Private William Sanderson

Private William Sanderson, 1/4th ( Border ) Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on Gallipoli on 12th July 1915 during the “Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah aged 35. He was the son of Mary Sanderson of North Back Lane, Norham and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He is also commemorated on the Coldstream War Memorial. Out of 700 Officers and Other Ranks who attacked on that fateful day only 70 unwounded men answered the evening roll call. The day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as nearly every Border town and village had lost at least one of their sons. ( The author’s Great Uncle Corporal Jim Murray was wounded that day and was sent to hospital in Alexandria. After 6 weeks he rejoined his comrades on the “Pen” as he called it and fought on for the rest of the War in Egypt, Palestine and France before returning to Coldstream in December 1918). The first photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers going over the top at Gallipoli. and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.