Private William Walls

Private William Walls, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, aged 34, on the 12th July 1915 during the ” Charge ” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah. He was born in Tillicoultry in 1881 and was the son of Janet Walls and the husband of Betsy Walls of 12 Ettrick Road, Selkirk. He had been employed as a millworker prior to enlisting in September 1914. 12th July 1915 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. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that fateful day. Both Colonel McNeile from Bowden and his Adjutant Captain Lang from Newstead were both posted missing presumed killed. The first photo shows Achi Baba the objective of the attack. 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.