Private William Cochrane

Private William Cochrane, 6th ( Service ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in France, aged 35, on 3rd May 1917 during the Battle of Arras and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. He had been born in Cavers, Roxburghshire and was the son of William and Helen Cochrane of Leyden’s Cottage, Denholm Before enlisting he had been employed as a groom. He fell in the rushed and disastrous attack on ” Greenland Hill ”  This was a night attack with no reconnaissance a weak barrage and the results were predictable. The troops on either flank did not get forward and three companies of the K.O.S.B. were cut off by German flank attacks. Only 50 men managed to return with 11 Officers and 51 Other Ranks killed. A further 152 Other Ranks were wounded and 200 posted missing. Some of the missing were later reported to be Prisoners of War. The photograph shows the Memorial to the 9th ( Scottish ) Division of which the 6th K.O.S.B. was part. Beside the Memorial stands the remains of a German blockhouse which was captured by the Battalion earlier in the Battle. Due to the heavy traffic the Memorial was moved in 2006 to near the Pointe De Jour Military Cemetery where it now stands. The photos show troops during the Battle.

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