BriansBash: World War 1 Family Heroes .. 201276 Lance Corporal. Peter Turnbull K.O.S.B

Port Said Memorial Cemetery

My second family posting from World War 1 is dedicated to 201276 Corporal Peter Turnbull 1st/4th Btn Kings Own Scottish Borderers aged 34, who died on the 9th July 1917 in Egypt. Peter was the 2nd son of Richard and Sophia Turnbull of Selkirk to be killed in World War 1 and was one of my Grandmothers older brothers

He is buried in the Port Said Memorial Cemetery, Port Said, Egypt.

Peter was a Don R (nickname for a motorcycle despatch rider)
He apparently did not hear the sentry challenge and unfortunately was shot while returning to camp on a motor bike and he died of his wounds. Such a sad waste of life and extremely sad for his parents in Selkirk who had already lost their youngest son Tom in Oct 1916

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THE REGIMENT

The Kings Own Scottish Borderers

KOSB Badges

A Detachment of the 4th KOSB.

The Empress of Britain.

Peter sailed on the Empress of Britain with the Regiment firstly to Gallipoli where they landed on Y Beach at Cape Helles on the 25th April 1915. Fierce fighting ensured many casualties and the KOSB were held up in a defile close to the beach named "Gully Ravine"

After the Regiment was withdrawn from battle they went to Mudros Island for R&R and then down to Egypt where they fought in the Gaza area. This was during the time of Lawrence of Arabia's famous exploits and Allenbys entry into Jerusalem. Peter was killed just after the 1st battle of Gaza.

KOSB at Gallipoli

In the ravine the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment did not advance as far as those troops on the spur since Ottomans there were somewhat sheltered from the deadly bombardment from the sea. Their final position was fortified with rocks and boulders and became known as "Border Barricade".
The KOSB is of course a famous Scottish Regiment and participated in many other memorable battles in World War 1 including the Western Front in France.

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PERSONAL DETAILS
Peter was engaged to be married and his fiancee apparently never re-married, however Peter's Father was presented with his medals after the War and he invited this lass to Selkirk and presented them to her as a keepsake. She kept the medals for over 40 years and then decided they should be returned to Selkirk, She gave them to the Selkirk Borders Museum where they are still kept. Recently I communicated with her relative who lives in Portsmouth and she suggested I get the Border museum to photograph the collection for me, which they kindly agreed to do.

The collection also includes a decorative brass tin sent by Princess Mary to members of the British, Colonial and Indian Armed Forces for Christmas 1914. Over 426,000 of these tins were distributed to those serving on Christmas Day 1914. The tins were filled with various items including tobacco, confectionary, spices, pencils, a Christmas card and a picture of the Princess.

Click Here for a pdf of the Museum Collection.

Modern Egyptian "Garry"

When my Grandmother and Mother emigrated to New Zealand in the 1920s, they were able to briefly leave the ship Orsova at the Suez Canal and visited Peters Grave. Apparently they took a "garry" to the cemetery and my Mother was constantly touched by Arab children who had not seen a young girl with such white skin! It must have been quite an experience!

One interesting document I have, is the official CWGC handwritten requests for the next of kin to request an inscription on the grave stone and Richard Turnbull asked for the following sentence to be thus inscribed. "Faithful Unto Death"

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL

#Note The history of these inscriptions is inconsistent. The inscriptions were originally limited to 66 characters (including spaces between words). Cost was 3 1/2d per letter. At some stage the British Govt capitulated and made the payment voluntary. There is evidence some were asked 3d per letter. One epitaph runs for 400 characters - a considerable excess to the alleged 66 character limitation. The proportion of headstones with inscriptions is higher for Officers, which may well indicate that payment was a factor and wealthier families could afford the cost more easily than some poorer families.It was very controversial. The Canadian Govt paid for the Canadian inscriptions.The New Zealand Govt banned inscriptions on the basis that some might not be able to afford it (although some do exist)