Corporal John Grahamslaw

Corporal John Grahamslaw, 1st Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 26th April 1915, aged 27, and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey.  He was the son of the late Thomas Grahamslaw of Yetholm and the nephew of James Smail, caretaker of the Kelso Unionist Club. Prior to enlisting as a Regular he had been employed  in Mrs Halley’s grocers shop. The Battalion ( part of the Regular 29th Division ) landed at ” Y ” Beach on 25th April and had taken up defensive positions on the cliffs overlooking the beach. The Turks counter attacked and heavy fighting took place on 26th April before the Battalion was apparently mistakenly re embarked and ferried further south on Gallipoli to support the main landings at Cape Helles. This action cost the Battalion 296 casualties some of which were caused when a shell from the pre dreadnought battleship H.M.S. “Goliath” ( see below ) fell short into the K.O.S.B. lines. As a Regular he had served in both India and Egypt.

Scroll to Top