Private Anthony Lauder

Private Anthony Bell Lauder, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. He died on 14th November 1917, aged 41, from wounds suffered in action in Palestine and is buried in the Ramleh War Cemetery in Israel.  He had been born at Proctor Smithy, Kelso, Roxburghshire and was the son of John and Jemima Lauder of Station Cottage, Fountainhall, Stow. He had been wounded during the attack and capture of El Mughar. The Battalion had been pinned down under heavy machine gun fire when the Yeomanry of the 6th Mounted Brigade  attacked the Turk’s flank.  This distraction gave the Borderers the chance they needed and raced forward with the bayonet. Some hundreds of Turkish prisoners were captured after some fierce hand to hand combat. Casualties were 4 Officers and 31 Other Ranks killed and 9 Officers and 138 Other Ranks wounded. The photos show Borderers at Ramleh in late 1917.