Private James Brunton

Private James Brunton ,1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died in Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt on 17th July 1915 of wounds received in the “Charge” on 12th July 1915. on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah, Gallipoli. He had been born in Galashiels and was the son of Thomas and Mary Brunton of Haymount,  Kelso and is buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military  Cemetery , Egypt. He had been employed as a farm servant at West Morriston and Ledgerwood, Gordon before being mobilised with his fellow Territorials in August 1914. His Headstone is inscribed ” Gone But Not Forgotten”. (The author’s Great Uncle Corporal James Murray was also wounded that day. He spent six weeks in the same hospital in Alexandria before re joining his comrades at Gallipoli) Over 700 Officers and Other Ranks had begun the attack and 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, marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers going into the attack.