William Emiley Oscar Scott was the son of solicitor and JP William Emiley Octavius Scott, and is wife, Mary Anne, of Harton.

William joined the High School at 13, and left 20 months later to go to Kings School, Peterborough School. On leaving, he was articled to his father's legal practice where, in 1905, he joined his father in partnership as W E O Scott & Son.

When war broked out, he joined the Newcastle Officer Training Corps, and gained his commision as 2nd Lieutenant with the Durham Light Infantry on 6-Mar-1915.

He was given a temporary promotion to Lieutenant on 1-Aug-1915, which was later confirmed, followed by a further temporary promotion to Captain on 1-Nov-1915.

While on active service in France, in 1916, he served as the bombing officer for his regiment, overseeing the management and deployment of grenades.

He was killed whilst leading an attack against the German trenched in the Somme on 29-Sep-1916.

He is memorialised at the Thiepval Memorial the the Somme.

There is some confusion over his rank. His memorial at Thiepval states that he was a Private, the school's records show that he had received a commission as 2nd Lieutenant with the 7th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, but was the promoted to Lieutenant and then Major. However, the London Gazette shows that he was given a promotion to Captain. There is no evidence that he was ever a Major.