Private Thomas Todd

Private Thomas Todd, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in Palestine , aged 22, on 19th April 1917 during the Second Battle of Gaza and is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Israel. He had been born in Mertoun and was the son of Janet and the late John Todd of Crailing.  He had been employed as a farm worker at Crailing Hall when he enlisted in December 1914. He fell in the fighting at ” Outpost Hill ” where the Battalion, gallantly led by Major Wattie Forrest of Kelso, took the Turkish ” redoubt ” on the hilltop after hand to hand combat. However enfilading machine gun fire, lack of ammunition and continual fierce counter attacks caused  heavy casualties and the position had to be evacuated under cover of darkness before reinforcements and ammunition could be brought forward. 6 Officers and 16 Other Ranks were killed and 9 Officers and 152 Other Ranks were wounded. In addition 28 Other Ranks were posted missing. The photos show the Borderers in Palestine in 1917. The three Borderers pictured are Willie Cockburn, Alec Lawrie and Jim Murray all of whom had played football with Coldstream F.C. Jim Murray, the author’s Great Uncle, went on to win a Scottish Amateur Cup  with Coldstream in 1925.