Charles Alexander's Story.
Born on 16th December 1880 Charles was the eighth son of John Coutts a barrister of law and Mary Egidia Antrobus of Eaton Hall, Congleton.
He was at Charterhouse School 1895 -1896 and then at Sandhurst Military college, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Bn Kings Own Scottish Borderers on the 11th August 1900, promoted to Lieutenant on the 12th May 1902, he was promoted to Captain in the 1st battalion on the 2nd August 1908, from the 15th October 1908 to the 5th December 1909 he was A.D.C to G.O Commander in Chief (Scottish Command) The day 1911 census was taken it shows Charles on HMT REWA in Southampton.
On the outbreak of the war the 1st battalion of Kings Own Scottish Borderers were in India, they received orders to mobilize on the 11th September 1914, by the 29th October they embarked on S.S Sardinia in Bombay, arriving in the Suez on the 16th November and disembarked.
On the 12th December the battalion received orders to proceed to England two days later they sailed from Alexandria on the S.S GEELONG, following a brief stop of two days in Gibraltar the battalion disembarked at Devonport on the 29th December 1914.
They were in billets in Rugby until the 15th March 1915, orders were then received to entrain for Avon mouth in readiness for embarkation for Gallipoli. At 8pm on the 18th March HMT DONGOLA weighed anchor and sailed for the Mediterranean, they arrived in Alexandria at 9pm on the 29th
At 2:30am on the 25th April the battalion were four miles off the coast of the Gallipoli peninsula at 5:15 the whole battalion landed.
The war diary for the day covers a few pages here are a few points from it, at 6:20 am they saw their first action and two men from A company were killed by a shell, by 9am B Company occupied a ridge at the front they saw the enemy but did not engage, 11:30am the enemy started a heavy bombardment of their positions and rifle fire increased, the attack continued until dusk and the enemies advance was repulsed by shell fire from HMS Sapphire. 7:30PM the enemies attack renewed very fiercely and at one point they were with ten yards of the position and at one point a German officer walked up to the trench and said “You English Surrender we ten to one” He was there upon hit on the head with a spade by a man who was improving his trench.
By the 3pm the following day the 1st Bn Kings Own Scottish Borderers reported causalities of 296 officers and men of which Charles was one.
Charles is buried at Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey Grave Ref XI.A.8
Charles brother, Cecil Hugh also fell he can be found here
Cheshire County Memorial Project would like to thank H.A.G Carlisle for contributing to the information on Charles.