Private Alexander Rutherford

Private Alexander Rutherford, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed on 12th July 1915 in Gallipoli during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah aged 20. He had been born in Stow and was the son of James and Janet Rutherford of Jessifield, Stow. He had been employed as a baker in Lauder and was a member of the territorial K.O.S.B. He was mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 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. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders ” as only 70 unwounded men answered evening roll call out of the over 700 Officers and men who had begun the attack. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang from Newstead were posted missing presumed killed. The first photo shows Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers going over the top into the attack. The third is a photo taken in 1919 which shows the line of the attack on Achi Baba.