Corporal William Dods

Corporal William Dods, 1st/4th ( Border ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action on 12th July 1915 at Gallipoli during the “Charge” on the Turkish trenches at Achi Baba Nullah, aged 22. He had been born in Newcastle and was the son of  the late James and Isabella Dods of Swinton and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey. He was a popular figure in the village and was an excellent shot being the holder of the Territorial’s challenge cup. Corporal Dods was closely associated with the Temperance movement and was joint secretary of the Total Abstinence Society and the Band of Hope. He was also a loyal member of the United Free Church. That fateful day became known as the “Black Day of the Borders” as only 70 unwounded men answered Roll Call out of the over 700 Officers and Other Ranks who begun the attack. Few Border towns and villages had not lost at least one of their sons that day. The contemporary photograph shows Achi Baba, the objective, marked with a cross. That insignificant looking pimple dominate the battlefield and was never captured. The second photo shows the Borderers going over the top and the third shows the battlefield in 1922.