Second Lieutenant Andrew Henderson

Second Lieutenant Andrew Hubert Millin Henderson, 1st/4th ( Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, aged 20, on the 12th July 1915 during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He had been born in Melrose and was the son of Dr. Percy and Hannah Henderson of 9 Church Street, Galashiels. He became a student of Medicine at Edinburgh University in 1913 and from 1911- 1913 he was Sergeant and Lieutenant in the Highland Cadet Battalion of the Royal Scots. From there he gained a Commission in the Territorial K.O.S.B. He was mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 landing on Gallipoli with the rest of the 52nd (Lowland) Division in June 1915. 12th July 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 on 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.