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Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Regular Battalions: 1st Battalion, Black Watch 2nd Battalion, Black Watch Territorial Force: 4th Battalion, Black Watch 5th Battalion, Black Watch 6th Battalion, Black Watch 7th Battalion, Black Watch 2/4th Battalion, Black Watch 2/5th Battalion, Black Watch 2/7th Battalion, Black Watch 4th/5th Battalion, Black Watch Kitchener's New Army: 8th Battalion, Black Watch 9th Battalion, Black Watch 10th Battalion, Black Watch 11th Battalion, Black Watch 12th (Labour) Battalion, Black Watch 13th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Black Watch Want to know more about the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)? There are:7023 items tagged Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) during the Great War 1914-1918. Agnew George. Pte. Allan George Thomas Cockburn. Allan William. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.25th Apr 1916) Allen Arthur Crawford. Pte. 8th (Service) Btn (d.19th Oct 1916) Anderson Thomas. Pte. 8th (Service) Btn. (d.27th Sep 1915) Annan Charles Melville. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.19th Jul 1918) Archibald George. Pte. 4/5th (Angus and Dundee) Battalion (d.31st Jul 1917) Archibald John Gibb. L/Cpl. 7th Btn. Atock MC. Arthur George. Lt. 155th Field Coy. (d.13th Sep 1918) Bain James. Pte. 2nd Battalion Balkwill Albert Thomas James. 2nd Lt. 8th Btn. (d.17th Oct 1916) Ballantine James McGregor. Pte. 5th Btn. Ballantyne John. Pte. 9th Battalion (d.1st July 1917) Beattie James. L/Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.1st July 1915) Bell Joseph. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.25th September 1915 ) Bennet Andrew. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.21st Jun 1915) Bertie James Avis. Pte. 4th Battalion (d.3rd November 1915) Birkinshaw MM. Jesse. L/Cpl. 8th Battalion Black Archibald. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.14th Jul 1916) Black Peter. Pte. 1/4th Btn. (d.18th Sep 1916) Blacklock John. Pte. 6th (Perthshire) Btn. (d.23rd Apr 1917) Blyth William. Pte. 10th Battalion Boyle John. L/Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.23rd Feb 1917) Brice Philip John. Pte. Brown A.. Pte. 10th Btn. (d.1st Jun 1917) Brown David. Sgt. 2nd Btn. Brown Thomas. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.2nd Oct 1918) Brown Thomas. L/Cpl. 8th Battalion (d.2nd October 1918) Brownlow William Lionel. 2nd Lt. (d.9th May 1915) Bruce Oliver. 2Lt. 2nd Btn. (d.9th June 1918) Butchart Malcolm Gibson. Pte, 8th Btn. (d.12th Oct 1917) Campbell Charles Ronald. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.31st Jul 1917) Campbell Niven. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.7th Sep 1916) Canavan Richard. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.9th May 1915) Catton George Frederick. Pte. 2/4th Btn. Clark Charles. Pte. 8th Btn. Connell James. Pte. 4th Btn. (d.25th September 1915) Connelly Patrick. Pte 8th (d.27 Sep 1915) Cooke Harry Maltby. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.3rd May 1917) Corsar Robert Spence. Pte. C Coy.1/5th Btn. Cowie Albert. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.21st March 1918) Crabb John Wilson. Pte. Crawford William. Cpl. 9th Btn. Crombie Alexander. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.21st October 1915) Crombie Charles Palmer. Pte. 1st/7th Btn. (d.31st October 1916) Culpin George Frederick. Sgt 1st Btn (d.11th Nov 1914) Cumming Robert. Pte. 1st/6th Btn. (d.29th Oct 1915) Curran Francis. A/CSM. 1st Btn. (d.18th Aug 1916 ) Curran MM. John. Sgt. 10th Btn. Cutmore G.. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.25th Jul 1917) Davidson Archibald. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.25th January 1915) Davidson James. Pte 2nd Battalion (d.11th November 1918) Davidson Walter. Pte. 6th Btn (d.31st July 1917) Delahunt Peter Godfrey. 2nd Lt. 4th Battalion (d.28th August 1918) Delaney Patrick. Pte. 1st Btn (d.15th Sep 1914) Dickson Andrew. Sgt. 9th (Perthshire) Btn Dingwall Hugh. L/Cpl. 4/5 Btn (d.14 0ctober 1916) Docherty John. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.15th Feb 1916) Donaldson James. Capt. 9th Bn (d.23rd Aug 1917) Douglas William. