Newbattle at War a history of the Parish at war   

Friedrichsfeld POW Camp c1916

During the course of the war approximately two dozen men from the parish were captured by the Germans, one of the first William Clark, died of his wounds shortly after the outbreak of war. He would die without seeing his baby son who died a few days after being born. Men such as Archibald Cochrane spent most of their war 'in the cage', a depressing time. Others such as William Horsburgh would fall into enemy hands in 1918. These men despite their relatively short period of detention would suffer great deprevation and abuse. Many would die of illness and starvation , others would see it through to the end. I am grateful to a friend of mine Scott Henderson, he is the Grandson of William Horsburgh and it is with his kind permission that Williams diary is reproduced. 

POW Diary of William Horsburgh