Private Peter Blake

Private Peter Blake, 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in France on 30th July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, France. He had been born at West Calder in 1893 and before enlisting in Berwick he had been working as a joiner in Ayton. He was the son of Andrew and Barbara Blake and the family lived in Ayton before moving to Denholm, Roxburghshire.  After enlisting in the 1st Battalion, K.O.S.B. he had gone to Gallipoli but was invalided home. After recovery he was posted to the 2nd Battalion in France. He fell in action in an attack on an “orchard” to the West of Delville Wood which had little success. The Battalion suffered heavily, losing 6 Officers killed and 6 wounded together with 244 Other Ranks. Originally he was posted to the 1st Battalion, K.O.S.B. and joined them at Gallipoli in June 1915. He later transferred to the 2nd Battalion which was in France. The photographs show troops on the Somme during the Battle and the colour image shows a peaceful Somme landscape today with ” no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now”.

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