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6th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
The 6th Battalion went to France as part of the 51st Highland Division, January 1940, and soon after transferred to 12th Brigade of the 4th Division. It was north of Brussels when ordered to withdraw, stopping southwest of Menin, and continuing on to Dunkirk. Survivors of the battalion were evacuated to England. The 6th reformed on the Isle of Wight as front line invasion defence. It remained in Britain until 1943 when it sailed to Algiers (March 1943).
In April the 6th Battalion moved forward to west of Tunis, holding Djebel Rmel until being relieved by US troops. The 6th then continued on through several battles with bayonets, German air bombs, infantry and tanks, ultimately forcing the 6th to withdraw from Sidi Mediene 1st May. With reinforcements from the Royal Berkshire Regiment, the 6th continued with the war in Tunisia: Germans were overcome, Italians surrendered. By the end of 1943 it was in Egypt for training in amphibious landings.
The 6th Battalion landed at Naples 6th March 1944. It held the front line south of Cassino, then relieved a French unit east of Cassino. From early April to May 17th, Cassino was a heavy and close battle until the Germans pulled back towards Rome. On 5th of June the battalion started their march to Florence, passing through Rome and re-encountering German resistance south of Florence. This overcome, the 6th eventually moved north for a last battle on the outskirts of Forli, 7th November 1944.
From Forli, the battalion was sent to Palestine via Taranto in southern Italy, however it was diverted to Greece (within the 4th Division) against the ELAS, irregular Greek communist forces and an incipient civil war. After VJ-Day and still in Athens, the battalion was disbanded.
20th January 1940 Postings 
27th May 1940 Attacks and Counter Attacks
10th Aug 1940 On the Move
 Universal carriers and cyclists of 6th Battalion, The Black Watch, passing through Haven Street on the Isle of Wight, 10th of August 1940. © IWM (H 2908)
10th Aug 1940 On the Move
10th Aug 1940 Cyclists
 Cycle troops of 6th Battalion, Black Watch, on the Isle of Wight, 10th of August 1940 © IWM (H 2911)
10th Aug 1940 Cyclists
12th May 1944 Move Forward
13th May 1944 River Crossed
14th May 1944 In Action
17th May 1944 In Action
18th May 1944 Orders
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with 6th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Cumming James Hamilton. Pte. (d.28th May 1940)
- Findlay James Wilson. L/Cpl. (d.28th May 1940)
- Higgins John Crawford. (d.21st May 1940)
- Lindsay James. Pte.
- Lynch John. Pte. (d.28th May 1940)
- Malloch William John. Pte.
- McConnell John. Pte. (d.2nd Jul 1944)
- McLaughlan Duncan. Cpl. (d.24th May 1940)
- Murphy Laurence. Pte. (d.14th May 1944)
- Palmer Benjamin R. Sgt.
- Pollard John Edward. Pte. (d.3rd Aug 1944)
- Pratt John Leslie. Pte (d.3rd July 1944)
- Stanners William Horace James. Cpl
- Stewart James Clark. Sgt .
- Symons John. Pte. (d.19th March 1944)
- Thomson David Andrew Graham. 2Lt. (d.28th May 1940)
- Wakefield Philip Clive. Private (d.13 Nov 1944)
The 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
Records of 6th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from other sources.
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Want to know more about 6th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)? There are:1328 items tagged 6th Battalion, 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 Second World War. |
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Sgt . James Clark Stewart 6th Btn. Black Watch My Dad, Jummy Stewart enlisted at Perth Scotland on 16th of October 1939.
He was sent to France in 1940 as part of 51st Highland Division. They dug trenches etc and Dad called it the phoney war . They stole chickens and eggs from the French to supplement their rations.
When the Germans broke through in May 1940, Dad and his section fell back to Dunkirk and arrived there about 22nd/23rd of May 1940. Dad said the Scottish soldiers were rounded up and reformed and ordered to form a u shape round Dunkirk. Dad called this a rearguard action.
They defended Dunkirk to allow the ships to evacuate the troops. Dad talked about being at de Panne and then being told to destroy the vehicles and guns and fall back (along the coast to Dunkirk.)