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.21st Mar 1918) Dowie John McGregor. A/Sgt. 2nd Btn. Doyle Edward. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.9th May 1915) Dredge Alfred Willie. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.8th Apr 1917) Duff George. Pte. (d.27th Oct 1914) Eassom Charles Frederick. 2nd Btn. Edwards Albert John. Sgt. 1st Btn. D Coy. (d.25th Sep 1915) Evans VC, CB, CMG, DSO & Bar, DL Lewis Pugh. Brig. Gen. 2nd Battalion, Fairbairn George. Pte. 1st Btn. Fairlie Andrew. L/Cpl. 2nd Btn. (d.13th Jul 1918) Fairweather David George. Pte. 4th Btn (d.14th Oct 1916) Fairweather David George. Pte. (d.14th Oct 1916) Fender Thomas Edward. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.19th December 1915) Ferrier William. 7th Btn. (d.7th July 1916) Finlay VC. David. Sgt. 2nd Btn. (d.21st Jan 1916) Fleming William Mclymont. Sgt. 8th Btn. Foster Andrew. Sgt. (d.22nd Oct 1915) Fraser Oswald Campbell. 2nd Lt. 9th Btn. (d.9th April 1917) Fullerton-Carnegie MID,MC. George David Howard. 1st/7th Btn. Gellatly David. Pte. 4th Btn. (d.9th May 1915) Gladwyn Frederick William Milroy. 2Lt. 9th Btn. Glass William. 2nd Lt. 6th Btn. (d.23rd April 1917) Glen James. L/Cpl. 1st Battalion (d.31st October 1914) Goldsmith Mark. Sgt. 8th Btn. (d.24th March 1918) Goodwin James. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.16th Oct 1915) Graham William. Pte 2nd Battalion (d.3rd November 1918) Gray Charles. Pte. 2nd Btn (d.26th Apr 1917) Gregory Charles James. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.15th May 1918) Heath John Doulton. Cpl. 7th Btn Henderson Archibald. Pte. 4/5 Btn. (d.15 Nov 1917) Henderson Robert. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.25th Sep 1916) Henderson William Buntin. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.15th Apr 1917) Henderson William Buntin. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.15th April 1917) Henretty John. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.12th October 1917) Heslin John. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.17th Dec 1917) Hodnett James. Pte. 1st Btn. Hogg George. Pte. Hosie Alexander. Pte. 7th (Fife) Battalion (d.19th May 1917) Hughes Edward Samuel. Pte. Humphrys DSO MC. H. J.. Lt.Col. 8th Btn. Imrie Robert. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.3rd Oct 1915) Japp Bertram Watson. Pte. 4/5th Btn. (d.18th September 1918) Jenkins Henry. Pte. Johnston William. Pte. 6th Battalion Jones William Edward. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.15th Sep 1918) Kelly Francis. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.25th July 1916) Kinghorn Robert. Cpl. 2nd Btn. Kirkwood David Cowan. Pte. 2nd Btn. Lamb William. Pte. 6th Perthshire Btn. (d.30th Jul 1916) Lathan Leslie. Pte. 13th. (Scottish Horse) Btn. (d.4th Nov 1918) Leggate MM. Robert. Pte. 9th Btn. Lewthwaite William. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.25th September 1915) Low James. L/Sgt. 1st Battalion (d.9th May 1915) Lowe Charles. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) Macfarlane Duncan Anne. Pipe Mjr. 1st Btn. Macgregor Gordon. Sgt. 2nd Battalion (d.7th Dec 1916) MacMurchie DCM, MM and bar. John Stuart. Sgt. 8th Battalion, A Coy, (d.3rd March 1917) Mann Alexander James. 2nd Lt. 8th (Service) Batallion (d.10th Apr 1917) Manning Michael. Pte. (d.13th Aug 1915 ) Maxwell DSO Henry Edward. Col. McBride John. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.5th Feb 1916) McCallum Walter Keyes. Pte. 1/5th (Angus and Dundee) Battalion McCann David. Serjeant 9th Svc Bn, (d.15th Sep 1915) McCann David. Sgt. 9th Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) McEwan John. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.29th September 1915) McFarlane Alan. Pte. 9th Btn (d.26th Sept 1915) McFarlane Colin. Pte. 13th Btn. McGee James. Pte 4th Btn (d.28th Nov 1915) McGowan John H.. L/Cpl. 9th Btn. (d.22nd August 1917) McGregor John Alexander. L/Cpl. 1/5th Btn. McHugh Thomas. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.29th April 1917) McKay Watson. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) McKee John Bernard. Pte. 4th Btn. McKenzie MM. James. L/Cpl. 9th Btn. McLaren George. Pte. 1/7 Battalion (d.13th Nov 1916) McLean Murdoch. Pte 8th Battalion (d.19 July 1918) McMillan Donald William. McNeill Peter. Drum Major 6th Battalion (d.20th Nov 1917) McPherson Andrew. Pte. 6th Btn. G Company. (d.26th Jun 1915) Mellon James. