Private John Storrie, 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 Jedburgh and was the son of Robert and Isabella of 1 Queen Street, Jedburgh. He had been employed in a woollen mill and was a Member of the Territorial 4th K.O.S.B. He was mobilised with the Battalion and landed on Gallipoli with the rest of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division in June 1915. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. 12th July became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Men 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. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang from Newstead were posted missing presumed killed. The first photo shows Achi Baba, the ultimate objective of the assault and the second shows Borderers “going over the top “at Gallipoli. ( The photo of Private Storrie courtesy of J. D. Smith ).
