Lance Corporal William Cunliffe

Lance Corporal William Cunliffe, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died from wounds in Palestine, aged 25, on the 14th November 1917 and is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. He had been born in Oswaltwhistle, Lancashire and was the son of William and Jane Cunliffe of 5 Larchbank Street, Galashiels. He had been a member of the 4th Territorial K.O.S.B. and was mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 going to Gallipoli in June 1915 as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. He had been wounded during the “Charge” on 12th July 1915 at Achi Baba Nullah and upon recovery he had served in Egypt and then Palestine. It is likely he was wounded in the successful action at El Mughar where hundreds of Turks, and many artillery pieces and machine guns were captured. Casualties were 4 Officers and 31 Other Ranks killed and 9 Officers and 138 Other Ranks wounded. The photos show Borderers in Palestine in late 1917. His Headstone is inscribed “Thy Will Be Done”.