Private Andrew Watson

Private Andrew Dalgleish Watson, 1st/4th (Border) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. ( He served as Andrew Dalgleish ). He was killed in action at Gallipoli, aged 19, on the 12th July 1915 during the ” Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been born in 1897 at Kirkhope, Selkirk as Andrew Robert Dalgleish and was the son of Ellen Murray of 4 South Port, Selkirk and the step-son of John Watson. He was a member of the 4th K.O.S.B. Territorials and was mobilised with the Battalion in August 1914 on the outbreak of War. The Battalion as part of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division landed on Gallipoli on 15th June 1915. 12th July 1915 became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders” as out of over 700 Officers and Other Ranks 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. ( The attack can be read more fully in Gavin Richardson’s excellent book ” For King Country and the Scottish Borders” ). The first photo shows Achi Baba, the objective of the attack. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photograph shows the Borderers ” going over the top” at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.