Private William Galbraith

Private William Galbraith, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action, aged 24, in Palestine on the 19th April 1917 during the second Battle of Gaza. He had been born in Sprouston and was the son of Thomas and the late Jane of Graden, Linton, Roxburghshire. He is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Israel. He fell in the attack on ” Outpost Hill where the Turks occupied a strong redoubt. The assault gallantly led by Major Wattie Forrest of Kelso took the redoubt but heavy casualties, a shortage of ammunition forced a retirement in the face of fierce Turkish counter attacks. Casualties were 6 Officers and 44 Other Ranks killed and 9 Officers and 152 Other Ranks wounded. Major Forrest himself was mortally wounded on the enemy parapet. The photos show the Borderers in Palestine in 1917. The three men in the photo were all footballers with Coldstream F.C.

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