Private William Aitchison

Private William Robertson Aitchison, 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He died from wounds in the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Italy on 13th July 1918, aged, 23.  He had been born in Sprouston and was the son of John and Catherine Aitchison of Blakelaw, Kelso and is buried in Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension, Italy. Before enlisting in November 1914 he had been employed as a ploughman at Blakelaw. At this time the Battalion, who were part of the 7th Division, were stationed on the Asiasgo Plateau where in July they suffered 40 casualties mostly from Austrian artillery. ( The Division was part of the Force sent to prop up the Italians after their disastrous defeat at the Battle of Caporetto the previous year when they had lost over 300,000 men including 265,000 captured ). The photos show the Gordons in Italy.