Private Robert Hendry

Private Robert Hendry, 6th ( Service ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in France, aged 36, on 9th April 1917 on the first day of the Battle of Arras. He had been born in Birgham and was the son of the late William and Elizabeth Hendry of Birgham and the husband of Catherine C. Hendry of 4 Ladhope Bank, Galashiels. He is buried in Bailleul Road West Cemetery, St Laurent-Blangy, Arras, France. His Headstone is inscribed ” He Died That We Might Live “. Before enlisting he had been employed as a fishing fly dresser with P.D. Malloch of Perth. The Battalion took its objective ” Obermayer Trench ” and held its position allowing the 11th Royal Scots to leapfrog them onto the next position.  Casualties among the Officers were 2 killed and 12 wounded. Other Rank casualties were not given but the Regimental history states ” they do not seem to have been out of the way “. The relatives of Private Hendry would no doubt have had a very different viewpoint. The photographs show British troops accompanied by a ” wee pal ” in the main street of a captured village near Arras. The colour image  shows the 9th ( Scottish ) Division Memorial on the Point de Jour ridge. Beside it are the remains of a German blockhouse captured by the Battalion during the Battle. It is said that after the capture the men ate the garrison’s breakfast before going on. In 2006 the Memorial was deemed to be in an unsafe position due to the heavy traffic and was moved to the Pointe De Jour Military Cemetery where it now stands.