Private Robert Young

Private Robert Dickson Young, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action, aged 36, on 12th July 1915 at Gallipoli during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been born in Earlston and was the son of Archibald and Margaret Young of High Street, Earlston and the husband of Euphemia Young of Market Street, Edinburgh. When he enlisted in Edinburgh in September 1914 he had been working as a bootmaker. ( His brother George also fell – see above ).That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who began the attack only 70 unwounded men answered the evening roll call. Few indeed were the Border Towns and villages who had not lost at least one of their sons. The first photo shows Achi Baba, the objective of the attack, marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers going over the top into attack.