Private Joseph Wilson

Private Joseph Wilson 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 12th July 1915 during the ” Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been born in Carham, Northumberland and was the son of Joseph and Margaret Wilson. Before enlisting he had been employed as a cattleman at New Smailholm, Kelso.  That fateful day became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders” as only 70 unwounded men answered evening roll call out of over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack. Few Border towns or Villages had not lost at least one of their sons. The contemporary photograph shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This ” hill ” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photo shows the Borderers going over the top into the attack at Gallipoli and the third shoiws trhe Battlefield in 1922.