Private Robert Brown

Private Robert Brown, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, aged 32, on the 12th July 1915 during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He had been born in Selkirk and was the son of Robert and the late Euphemia Brown of Ettrick Road, Selkirk and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had enlisted in Galashiels and went to Gallipoli with his Battalion in June 1915. That day became known as “the Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who began the attack only 70 unwounded men answered evening roll call. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that fateful day. the first photo shows Achi Baba, the objective of the attack. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. the second shows the Borderers “going over the top” and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.