William Robertson

Killed in Action on the 04/06/1915 at the 3rd Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli

The Battalion sailed from Avonmouth on the 18/03/1915 and landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli 25/04/1915. They were part of the 87th Brigade, 29th Division. William arrived in the Balkans on the 09/05/1915. The 3rd Battle of Krithia on the 04/06/1915 : When the moment for attack came 2nd Lieutenant Richard Reeves of the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers was in the second wave as they launched themselves over the parapet along Fir Tree Spur to the right of Gully Ravine. He captures the awful frenzy of that moment. "At 12 punctually the intense bombardment ceased - it was an infernal noise - no words can describe the hideous din - the earth simply shook and parts of the support trench in which I was, fell in from the reverberation. "A" and "B" Companies attacked and lost very heavily. "C" and "D" Companies followed 50 paces behind, and we had to get up a very high parapet in the face of a perfect hail of shrapnel and machine gun and rifle fire - I ran on blindly shouting to my men - we lost heaps - men falling all around me and with such terrible wounds. My men were splendid - nothing stopped them - we dashed into the first Turkish trench (H9) and all the enemy were standing there with white flags, their hands up - some had their hats hoisted on their rifles: we took the lot - and I at once detailed an escort for them - we dashed on to the next trench (H10) the same thing happened there - all told about fifty-six prisoners - I collected some men, Worcesters and KOSB mixed by this time and we rushed on to H11: about 10 yards from this, I turned to shout to them to come on, when I fell with a twisted ankle into an awful barbed wire entanglement. All this time shrapnel whizzing all around and men falling - it was too awful - I had no wire cutters - my coat was torn in numbers of places - my puttees to ribbons and my breeches too - I tried everything to get out of it - and simply could not do so - I saw four Turks coming towards me - I fired my revolver four times at them two fell and I don't know what happened to the others - I lay in that tornado for about 3/4 hour - our men in the meantime had got to H11 the third trench and a stiff bayonet fight went on - we eventually got possession of it and after that I saw them press on to the next one. I lay in the barbed wire expecting to be hit every moment - By the mercy of God I wasn't although a shrapnel bullet struck me on the heel of the boot - quite suddenly I felt myself free of the wire how I don't know, but I couldn't get up as my ankle was too painful. A wounded Officer from the Worcesters near couldn't move either - he was hit in the leg and I gave him my water bottle - numbers of men all around very badly wounded - I gave morphia tablets to several - at last the shrapnel ceased slightly and the Worcester man and I crawled back together very slowly - we passed through H10 and H9 and at last got back to our original trench - we took ages doing it, and he poor chap was awfully weak - he died." (Second Lieutenant Richard Reeves, 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers). The 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers and the 4th Worcesters had made a considerable advance and actually reached the last Turkish line. But they were not supported and eventually were forced to fall back as the Turkish reserves arrived. They ended up back in their original front. The surviving King's Own Scottish Borderers War Diary of the Krithia campaign details the events of the 4th June 1915 surrounding William's death, and outlines the horrendous fighting endured by the Allied forces in an operation that was ultimately doomed to failure (see photos for Battalion and 87th Brigade War Diaries). William is also remembered on the Maxwell Parish Church Roll of Honour and at the Family Plot in Old Monkland Cemetery (see photos) and in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Helles Memorial Panel List, his Pension Records x 3 and the King's Own Scottish Borderers Cap Badge. Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 56 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FROM 11th SEPTEMBER 1914 UNTIL THE 5th JUNE 1915. ALSO SEE PHOTOS x 45 FOR THE 29th DIVISION BOOK FROM JANUARY 1915 UNTIL THE DAY WILLIAM FELL and PHOTOS x 13 FOR THE 29th DIVISION ORDER OF BATTLE (the Division he was with when he died).