Private James Gurney

Private James Younger Gurney, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. He was killed in action in France on 11th April 1915, aged 38. He was the son of the late James and Agnes Gurney of St Boswells and is buried in Cabaret -Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France.  He had been born in St. Boswells and was the son of James and the late Agnes Gurney of St. Boswells. Before enlisting in August 1914 he had been employed as a tailor in St. Boswells then Edinburgh and then Ormiston.  It was supposed that Private Gurney was the first St.Boswells soldier to fall in the War. At that time the Battalion were holding front line trenches in the Richebourg St. Vaast sector and were subjected to intermittent shelling and sniping. The second picture is of Private Gurney’s original Grave Marker and was kindly submitted along with his photograph by his Great Niece Mrs Esther Davies. He had originally been buried in Edward Road No.4 Cemetery ( Factory Trench ) but was re interred in January 1925 and reburied in Souchet.