Private George Patterson

Private George Patterson, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 19th April 1917 in Palestine, aged 22, during the Second Battle of Gaza and is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Gaza, Palestine. He had been born in Eyemouth and was the son of Ellen and the late George Patterson of St. Clairs, Place, Eyemouth. He was a member of the Territorial K.O.S.B. and was mobilised in August 1914. He fell in the assault, led gallantly by Major Wattie Forrest of Kelso, on the Turkish redoubt on ” Outpost Hill” which was captured but due to heavy casualties and a shortage of ammunition had to be given up in the face of fierce Turkish counter attacks. (Major Forrest was mortally wounded on the Parapet of the Redoubt ). 6 Officers and 44 Other Ranks were killed and 9 Officers and 152 Other Ranks were wounded. Whilst in transit to the Middle East his transport ship ” Ivernia ” ( see below )had been sunk and he had been rescued. R.M.S. Ivernia was a Cunard Liner of 13,500 tons and was being used as a troop transport. She was torpedoed by UB-47 near Cape Matapan, Greece and sank within one hour. Most of the crew and the troops were rescued by Armed Trawlers and the Destroyer H.M.S. “Rifleman” although 120 lives were lost. ( N.B. Ivernia had the largest funnel ever fitted to a ship , measuring 60 feet from the deck. ). The photos show the Borderers in Palestine in 1917.

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