Sergeant John Wilson

Sergeant John Wilson ,1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion ,Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He  died of his wounds, aged 36, on 15th July 1915 received during the “Charge” on 12th July 1915 on Gallipoli  at Achi Baba Nullah and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey . The Battalion was part of the 155th ( South Scottish ) Brigade in the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division. He had been born in Coldstream and was the son of  the late Elizabeth Wilson of Duke Street, Coldstream and the husband of Sarah ( Rule ) Wilson of Cornhill-on-Tweed He had already served with the (Scottish) Company of the Mounted Sharpshooters, Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa during the Second Anglo- Boer War . He had also been a member of the Territorial K.O.S.B. and was mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 Going to Gallipoli in June 1915.  Before the War he had been a very popular postman working in Cornhill-on-Tweed on the Ford rural route. He was evacuated for treatment at Mudros but died aboard ship and was buried at sea. A memorial Service was taken by Canon Holland and every pew was filled with many standing outside. He was a keen gardener and his sweet peas had won many a trophy. He was also a splendid batsman for Coldstream Cricket Club. 12th July became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as at evening Roll Call only 70 unwounded men answered out of over 700 Officers and men who had begun the attack. The photograph shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This insignificant looking hill dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photo shows the Borderers attacking at Gallipoli.