Private Arthur Sword

Private Arthur Wright Sword, 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 Midlem, Roxburghshire in 1895 and was the son of Agnes and the late William Sword of Cavers Carre, Bowden, Roxburghshire and of Lilliesleaf. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. 12th July became known as the ” Black Day of the Borders” as out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who had begun the attack 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 photo shows the Borderers ” going over the top” at Gallipoli. The second photo shows Achi Baba, the objective of the attack. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The third photo shows the battlefield taken in 1922. (The author’s great uncle Corporal Jim Murray was wounded and spent 6 weeks in hospital in Alexandria before returning to his comrades at Gallipoli. He then fought through Egypt, Palestine and France before returning home to Coldstream in December 1918).