Corporal George Craig

Corporal George Craig, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 13th November 1917 in Palestine, aged 25. He had been born in Eyemouth and was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Craig of 2 George Wynd, Eyemouth and is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Palestine.  He had landed with the Battalion on Gallipoli in June 1915 and served there and in Egypt and Palestine. He fell in the attack on the Turkish positions in the village of El Mughar (the same action in which Lieutenants Robertson and Wood of Eyemouth were killed). Before the war he had been employed as a Cooper with Mr D. Aitchison, Fishcurer of Harbour Road, Eyemouth and it was said of him ” he was of a cheery disposition and made friends wherever he went “.  The” Berwickshire Advertiser” has his rank as Sergeant). The attack was successful and after some ferocious hand to hand combat hundreds of Turks were taken along with artillery pieces and machine guns. 4 Officers and 31 Other Ranks were killed and 9 Officers and 138 Other Ranks were wounded. His Headstone is inscribed ” When The Day Break And The Shadows Flee Away”. The photographs show Borderers at Ramleh in late 1917. The three soldiers are Alec Lawrie, Willie Cockburn and Jim Murray who all played football for Coldstream F.C.