Lance Corporal Alexander Cowans

Lance Corporal Alexander Cranston Cowans, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in Palestine on 13th November 1917, aged 28. He was the son of Andrew and Alice Cowans of Longframlington, Northumberland and he was a native of Morebattle, Roxburghshire. He is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Ramleh, Israel. He fell in the Judean Hills in the successful  attack on Turkish positions at El Mughar. After fierce hand to hand fighting the village was captured along with hundreds of prisoners and some machine guns and artillery pieces. Casualties were 64 Officers and 31 Other Ranks killed and 9 Officers and 138 Other Ranks wounded. This action is well described in Gavin Richardson’s excellent book ” After Gallipoli ” The photos show Borderers at Ramleh in late 1917. The three soldiers are Alec Lawrie, Willie Cockburn and Jim Murray who all played football for Coldstream F.C. Jim murray went on to win a Scottish Amateur Cup Winners medal with Coldstream in 1925.

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