Private George Johnston

Private George Bradford Johnston, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 12th July 1915 on Gallipoli during the “Charge”.on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah.   He had been born at Innerwick and is commemorated  on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. His belongings were returned to his parents together with a last letter he had written just before the ” Charge ” His copy of the New Testament had a bullet hole through it. His parents were George and Helen Johnston of Thorn Street, Earlston. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as at evening roll call only 70 unwounded men answered out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack. Few Border towns and villages had not lost of of their sons that day. The first photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill”, which was the objective of the attack, dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers attacking at Gallipoli.