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.27th Sept 1915) Merrilees William. Pte. 1st Btn. Miller A. S. H.. Pte. 5th Btn. Mills William. (d.31st October 1914) Moses Joseph Priestman. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.1st May 1915) Murdoch Thomas Fleming. Mjr. 1st Battalion Nelson Stephen. Sgt. 8th Battalion (d.19th July 1918) Nicol Charles. Pte. 6th Perthshire Battalion Nicoll William. Pte. 7th (Fife) Btn. O'Kell John Edward. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.18th Oct 1916) Owen Frank. Pte. 10th Btn (d.5th Nov 1916) Parker Thomas. Pte. 7th Battalion (d.26th March 1918) Philp Hugh. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.9th April 1917) Potter Alexander. Cpl. 9th (Service) Battalion (d.9th Apr 1917 ) Preston John. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.12th Oct 1916) Proudfoot Frederick. L/Sgt. 10th Battalion Purvis William James. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.13th Oct 1915) Rennie John Robertson. Pte 8th Bn. (d.24th October 1918) Ripley VC. John. Cpl. Ritchie John. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.5th Oct 1916) Roberts Alexander Stuart. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) Robertson David Elder. L/Cpl. 8th Btn. B Coy, 5 Platoon. (d.3rd May 1917) Roddick George. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.24th Mar 1916) Ross H.. L/Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.30th November 1920) Rowan-Hamilton MID, MC. Gawain Basil. Brig. 2nd Btn. Sangster Adam Jamieson. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.5th Sep 1916) Shaw William. Pte. Simpson Alexander Herd. Pte. 7th Battalion Sinclair John Campbell Anderson. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.14th Oct 1918) Sloan Edward. Pte. 10th Btn. (d.9th May 1917) Sloan Edward. Pte. 10th Btn (d.8th May 1917) Small Joseph. Pte. 1st Btn. Smallman George. Pte. 7th (Fife) Battalion (d.21st March 1918) Smith David. Pte. 2nd Btn. Smith John. Pte. 7th Battalion (d.24th May 1915) Smith MM John. Pte. 2nd Btn. Smith Robert Boyd. Pte. 6th (Perthshire) Battalion (d.1st July 1916) Smith William. Cpl. 8th Btn. Steven Thomas. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.20th October 1918) Stewart Charles Edward. Pte. 6th Battalion (d.30th July 1916) Stewart John Armit . Pte. 1/7th Btn. Stewart William. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.30th July 1916) Stibbles John. Pte 9th Btn Sutherland James Neil. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.9th Apr 1917) Sweeney Edward. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.14th October 1918) Taylor George Laird. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) Taysum Norman Henry. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.16th Oct 1917) Tennant John. L/Cpl. 8th Btn. (d.12th Oct 1917) Thomas MC. Byers. Capt. 9th Btn. Thompson Frank. Pte. 7th Btn. Thomson George. Pte. 7th Btn. Turner John James. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.27th Oct 1918) Turner John James. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.28th Oct 1918) Turner Robert. Pte. 7th Battalion (d.31st Jul 1916) Turner William. Pte. 10th Battalion (d.9th May 1917) Walker William. Cpl. 6th Btn. (d.20th November 1917) Wallace Alexander. L/Sgt. 1st/7th Battalion (d.23rd Dec 1916) Wallace Andrew. Sgt. 1st/7th Battalion (d.25th Sep 1915) Wallace David. Pte. 1/7th Btn. Wallace William. Pte. 9th Battalion (d.16th September 1915) Wallace William. Pte. 9th Service Battalion (d.17th September 1915) Wateridge William James. Pte. 4th/5th Btn. (d.1st Aug 1918) Watson Pete. CSM. 4th Battalion Webster DCM. Joseph. Sgt. 5th Battalion (d.9th May 1915) Welsh Michael. L/Cpl. 12th Btn. (d.20th July 1917) Westrop William George. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.21st January 1916) White John. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.25th Sep 1915) Willsher James McBain. Sgt. 10th Mounted Bty. Wilson William. Pte 2nd Battalion (d.9th May 1915) Woodward James. Pte. 1/7th Btn. Wykes Albert Arthur. L/Cpl 2nd Btn. (d.18th Jun 1917) All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please. Add a Name to this List More Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) records. