Private Charles Smerdon

Private Charles Smerdon 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died at sea, aged 19, on 14th July 1915 from wounds received in the “Charge”  on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah, Gallipoli on the 12th July. He lived in Duke Street, Coldstream and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been born in Holborn, London and was the son of Frederick and Janet Smerdon.  He and his mother had come to Coldstream and in 1901 Charles, aged 4, was living with hisw uncle John Sutherland in High Street, Coldstream. Before the War he had been employed as an apprentice engineer by J. Rutherford & Sons, Engineers of Coldstream.   He was also a member of the 4th Territorial K.O.S.B. In August 1914 the Battalion was mobilised and went to Gallipoli in June 1915. 12th July became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as out of over 700 Officers and men who had started the attack only 70 unwounded men answered roll call that evening. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of her sons. The author’s great uncle Corporal Jim Murray was wounded that day and was the next door neighbour to Private Smerdon then in Duke Street, Coldstream.  Lance Corporal Murray spent six weeks in hospital in Alexandria before returning to the front. He then fought through Palestine and France before returning to Coldstream in December 1918. ( The first photograph shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This insignificant looking pimple, which was the ultimate objective, dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Battalion attacking at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922. The Battalion was part of the 155th ( South Scottish ) Brigade in the 52nd ( Lowland) Division.