Private Henry Johnston

Private Henry Elliot Johnston, 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in France, aged 19, on 3rd September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He had been born in Ladykirk and was the son of John and Margaret Johnston of Ladykirk and 3 Havannah Court, Kelso and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Somme, France. He only been at the front for 3 weeks. He fell during the unsuccessful attack on the strong German positions in the village of Falfont where the Battalion suffered nearly 300 casualties of whom 154 were fatal. The French had promised an artillery barrage and a supporting attack on the right flank. Neither materialised and the Battalion attacked alone with predictable results. The Regimental history is tight lipped about this lack of French action which cost the Battalion dearly. (Private Johnston is not on the War Memorial but as he was born in Ladykirk and his parents resided there we felt he was more than worthy of inclusion here). The photos show troops on the Somme and the colour image shows a peaceful Somme landscape today with ” no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now”.