewell Mackay was born in 1863 in Dundee, Forfarshire, the son of James Mackay and Elizabeth Kellas. The 1871 Scottish Census records the Mackay family living at 374 Perth Road, Dundee. James, then 47, worked as a flaxdresser, while Elizabeth was 42. Their household included six children: Isabella H. (18), Mary S. (10), John D. (8), Helen D. (6), Elizabeth K. (4), and Ann (3). Also present was Elizabeth’s mother, Isabella Kellas, aged 82.

By 1891, the family had moved to 25 Lily Bank Road, Dundee. James, now 59, was employed as a fireman, Elizabeth was 58, John was working as a ship plater, and his younger sister Mary was a dressmaker.

Military Service

Royal Navy Service Records

Attestation Papers

John first enlisted in 1881, serving with the Lothian Regiment. 

In 1901, he joined the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman, serving aboard Duke of Wellington, with his final posting on Victory I in 1905.

He married Alice Jessie Turnbull in 1894. 

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, they were living at 20 Zetland Road, Alverstoke, Hampshire, with their young daughters Daisy (6), Ivy C. (5), and Lily J. (1).

1911 Census

The 1911 Census shows the family had moved to Swansea, residing at 4 Frogmore Avenue, Sketty. John, then 49, was recorded as a naval pensioner and general labourer. Alice Jessie, 42, cared for their growing household: Daisy (16), Ivy Elizabeth (15), Lily Isabella (11), Violet Jessie (9), Alice May (8), John William (5), George Joseph (3), and Annie Hilda (2).

When the First World War began, John re-enlisted with the Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI), serving in “F” Company, Portsmouth Division.

The Royal Marine Light Infantry, Portsmouth Division, “F” Company

The Royal Marine Light Infantry was the infantry branch of the Royal Marines, providing shipboard detachments as well as land-fighting units. Marines manned naval guns, enforced order aboard ships, and landed during operations ashore.

The Portsmouth Division was one of three main RMLI divisions, alongside Chatham and Plymouth. Based at Eastney Barracks in Portsmouth, it was organised into lettered companies such as “F” Company. These companies supplied men both for naval service at sea and for expeditionary or defensive duties on land.

During the First World War, men from Portsmouth Division served aboard ships, in coastal defence, and in land operations such as the Royal Naval Division. Companies like “F” Company were rotated between these duties, reinforcing battalions in the field when required.

Death

Army and Navy, Birth, Marriage and Death Records

While serving during the war, Corporal John Dingewell Mackay contracted a disease and died on 14^th April 1916.

Burial

John Dingewell Mackay
Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery,
Portsmouth
credit - findagrave

John was buried with honour at Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Portsmouth, sometimes known as Clayhall Cemetery. Established in 1859 as the burial ground for the nearby Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, it became the principal naval cemetery for Portsmouth.

The cemetery contains more than 1,380 Commonwealth war graves, including 772 burials from the First World War and 611 from the Second World War. Among its notable features is the mass grave of 42 officers and men of HM Submarine L 55, brought back from the Baltic in 1928, as well as a section for 26 Turkish sailors who died of cholera in 1850–51. The site is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and remains a place of remembrance for naval personnel from Britain and allied nations.

Legacy

Although John Dingewell Mackay did not die overseas, his name is commemorated on St. Paul’s war memorial, alongside many others who gave their lives in the First World War. His story reflects the sacrifices of men who faced not only the dangers of combat abroad but also the hardships of military life at home.