Lance Corporal William Callander

Lance Corporal William Callander 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scotish Borderers. He was killed in action in Palestine, aged 26, on 19th April in the attack on ” Outpost” hill during the Second Battle of Gaza and is commemorated on the Jerusalem  Memorial.  He had been born in Forfar and was the son of Alexander and Christina Callender of Stichill Cottage, Roxburghshire.On that day the Battalion suffered  casualties of 6 Officers and 44 Other Ranks killed with 9 Officers and 152 Other Ranks wounded. The Turkish redoubt on the hilltop was captured by the attack gallantly led by Major Wat Forrest of Kelso and bravely held until heavy casualties, a shortage of ammunition and enfilading machine gun fire meant the position had to be given up and a retirement effected. The Turks had suffered too many casualties to follow. ( Major Forrest was mortally wounded on the parapet of the redoubt ). The photographs show the Borderers in Palestine in 1917.