Corporal John Murray

Corporal John Richardson Murray, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915, aged 19, during the attack on the Turkish positions at Achi Baba Nullah. He was the son of Jane and the late John Murray of 24 Horsemarket, Kelso and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. That day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as over 550 of the Battalion became casualties and evening roll call saw only 70 unwounded men answering. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons.( The author’s Great Uncle Corporal James Murray from Coldstream was slightly wounded and was sent back to Alexandria, Egypt to recover. Six weeks later he was back on Gallipoli or the “Pen” as he called it). The contemporary photograph shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photo shows the Borderers attacking at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.