Private Frank Anderson

Private Frank Anderson, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in Gallipoli during the “Charge” on 12th July 1915 on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah, aged 23. He had been born in Ettrick and was the son of Mary and the late John Anderson of Kippetlaw, Cattleshiels, Longformacus and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had lived in Duns and had enlisted in the Town in January 1915.  That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders ” as at evening roll call out of the over 700 Officers and men who had begun the attack only 70 unwounded men answered their names. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that day. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang from Newstead were posted missing presumed killed. The first photo shows Achi Baba, the objective, marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers going into the attack and the third shows the Battlefield in 1922.