Private George Smith

Private George Smith, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915, aged 29, during the ” Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He had been born in Edgerston and was the son of Henry and the late Henry Smith of Upper Samieston farm and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. His brother James also fell in the same action ( see above ). That fateful day became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders ” as out of over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack only 70 unwounded men answered rollcall that evening. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that day. (The author’s Great Uncle Corporal Jim Murray from Coldstream was wounded and spent 6 weeks in hospital in Alexandria before returning to Gallipoli or ” the Pen” as he called it ). The first photo shows Achi Baba, the ultimate objective, marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows Borderers attacking at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.