Lance Corporal Alexander Cowans

Lance Corporal Alexander Cranston Cowans, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in Palestine on 13th November 1917, aged 28, and is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. He had been born in Morebattle and was the son of Andrew and Alice Cowans of Yetholm Mains, Kelso. Before enlisting in October 1914 he had been employed on Swinside Townfoot farm, Oxnam. He fell in the successful attack on the Turkish positions at El Mughar which were taken after some ferocious hand to hand fighting. Turkish resistance was short and hundreds of Turks were captured together with artillery pieces and machine guns. Casualties were 4 Officers and 31 Other Ranks killed and 9 Officers and 138 Other Ranks wounded. The photographs show Borderers at Ramleh in late 1917.