Son of Robert and Ellen Holt, of New Washington, Co. Durham.

John Scott Burnett Holt was born in Washington, County Durham, in 1916,  the son of Robert and Ellen Holt, of New Washington, Co. Durham John Scott Burnett Holt enlisted as a regular soldier with the 1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry in 1933 and served with `B` Company in Shanghai, Tientsin, Hong Kong,  the Desert Campaign in Syria and on Malta during the siege. Whilst with the 1st Durham Light Infantry he rose to the rank of Colour Sergeant. On the 16th May 1943, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant with the 6th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry and was slightly wounded shortly after.
288944 Lieutenant Holt rejoined his battalion on the 22nd May 1943 in preparation for the invasion of Sicily Lieutenant Holt saw action with the 6th DLI  at the Primosole Bridge. Following this action on the 25th July 1943 Lieutenant Holt led two platoons of `B` Company onto a railway bridge  near Fosso Buttaceto which they briefly occupied before being forced to withdraw with three men wounded.
Lieutenant Holts promotion was not announced in the London Gazette until the 31st August 1943 by this time the brave Lieutenant was already dead. On 6 August 1943, near  Villa Biondi, in Sicily, he was leading a patrol from "B" Company to observe the nearby enemy positions when it came under heavy accurate fire.
Lieutenant  John Scott Burnett Holt was killed along with two other men and the rest of the patrol were  taken prisoner. News of his death and the fate of the patrol was delivered by a local civilian who had been tasked by the German Lieutenant whose men had engaged the Durham`s patrol .
The note which the civilian delivered paid tribute to the gallantry of the Durham patrol, listed those killed and the whereabouts of the mens graves. The note also assured the battalion that those wounded and captured were being well cared for. John Scott Burnett Holt  was 27 years old, he lies today in Catania War Cemetery Section 3 Row D Grave 35