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 19th Nov 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 1206064 Pte. Thomas Parker 7th Battalion Black Watch (d.26th March 1918) My Great Grandfather, Thomas Parker, husband of Jane Campbell Parker from Leslie, Fife. Died in the 1st Battle of Bapaume (as far as my research leads me to believe) Sarah Perfect Add to this record. 264226 Pte. John James Turner 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.28th Oct 1918) John Turner is my great uncle. John's youngest brother, Victor Kingston Turner is my maternal grand father. Vic mourned the loss of his eldest brother until the day he died. My young brother John is named after him. Paul Joseph Spresser Add to this record. 264150 Pte. Charles Melville Annan 8th Btn. Black Watch (d.19th Jul 1918) Charles Annan is my great great grandfather, he served with the 8th Black Watch. Janine du Cane Add to this record. 263793 Mjr. Thomas Fleming Murdoch 1st Battalion Black Watch Thomas Murdoch joined up in July 1914 and served with the 1st Battalion, Black Watch. He was wounded on 29th of October 1914 at Battle of Gheluvelt. Wounded at Aubers Ridge on 9th of May 1915. He then transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders and served in Salonika from August 1916 until 1919. Add to this record. 263557 Sgt. James McBain Willsher 10th Mounted Bty. Royal Field Artillery James Willsher was born in Paislie, Scotland in 1893. He joined the Black Watch before the start of WW1. On 4th of August 1914 he proceeded to France. He was wounded in France and returned to London. In 1916 he was sent back to France. In 1918 he was with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Egypt, and in Palestine he was a sergeant in the 10th Battery, Mounted Artillery. While in Palestine, a shell exploded near him and caused some loss of hearing. His unit rested between Bethlehem and Jerusalem behind Rachel's Tomb and then continued fighting northward of Jerusalem. He was still in Palestine in January 1919. He returned to Egypt and then back to England, where he received his discharge in July of 1919. He immigrated to Canada in the early 1920s. When WW2 began, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as an ordinary airman and served in Canada until the end of the war. He wore 4 medals from WW1 - 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Territorial Force EFF Medal, and 2 medals from WW2: 1939-1945 War Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. His Volunteer Button was 20223. He died in Calgary, Canada in 1975. John M. Willsher Add to this record. 263010 Pte. Andrew Bennet 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.21st Jun 1915) Andrew Bennet is remembered with honour on the Le Touret Memorial. He has no known grave. He died as a POW. The Black Watch Museum has his 1914 Star medal but we can not trace his other two medals. Peter Johnston Add to this record. 261660 Pte. William "Postie" Nicoll 7th (Fife) Btn. Black Watch William Nicoll was born at 88 South Street in April 1885. His parents, Andrew and Isabella Nicoll, were descendants of fisher folk and can be traced back to Andrew Kipper c.1750, a shipwright who stayed at the Lady Head in the East End of St. Andrews. Most of his youth was spent in and around St. Andrews and Balmullo, where his father had a market garden. William was a founder member of the 1st St. Andrews Boy’s Brigade and was a member of the Colour Party at the laying of the foundation stone of the BB Hall. On leaving school, William started work as a postman delivering the mail in Leuchars and Ferry Port on Craig, now Tayport. During this time, he met and then married Agnes Gold Taylor, who worked in service in Tayport. They were married in Abdie Parish Church in 1910. They stayed for a time in North Street and then moved to 12 Southfield where 3 daughters and 3 sons were born. My father Joseph, the third oldest, was born in 1916. At the outbreak of the First World War, William joined up with the 7th (Fife) Battalion, Black Watch. He was severely wounded at Passchendaele in 1917 and was admitted to No. 8 General