Private Archibald Henderson

Private Archibald Henderson, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, aged 20, on the 12th July 1915 during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He had been born in Selkirk in 1895 and was the son of John and Rachel Henderson of “Glendearg Cottage”, Curror Street, Selkirk. ( His brother William also fell, see below ).He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He had been a member of the Territorial K.O.S.B. and was mobilised with his Battalion and went to Gallipoli with the rest of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division landing on the Peninsula in June 1915. 12th July became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who began the attack only 70 unwounded men answered evening roll call. ( The author’s Great Uncle Corporal Jim Murray from Coldstream was wounded and spent 6 weeks in hospital in Alexandria before returning to Gallipoli or “the Pen” as he called it ). Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that fateful day. The first photo shows the objective of the attack, Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second shows the Borderers “going over the top” at Gallipoli. The second shows Achi Baba, the objective of the attack, marked with a cross and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.