JULY 12, 2015 marked the 100th anniversary of the attack by the 1/4th Kings Own Scottish Borderers on three lines of Turkish trenches at Gallipoli that turned disastrously wrong and led to the deaths of many Borders soldiers.

As part of the centenary of World War 1, Gala Fairydean Rovers have been researching former footballers and other sportsmen from the town who served in the armed forces during this time with the view to have a permanent memorial sited at their Netherdale home.

Former Club Secretary John Clayton has been discovering what happened to some of Gala’s young men on that fateful July day and the weeks that followed.

The Gallipoli campaign was a military disaster that damaged the reputation of Winston Churchill and other figures in the British military and political establishment who organised the campaign.

The British and their French allies had hoped for a quick and decisive victory in the Dardanelles area of what is now modern Turkey which would lead them to control the sea routes to Russia and mount an invasion of Constantinople. Any thoughts of a swift victory were abandoned following fierce Turkish resistance and instead British and ANZAC troops dug into the steep slopes of Gallipoli in a battle of attrition similar to the stalemate on the Western Front.

Of all the varied parts of the world where British and Commonwealth forces were deployed during the First World War, Gallipoli was remembered by its veterans as one of the worst places to serve.

It was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Allied troops landed there in April 1915 and spent months on the small peninsula of land guarding the Dardanelles Straits. The military aims of the campaign were not achieved and it was eventually called to a halt; the final Allied troops were evacuated in January 1916. There were heavy casualties, not only from the fighting, but from the extremely unsanitary conditions. Of the estimated 213,000 British casualties, 145,000 were from illness. Surviving combatants also recalled the terrible problems with intense heat, swarms of flies, body lice, severe lack of water and insufficient supplies.

The Battalion (1/4th KOSB) including hundreds of men from Galashiels and other Borders towns moved up on July 11 into firing line trenches to prepare for the attack. Orders had been received to attack three lines of Turkish trenches at 7.35am the following morning. The troops were instructed to pass over the first and second line and occupy and consolidate the third line. A great bombardment by allied artillery on the Turkish trenches at 6.55am on the gloriously fine summer morning signified that the battle had begun.

At 7.35am the range of the artillery was lengthened, and the Battalion moved to the attack, passed over the first and second trenches, and continued advancing with the object of occupying the third trench.

The KOSB regimental diary recalls that the battalion showed great courage in achieving their objectives but the men became victims of their own artillery fire and had to retreat back over the ground they had won, suffering tremendous casualties from their own friendly fire and the withering machine gun, rifle and artillery fire of the Turks.

It sates: “Not a man faltered, and it has been well and truly said that no finer charge was ever made on any field of battle...The casualties of the 1/4th KOSB in killed, wounded, and missing were as follows: Officers killed 5; wounded 6; missing 7; total 18.

“Other ranks killed 57; wounded 203; missing 275; giving a grand total of 553, or more than half of the original strength of the Battalion when it left Cambusbarron but a few weeks previously.

“Of the 275 of the rank and file reported missing; only 13 were subsequently reported as prisoners of war.” A Hawick veteran, Nichol Robertson of the 1/4th KOSB, found himself well forward during the charge of the 12th July.

He satted: “And of course the Turks could concentrate everything they had on one small sector, course so could we but you see the Turks were on the defensive and we just got everything they could possibly lay in to us.

“And then as far as we were concerned we were to take three lines of trenches, well, when we got over the first, there was another practically obliterated, and there was no such thing as the third line and when we got right out in the open, we were outflanked on either side and when we turned to come back, we came into our own artillery fire as well as the Turk’s.

“Some of us had pieces of biscuit tin on our backs and of course, when we turned that flashed in the direction of the Turks and we just got it.” Among the dead were many Borders men who were engaged in sporting activities in their towns and were associated with local clubs.

Some excelled at more than one sport.

Among the dead were rugby, cricket and association football players.

Of the Galashiels contingent there were a high number of Gala Harriers. The Association football players or men who were associated with football clubs from Galashiels who were casualties on that day included Private William Bennett, the fifth son of James Bennett. William Bennett played regularly for Gala Fairydean and Gala Cricket Club. He was 27 years old.

Private Thomas Bennett died of wounds on July 13, after the attack. At one time played football for a Yorkshire team and was an enthusiastic supporter of Gala Fairydean for whom his brother William played. He was 30 years old.

Private William Bisset Donaldson died of wounds on July 17, aged 19. He played for Gala Thistle FC and Gala Cricket Club.

Private G W Barbour was killed in action, aged 22. He was connected with Gala Amateur FC.

Private Peter Carruthers had a leg amputated after being wounded. He was a playing member of Gala Fairydean FC.

Private Charles Keddie was a well-known Gala Fairydean player. He was posted missing following the attack and later declared missing presumed dead.

Private M Townsley was a former Gala Fairydean player. He was posted missing following the attack and later declared missing presumed dead.

Private G H Pringle was missing since July 12 and later presumed dead. A well-known Gala Rovers and Gala Fairydean player.

The weeks following the July 12 attack must have been particularly harrowing for the families of the troops back home in the Borders as telegrams and letters from the army would have started to arrive with devastating news.

The huge number of names on the war memorial in Galashiels bears testament to the pain endured by families in the town.