Hospital Rouen on 22nd of October 1917 with gunshot wounds to thigh, hands, and left ankle. He spent almost 4 years in hospital in Glasgow and was visited regularly by Agnes, my grandmother, and their eldest daughter, my Auntie Nessie. On the first night of William’s return home to St. Andrews, my father asked my grandmother “Is that man going to stay here with us?” He had never seen him since he was a baby! After recuperating at home, William returned to service in the post office in St. Andrews where he delivered mail from St. Andrews to Largoward, stopping at farms east and west of the Largo Road. This he did on foot, on bicycle, and with a pony and flat cart, 365 days a year. His favourite time was after the mail was safely delivered – on the way home he would stop at the top of The Waterless Brae, just north of Cameron Kirk road end, light his pipe, then freewheel all the way down the Largo Road home. Around 1933 or 34, William, Agnes, their 3 sons and 2 daughters (Auntie Nessie was now married) moved to 4 Cannongate just off Largo Road. William was a keen gardener, bred canaries, and owned greyhounds which he entered coursing. William also had a hen farm in the fields beyond the old railway, about where Broomfaulds Avenue is now. He also had a pony called Joe. I never found out whether the pony was named after my dad or vice versa! In the first year of the Second World War, William was due to retire but was asked to fill the position of temporary postmaster for St. Andrews, which he held until the end of the war. For his service, he was able to secure a small pension for Agnes, my grandmother. William and Agnes’s three sons served in the war as did two of their daughters, and thankfully all returned home with no physical injuries. After the Second World War, William retired and worked part-time as a janitor at St. Leonards school where, I am told, the highlight of his day involved him lighting his pipe at the bottom of the St. Leonards clock and smoking it while he climbed the steps to wind the clock! He enjoyed his retirement and could always be found up at the hens or in his vegetable garden. Coursing with his greyhounds also took up his time, and he was the last winner of the Colinsburgh Cup after which he refused an offer of a blank check for the sale of the greyhound. My father told me how he never knew the extent of my grandfather's injuries until well after he was retired. My father would go to Cannongate in the morning to clean and light his fire for the day. Granddad asked my father on one occasion to help him sit up in bed. He noticed that part of his left thigh, buttock and hip were missing due to the injury he had sustained at Passchendaele. This didn't seem to hinder him in any way, and he must have been in pain for most of his adult life. What a remarkable and brave man my grandfather was! William died on 11th of November 1964. Ron Nicoll Add to this record. 261298 Pte. John McEwan 9th Btn. Black Watch (d.29th September 1915) My great Uncle John McEwan was wounded at the Battle of Loos and died a few days later at a military hospital in Le Treport. Raymond Hainey Add to this record. 259004 Pte. A. S. H. Miller 5th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers I have come across a pen sketch of A.S.H. Miller along with some notes about him. The sketch was apparently done at Mt. St. Eloi in 1918. The notes say 5th Northumberland Fusiliers but also mention a Black Watch cap badge. Rachel Martin Add to this record. 258840 Pte. George Smallman 7th (Fife) Battalion Black Watch (d.21st March 1918) George enlisted with the 7th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers as a Territorial at the beginning of WW1. After being stationed at coastal defences in south-east Northumberland his battalion was sent to France landing on 21st of April 1915 where they became part of the 149th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. Within six days of landing in France his battalion took part in the 2nd Battle of Ypres and were involved in the attack on St. Julian where they suffered enormous casualties. Of the 1200 men who part in his battalion, 800 were either killed or injured. His battalion continued to operate in the Ypres Salient and were involved in several battles including those at