Private William Nelson

Private William Ewart Nelson, 21st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps ( Infantry ). He was killed in action on 21st March 1918 in France on the first day of the German March Offensive, aged 34 and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Pozieres, France. Before enlisting he had been employed by Captain Cowan on Shidlaw Farm, Cornhill-on-Tweed. The M.G.C. used the Vickers Mk1 machine gun in both offensive and defensive roles. The photographs show gunners in action and other Allied troops in defensive positions.