Private John Wilson

Private John Wilson, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died from wounds at Gallipoli, aged 34, on the 15th July 1915. He had been born in Hawick in 1881 and was the husband of Annie Wilson of Halliday’s Park, Selkirk. He had been a Regular Soldier and had served with the Cameron Highlanders during the South African War. He was working in Selkirk and enlisted in the K.O.S.B. on the outbreak of War he landed with the rest of the 52nd Lowland Division on Gallipoli on the 15th June 1915. He was mortally wounded on the 12th July during the ” Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that day. That fateful day 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. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. The first photo shows the attack objective, Achi Baba marked with a cross. This “hill” dominated the battlefield and was never captured. The second photo shows the Borderers ” going over the top” at Gallipoli and the third shows the battlefield in 1922