Private Alexander Milne

Private Alexander Cormack Milne, 1st Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 26th April 1915 during the landings at “Y” Beach, Gallipoli. He was a Regular soldier and the Battalion with other Regular Battalions formed the 29th Division.  The landings were successful but the Turks were allowed to strongly counter attack. The attacks were repulsed with the aid of the 11 inch guns of the pre dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Goliath, pictured below. 260 casualties were suffered and the opportunity to attack the Turks from the rear and aid the landings further south at Helles was lost and the troops were withdrawn to support the main landings at Cape Helles.  (Major Jack Churchill  wrote a short ditty about this episode,  “Y” Beach the Scottish Borderer cried , While panting up the steep hillside, “Y” Beach, To call this thing a beach is stiff, its nothing but a bloody cliff, Why beach? ). He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been born in Glasgow and had lived in Earlston Before enlisting in the Town he had been apprenticed to T.B. Murdistan who was a Plumber and Slater in Earlston. After enlisting he had served with the Battalion five years in India and three years in Egypt. The photograph shows Borderers ” going over the top” at Gallipoli.