Places > Book of remembrance for Tweeddale > Landward Parishes

County of Peebles Book of Remembrance.
killed in action, 18th March, 1916, aged 32
years, and interred in Pleiiegstreert Ceme-
tery, Belgium ;
And Quartermaster Sergeant J. Doherty, re-
ported missing, 21st March, 1918, presumed
killed on that date, 2-5tli Seaforths, aged 24
and a half years.
" And in. the Morn those angel faces smile.
Which we have loved long since and lost
awhile."
German snipers claimed Avchihald Smith a«
a victim. News came to the burgli from a
cousin of Private A. J. Smith that the latter
had been shot through the head. His father
received confirmation from the War OfiBce
that his son had been killed in action in
France on Wednesday, the 17tli March, 1915.
His family went from Peebles many years ago.
Prior to joining the Argyll & Sutherland
Hig'hlanders, the deceased was engaged work-
ing at the pits near Polmont, and later, was
on Home Defence at Whitby in the month of
September when the Germans attacked that
town and its abbey. Two months before he
fell. Private Smith was drafted from the 2nd
to the 1st Battalion, and was ordered to the
Front. He joined up at Stirling in Septem-
ber, 1914; went to France in February, 1915;
and fell in six weeks. He was never at home.
He had two brothers serving.
There is no noble height thou canst not
climb.
All triumphs may be thine in Time's
futurity,
If whatsoe'er thy fault, thou dast not faint
nor halt,
But lean upon the staff of God's security.
Earth has no claim the Soul can not contest.
Know thyself part of the Eternal Source,
And naught can stand before thy Spirifs
force.
Tlie soul's divine inheritance is best.
Volunteers who left Haddington for the Front
along with the First Detachment of the Royal
Scots on the 2nd of November, 1914. He was
one of five brothers serving with the Imperial
Forces: — Hugh, a member of the same Com-
pany of the 8tli Royal Scots in France;
Robert, in the 12th Royal Scots in Kitchener's
Army; George, with the second contingent of
the Australian Expeditionary Force; John, a
sergeant in the King's Own Scottish Bor-
derers, who fought at the Dardanelles. His
brother, George, was doomed to fall on the
12th of May in the same year, 1915.
I regret very much to have to inform you
that your son, James, was killed by a. shot
from a German sniper at mid-day to-day
(Wednesday). He had just left the trench
for a few minutes when we were suddenly
all alarmed by his cry. Willing hands ten-
derly carried him to the shelter of a dug-
out where, on examination, his wound was
found to be a very serious one. He lingered
for about half-an-hour ere passing peacefully
away. To all outward appearance his last
moments were free from suffering, the know-
ledge of which may lessen the severity of the
loss and the wrench to you all. Your son
was a good soldier, painstaking to a degree in
the performance of his duti&s, willing, active,
and obliging, and a man held in high esteem
by the ofiicers and men of his Company. I
need not say we all deplore his loss very
much indeed, and we deeply sympathise
with you and yours in the great loss sus-
tained by you. We buried him to-night
with Christian rites immediately behind the
lines. There a simple wooden cross marks
the last resting place of one, who in life,
proved himself to be a brave and gallant
soldier.
" And some, the goodliest and the best
Beloved alike by comrades and commanders
Alas, untimely seek their rest
Beneath the soil of Flanders."
LCE.-CPL. JAMES TURNBULL
(Innerleithen)
RorAL Scots.
1915. Maech 17.
Previous to the outbreak of the war, Lance-
Corporal Turnhull, who was twenty-tliree
year.H of ago and a millworker to trade, was a
Territorial soldier in the Innerleithen com-
panies, He was one of tiie gallant band of
PRIVATE WILLIAM THORBURN
(TWEEDSMDm)
Pbincbss Patricia's Canadian Infantet.
1915. March 22.
William Thorburn was one of sis brothers,
sons of Mr William Thorburn, Hearthstanes,
Tweedsmuir, all of whom were serving their
country by sea or air or land. H© was born