Private James Johnstone

Private James Johnstone, 1st Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in France on 14th July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, France. He had been born in Coldstream, enlisted in Coldstream and had lived in Cornhill-on-Tweed. Before enlisting he had been employed as a plasterer by Mr Rule of Ford. On the day of his death whilst the Battalion were not involved on any offensive operations there were in the front line so it is likely he was killed by shellfire or by sniping. The photographs show troops on the Somme and the colour image shows a peaceful Somme landscape today with ” no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now”.

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