Private James Thomson

Private James Thomson, 1st ( Garrison ) Battalion, Royal Scots. He was lost at sea, aged 30, on the 20th July 1918. He had been born in Selkirk in 1887 and was the son of Robert and the late Isabella Thomson of South Port, Selkirk and he is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel. He had been working at the St Mary’s Mill, Selkirk when he enlisted in September 1914. He had originally enlisted in the 1st/5th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. and saw service in Egypt. He was transferred to the Royal Scots in Alexandria, in December 1916 and went with them to Cyprus. Here he fell ill and was evacuated back to Alexandria. Upon recovery he was sailing back to Cyprus when his ship the “Kosseir” was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB-51 with the loss of 39 personnel.