Born on December 13, 1895, the son of Alexander Ashton Murray Mearns and his wife, Annie Webster Hughes Mearns, of "Links", Montrose, Forfashire. At the outbreak of war, Mearns, an exceptional scholar, was a student of medicine at St Andrews University, having already passed the first of his professional examinations. He had joined the University Officer Traiing Corps in 1913 and, as soon as his examinations allowed, he volunteered for active service.
He subsequently was commissioned into the 11th (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Black Watch. He was then posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion of his regiment on March 14, 1916, and remained oh their strength until his successful application for transfer to the Royal Flying Corps was approved on March 11, 1917. Mearns often flew as observer to the Commanding Officer of 57 Squadron, Major L. A. Pattinson, before flying with McNaughton.
On June 24, 1917 Mearns and his pilot McNaughton became Manfred von Richthofen’s 55 victory. Richthofen’s combat report reads as follows:
" 0910 hrs, between Keibergmelen and Lichtensteilager, this side of the lines. De Havilland DD. With six machines of my Staffel, I attacked enemy squad consisting of two reconnaissance planes and ten fighters. Unimpeded by the enemy fighters, I managed to break one of the reconnaissance planes with my fire. The fuselage fell with inmates into a hangar between Keibergmelel (sic) and Lichtensteinlager, this side of our lines. The plane exploded when crashing on the ground and destroyed the hangar. Baron von Richthofen."
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