Hooge, Wulverghem, Armentieres and Hill 60 which was a few miles south of Ypres. His local newspaper, The Berwick Advertiser, reported in May 1916 that George was home on leave after being wounded on three separate occasions. It is assumed that George was sent to a holding depot, after he'd recovered and sent to join the 7th Battalion, Black Watch. George saw more action with the Black Watch and was involved in the First Battle of Cambrai in northeast France, between the 20th - 27th November 1917, where large numbers of tanks were used for the first time in battle. It appears that George was wounded again on the 29th of December 1917 as his local newspaper reported in January 1918 that he had just come out of hospital again after being wounded two times while serving with the Black Watch. George was killed near Bapaume, along with thousands of other men, during theSecond Battle of the Somme on or after the 21st March 1918. George has no known grave however is name is remembered, but wrongly inscribed as John Smallman, at the Faubourg-d'Amien Cemetery at Arras. Add to this record. 258499 2Lt. Oliver Bruce 2nd Btn. Rifle Brigade (d.9th June 1918) Oliver Bruce (1896 - 1918) is my 1st cousin 2x removed. I am researching my family history and came across these details of his military career in which he was a casualty in France on the 9th of June 1918 He served with 7th Black Watch as a Private and was commissioned into the 6th Rifle Brigade as Second Lieutenant and transferred to 2nd Rifle Brigade. Helen Miller Add to this record. 257283 Pte. Frank Thompson 7th Btn. Black Watch My grandfather, Frank Thompson, served with the 7th Battalion, Black Watch and the 5th and 4th Battalions, Seaforth Highlanders in WW1. Chris Thomas Add to this record. 256787 Cpl. William Smith 8th Btn. Black Watch William Smith served with the 8th Battalion, Black Watch in WW1. William Add to this record. 256129 Pte. William Douglas 8th Btn. Black Watch (d.21st Mar 1918) Billy Douglas served with the 8th Black Watch. Add to this record. 256111 Sgt. David Brown 2nd Btn. Black Watch David Brown attested for The Black Watch at Perth, on 28th of Jan 1902. He would have done his basic training at The Black Watch Depot, Queen's Barracks, Perth. He was posted to C Company. At some point he was posted to the 2nd Battalion which had gone to India after the Boer War in 1902. During this period he received the medal for the Delhi Durbar in 1911. This was the Coronation Durbar for King George V. He was due for transfer to the Army Reserve on 27th of Jan 1914. The 2nd Battalion returned to France with the Meerut Division, as part of the Bareilly Brigade in October 1914. David was reported wounded on two occasions, 5th of Nov 1914 and 27th of October 1915. In the latter instance his rank was that of Acting Sergeant. At the end of 1915 the Battalion went to Mesopotamia. He was also reported wounded on 11th of April 1917. The Battalion left Mesopotamia for Egypt in early 1918 and then went on to Palestine. David received the Star 1914, British War Medal & Allied Victory Medal for service in the First World War. He re—enlisted at Kantara, on the 12th of December 1918, aged 33 years 246 days. His wife was Flora Whitton, they married on the 1st of January 1920 and had 3 children. He was discharged as a Corporal, 4th July 1922. His address is given as 60 Lilybank Road, Dundee. He re-enlisted 29th May 1923 for 4 years (possibly with the Royal Engineers) and again on 29th May 1927. His final discharge was at Perth, 20th Dec 1930. Bob Add to this record. 256066 Pte. James Neil Sutherland 8th Btn. Black Watch (d.9th Apr 1917) James Sutherland, known as Neil, was born 21st of July 1892 in Markinch, Fife, to William Sutherland and Elizabeth Mowat. In May 1909 he went to work for the Royal Bank of Scotland as an apprentice in Markinch, before moving to the Leven Street branch in Edinburgh in August 1914, and finally Cupar branch in 1916. During the First World War he left the bank to join the army, becoming a Private in the 9th (Scottish) Infantry Division 8th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) and died aged 24 on the first day of the Battle of Arras, and is buried in Mindel Trench British Cemetery at St. Laurent-Blangy. He is commemorated on the War Memorial on Balbirnie Street, Markinch. The 8th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) were among the first Allied soldiers to spring out of tunnels in a surprise attack against the German front line at Arras. Neil died in the battle but while in the tunnels wrote a letter to his brother John back home. He was also a keen musician. Bryce Sutherland Add to this record. 