Private William Gladstone

Private William Gladstone, “D” Coy. 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on Gallipoli on 12th July 1915 during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah, aged 23. He was the son of Mr and Mrs Archibald Gladstone of “Balabraes”, Ayton and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. “D” Coy. was based in Duns with detachments at Greenlaw, Lauder and Earlston. Before the war he was a gardener at Ayton Castle and was a noted local footballer and cricketer. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as at evening roll call only 70 unwounded men answered out of the over 700 Officers and men who had begun the attack. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons tad day. The first photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill”, the ultimate objective, dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers attacking at Gallipoli.