Private John Wilson

Private John Wilson, 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 4th October 1917, aged 32, during the Third Battle of Ypres in the attack on Polderhoek Chateau.  He had been born in Coldstream and was the son of the late Richard and Jane Wilson of Coldstream and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. It was during this action that Colonel Machin, who later married Lois, won his Military Cross. After the War he lived in Coldstream at ” Rosybank ” with his wife Lois. During this attack the battalion casualty figures were 11 Officers and 438 other Ranks.  His brother James Wilson lived in Abbey Road, Coldstream and his sister Mrs Smith lived in Gironde Place, Fulham, London. Before enlisting he had been employed by Messrs J. and A. Davidson, Wine Merchants of Coldstream. The photographs show the awful conditions of desolation on the battlefield where the incessant shelling had destroyed the Flanders drainage systems.

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