Private Alexander Rutherford

Private Alexander Rutherford, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915, aged 20, during the ” Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He had been born in Stow and was the son of James and Janet Rutherford of Jessiefield, Stow and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been employed as a baker in Lauder and as a Territorial he had been mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 landing as part of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division on Gallipoli in June 1915. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of The Borders” as out of over 700 attacking Officers and Other Ranks only 70 unwounded men answered Roll Call. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons. The first photograph shows Achi Baba, the objective, marked with a cross. This insignificant looking pimple dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows Borderers going over the top at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.