This roadside Memorial is situated on an unregistered road leading from the main street to the River Tweed and consists of a sandstone stone cross surmounting a tapering stone plinth surrounded by iron railings. It is inscribed ” In Grateful Memory Of The Men Of Gattonside Who Fell In The Great War.” There are twenty names inscribed. Ther is a metal plaque attached to the foot of the Cross inscribed “1939-1945 with three names.
Private James Fortune, 1st/4th ( Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died from dysentery, aged 20, on 20th October 1915 in hospital in Malta. In June he had been evacuated from Gallipoli after falling ill. He had been born in Ednam and was the son of William and Euphemia Fortune of Gattonside Mains, Melrose …
Corporal Andrew McCallum Brown, 4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in Holland on Active Service on 7th January 1945 aged 26. He had been born in Blackford, Perthshire to Andrew and Helen Steel and was the husband of Gladys Brown whom he had married in Melrose in 1944. He …
Private Anderson Steel, 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. He died on 28th August in France, aged 26, of wounds suffered in action during the Normandy campaign. He had been born in Hawick to John and Margaret Steel of Wester Housebyres, Melrose and is buried in St. Desir War Cemetery, Calvados, Normandy, France. His Battalion had landed …
Captain Tom Montgomerie, Black Watch, Special Boat Section att. “L” Detachment, Special Air Service, Army Air Corps. He was killed on Active Service in a road accident in the Canal Zone, Egypt on 18th August 1942 aged 28. He had been born in Irvine, Ayrshire to the Hon. Francis and Alice Montgomerie of Gattonside House, …
Corporal John Anderson, 5th/6th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Royal Scots. He was killed inn action in France on 11th August 1918 aged 26 during the “Advance To Victory “. He was the son of Agnes and the late James Anderson of Friarshaugh, Gattonside and is buried in Bouchoir New British Cemetery, Somme, France. He had …
Lance Corporal Robert James Spottiswoode, 7th Regiment, South African Infantry. He died of wounds in East Africa on 15th March 1916 aged 34. He had been born in Melrose to Robert and Mary Spottiswoode of Gattonside and is buried in Taveta Military Cemetery, Kenya. He was an engineer to trade and had emigrated to South …
Cabin Boy James Cunningham Mann, Mercantile Marine. He died of wounds on 15th May 1918, aged 17, when his ship the S.S “War Grange ” was torpedoed and damaged by U-55. He had been born in Wells, Somerset and his mother Ann had come from Gattonside. He is buried in Newquay, Cornwall. The ship was …
Lance Corporal Thomas Smart, 27th Battalion ( 4th Tyneside Irish ), Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in France on 25th April 1917, aged 38, during the Battle of Arras. He had been born in Melrose to Thomas and Agnes Smart of Huntly House, Gattonside and was the brother of George Smart ( see below). He …
Leading Stoker Robert Hume Lyal, Royal Navy. He was killed in action at sea aboard H.M.S. “Defence” on 31st May 1916, aged 23, during the Battle of Jutland. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Lyal of Gattonside and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. ( Plymouth was the Home Port for the …
Lance Corporal Thomas Henderson, 1st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders. He was killed in action in France on 18th September 1918 aged 25 during the ” Advance to Victory”. He was the son of Jessie and the stepson of George Inglis of Abbots Meadow, Gattonside, Melrose and was the husband of Janet Henderson of Stirling Place, Galashiels. …
Lieutenant Mark Kincaid MacKenzie, 4th Kings Royal Rifle Corps att. 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He was killed in action in France, aged 26, on 25 September 1914 during the Battle of the Aisne and is buried in Montcornet Military Cemetery, Aisne, France. He had been born in St Andrews and was the son of Lord …
