Private James Keddie

Private James Keddie, 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died of wounds in France on 18th January 1917 aged 32. He had been born in Melrose to George and Susan Keddie of Abbotsbank, Gattonside and afterwards St. Andrews and is buried in Brown’s Road Cemetery, Festubert, France. He had originally enlisted in the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry before being posted to the K.O.S.B. in France. After moving to St. Andrews he had married Margaret of Largo Street, St. Andrews and before enlisting he had been manager of a drapers store in the Town. ( The Regimental history notes that ” a particularly promising batch of recruits were received from the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry which commenced training in December” ). During January 1917 some casualties were suffered from gas shells and it may be that Private Keddie was one of those.