Private Andrew Nairn M.M.

Private Andrew Nairn, M.M. 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in Palestine, aged 23, on 23rd November 1917 by shellfire on the way to attack El Jib, Palestine and is buried in Jerusalem War Cemetery. He had been born at Oxenrig, Coldstream, and was the son of James and Mary Nairn of Kaimflat, Ednam, Roxburghshire.  He had been employed as a ploughman at Springwells, Eccles, Leitholm, Berwickshire when he enlisted in October 1914. He was part of the Signal Section of the Battalion and the same shell also killed Private A. Taylor from Hawick and wounded Private Tom Leitch from Galashiels who later had a foot amputated. He had been awarded the Military Medal for mending wire under fire at Gaza in April 1917. The photographs show the Borderers in Palestine in late 1917. The three soldiers are Alec Lawrie, Willie Cockburn and Jim Murray all of whom played football for Coldstream F.C.