Private James Kennedy

Private James Kennedy, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action, aged 18, at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915 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 Dumfries and was the son of William and Christina Kenedy of 32 Horesmarket, Kelso.  He had been a member of the 4th Territorial K.O.S.B and was mobilised with the Battalion on the outbreak of War in August 1914. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as at evening roll call only 70 unwounded men answered out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang were posted missing presumed killed. The contemporary photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photograph shows the Borderers going over the top and attacking at Gallipoli and the third shows the Battlefield in 1922. ( The action is well described in Gavin Richardson’s book ” For King, Country and the Scottish Borders”).

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