Private Andrew Nairn M.M.

Private Andrew Nairn, M.M., 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was the son of James and Mary Nairn of Kaimflat, Ednam and had  been born at Oxenrig Farm, Coldstream. He was killed in action on 23rd November 1917, aged 23, by shellfire on the way to attack the Turkish forces at El Jib, Palestine and is buried in Jerusalem War Cemetery. 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 to have his foot amputated. He had been employed as a ploughman at Springwells Farm, Berwickshire before enlisting in October 1914. He had won his Military Medal  in April 1917 at Gaza in Palestine for mending wire entanglements under heavy artillery fire. The Battalion was part of the 155th ( South Scottish ) Brigade of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division. The photographs show the Borderers in Palestine in 1917 and the three soldiers are Alec Lawrie, Willie Cockburn and Jim Murray who all played football for Coldstream F.C.