Looking at the Commonwealth War Graves records and medal records, Trooper David Black (2725), born in Gatehouse on Fleet, was presumed killed in action on 31 October 1914. Husband of Esther Black of 52 Somerset Road, Farnborough, Hants. He was 26and had arrived in France on 8 October.
Although he was in the Household Cavalry Regiment in C Squadron of the 2nd Life Guards, he had previously been in the Gordon Highlanders (number 9767). He had enlisted in Cork in Ireland. It looks as if he was a professional soldier to me. Did he marry in Scotland? There is a chance that his father's name appears on that record. I have a (far to large!) number of people born illegitimate in my family tree where the name isn't recorded on the birth record, but is on the marriage record.
It's also worth checking the National Archives of Scotland to see if his mother tried to get financial support for the child.
Edit: Snap, Kate.
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