Private William Grieve

Private William Grieve, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915, aged 19, during the ” Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He was the nephew of Agnes Grieve Whillans of Hobkirk, Bonchester Bridge and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. That fateful day became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack only 70 unwounded men answered the evening roll call. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of her sons. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang from Newstead were killed. The first photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers attacking at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.  ( There is an excellent account of the attack in Gavin Richardson’s book ” For King Country and the Scottish Borders” ).