256052 L/Cpl. James Glen 1st Battalion Black Watch (d.31st October 1914) From the Arbroath Roll of Honour: "Lance-Corporal, James Glen, 1st Black Watch, was a son of Joseph Glen, 33 Sidney Street, Arbroath. He was twenty-one years of age, and was unmarried. He was an apprentice wood turner in the employment of Messrs Douglas Fraser & Sons. He was a well-known footballer, and played in the Arbroath Fail-field Club, and was a member of the team which won the Arbroath and District Cup, the Newgate Cup, and were Melvin League champions in 1911-12. Lance-Corporal Glen was a member of the Territorial Force, having joined in July 1909 (age 16) as a private in the Third Battalion of the Black Watch (Special Reserve). In 1910 he served as an honour guard at the coronation of King George V. He was mobilized as a reservist four days after the outbreak of hostilities. He was transferred to the 1st Black Watch, and went to France with that Battalion at the beginning of September 1914. He took part in the battles of the Marne and the Aisne, and came through scathless the historic stand made by the Black Watch in the latter engagement, but fell in action on 31st October 1914 at the first battle of Ypres." His elder brother Joseph also served in the Black Watch, with the rank of sergeant, and survived the war. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920, where their many descendants still reside. His youngest sister Lillian, who was 11 when he died, remembered him as always smiling, with a ready wit, and fond of practical jokes. He was a handsome young man, as is confirmed by a photograph of him posing in his uniform, which she kept displayed on a table in her home until she passed away in 1996, aged 93. Add to this record. 254514 Pte. Watson McKay 9th Btn. Black Watch (d.25th Sep 1915) Watson McKay was my grandmother's brother. He fought with the 9th Battalion, Black Watch. He arrived in France on the 14th of July 1915 and was killed during the Battle of Loos. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial. Brian C. Manson Add to this record. 254005 Sgt. William Mclymont Fleming 8th Btn. Black Watch William Fleming was born in Slammanan, Stirlingshire in Nov 1890. He moved to Fisherrow, Midlothian circa 1904. He worked as a coal miner and signed with Tottenham Hotspur just before the outbreak of war. He enlisted in 8th Battalion, Black Watch in 1914. William was married in 1917 and fathered 3 children. Two daughters and one son also named William. He survived the war and returned home then served in Ireland as a temporary cadet in the Royal Irish Constabulary 1919/20. He returned home to work down the pit. William died in July 1970 aged 78 at East Fortune Hospital, East Lothian and is buried at the Inverness Cemetery, Musselburgh, East Lothian. Scott Rutherford Add to this record. 253290 A/CSM. Francis Curran 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.18th Aug 1916 ) Francis Curran was killed in action on the 18th of August 1916 and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. C. Hoolihan Add to this record.

Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices. History of the Black Watch in the Great War A.G. Wauchope More information on: History of the Black Watch in the Great War History of the 9th (Scottish) Division John Ewing The division’s record is graphically described in this history - what Field Marshal Lord Plumer in his foreword referred to as “a record of wonderful development of fighting efficiency.” There are useful appendices giving the Order of Battle, command and staff lists with the various changes; a table showing periods spent in the line, with locations; a table of battle casualties and the VC citations. The maps are good with adequate detail for actions to be followed. More information on: History of the 9th (Scottish) Division Links Suggest a link

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