Dad returned to Dunkirk on 30th/31st of May 1940 and eventually got off the beach on 1st/2nd of June.
He described wading out to boats/ships. Being strafed by German planes. He described almost getting onto a ship but being turned back as it was over-full. That ship turned and headed out when a German plane dropped a explosive down the funnel. So he was grateful he was turned back. He eventually got on a small boat and then a ship back to Dover. He slept all the way.
He was then sent to the Isle of Wight to defend it as they expected an invasion.
The next recollection was training on the west coast of Scotland in 1941/42 with Lord Lovatt. Here it was abseiling and climbing onto moored ships.
He was then sent to North Africa in 1943. Dad was a driver and drove officers to Meetings etc. One day Brigadier Beak asked him to have his best uniform on and he wasn’t told in advance where he was going. It transpired it was for Brigadier Beak to meet Winston Churchill visiting troops in North Africa. Dad was able to salute great man.
From North Africa Dad was then sent to Italy and he recalls Vesuvius still erupting as they entered Naples harbour.
Dad fought at Monte Casino which he describes as hand to hand battle. The allies took Monte Casino one night then were forced back the next, which went on and on. He describes snipers waiting for them.
Then Dad was sent to Greece to help the Government fight ELAS who were communists.
He did not recall VE Day. He doesn’t think they celebrated it as they were still fighting.
Eventually they boarded trains that took them through war torn Europe to get back to England. In January 1946 Dad was demobbed at Catterick Camp, Yorkshire. He was given a 3 piece suit and either £5 or £10 plus ration book.
In later life Dad attempted to see his book in Name of Gold in Paris which marks Dunkirk veterans. He didn't see it as it was July and all museums were closed.
We took Dad to Dunkirk on a family holiday to see the beaches and Le (De) Panne.
He took part in a Black Watch march in Perth to commemorate 50 years since El Alemein.
At his funeral in 2010 the Black Bear was played.
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Pte. John Lynch 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.28th May 1940) John Lynch served with the 6th Black Watch, he was 21 years of age when he died.
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Pte. James Hamilton Cumming 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.28th May 1940) James Cumming served with 6th Black Watch. His date of birth is recorded as 26th Feb 1919.
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Pte. William John Malloch 6th Btn. Black Watch William Malloch served with 6th Black Watch. Born on 8th of December 1912 he was captured on 28th of May 1940 and held in Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf as
POW Number 13007.
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Cpl. Duncan McLaughlan 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.24th May 1940) Duncan McLaughlan was born on 23rd of May 1910 and died as a prisoner or war.
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John Crawford Higgins 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.21st May 1940) John Higgins served with the 6th Battalion, Black Watch.
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Pte. John McConnell 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.2nd Jul 1944) John McConnell served with the 6th Battalion Black Watch and died as a prisoner of war aged 26. I was searching for the names of the soldiers in the 6th Battalion of the Black Watch Regiment. I came across records of this soldier on the website of National Archives of the UK.
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Pte. James Lindsay 6th Btn. Black Watch James Lindsay served as a Bren gun carrier driver.
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2Lt. David Andrew Graham Thomson 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.28th May 1940) David Thomson was the son of Vice Admiral Evelyn Claude Ogilvie-Thomson, C.B., D.S.O., and of Agnes Ogilvie-Thomson, of Stanley, Perthshire.
He served with the 6th Battalion, Black Watch in WW2. He died 28th of May 1940 aged 20 and is buried in Bas-Warneton (Neerwaasten) Communal Cemetery and commemorated on Dunning War Memorial and also on a plaque located on the tower of St Serf's Church Dunning. The plaque was erected by the War Comforts Committee in memory of the men of the Parish who died 1939-45.
Information about the family and place of burial obtained from Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.
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Pte. John Edward Pollard 6th Btn. Black Watch (d.3rd Aug 1944) John Black is my Uncle,one of two killed in the 2nd World War.
He was killed on the advance to Florence nr Monte Scalari, apparently in an ambush. I'm still endeavoring to find out more.
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