Private Charles Bush

Private Charles Robert Bush, 1st/4th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was killed in action in Palestine on 19th April, aged 34, during the Second Battle of Gaza. He had been born in Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire in 1882 and was the son of Joseph and the late Mary Bush and the husband of Margaret Bush of Edinburgh and Dovecot Park, Selkirk. He is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel. Before enlisting he had been employed as a grocer having served his apprenticeship in the Ayrshire Market, Selkirk. He fell in the attacks on the Turkish redoubt on ” Middlesex Hill” and “Outpost Hill”. Despite heroic endeavours by the Battalion together with the 5th R.S.F and the 4th and 5th Battalions of the K.O.S.B. the positions, whilst won, could not be held and a retiral was made. These actions cost the Battalion 5 Officers and 25 Other Ranks killed and 11 Officers and 200 Other Ranks wounded. In addition 1 Officer and 20 Other Ranks were posted missing.