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Canada's Black Watch (history - merged)

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Short History
While the American Civil War and the creation of a large American Federal Army were creating a necessity of establishing a united Canada, Canadian citizens were demanding the creation of local militia units to guarantee the fundamental rights of British North America. Montrealers were no exception, and early in 1862 the 5th Battalion Royal Light Infantry, the forbear of The Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, came into existence. From the beginning in 1862, Canada‘s senior Highland Regiment, has been privileged to serve Canada in its obligations not only to the Empire and Commonwealth, but also to international organizations such as NATO and the United Nations.

The Black Watch of Canada‘s birth and growth is thus analogous to that of the Parent Regiment, which was formed in 1739 to guarantee peace in the highlands of Scotland and eventually to fight for Monarch and Country in conflicts throughout the world. It is therefore not surprising that both Regiments share a common heritage and spirit and a distinctive highland dress. The tartan of the Black Watch and the Royal Stewart tartan of its pipers, are known the world over as hallmarks of outstanding service in peace and war.

Although members of the Regiment served side by side with the Black Watch of Scotland in the Boer War, the formal alliance between Regiments did not occur until 1905. The great battles of World War I and World War II served to strengthen the alliance, and constant liaison and exchanges of officers and other ranks are fitting expressions of our wish to maintain this valuable affiliation.

During World War I, 11,954 officers and enlisted men fought in the three battalions of the Canadian Regiment, winning twenty-six battle honours. Of those who served, 2,163 were killed, 6,014 were wounded and 821 were decorated. Six of the decorated members were awarded the Victoria Cross.

During World War II, the Canadian Regiment joined with battalions of the Black Watch from all parts of the Commonwealth in the struggle to defeat the Axis Powers. The Regiment first saw action at Dieppe, where it‘s "C" Company and Mortar Platoon were an essential element of the raid. Landing in Normandy shortly after D-Day, the Black Watch participated in some thirty battle actions throughout France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Members of the Regiment won 211 honours and awards for the campaign.

The designation "3rd Battalion" has now been removed from the Militia Unit and The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada has reverted to its traditional role as being a Militia Regiment in Canada‘s Armed Forces. In August 1992, the Regiment was granted the Freedom of the City of Montreal. The towns of Ormstown and Huntingdon, Quebec granted the Regiment the Freedom of their cities in 1997 and 1998, respectively.

And in the fall of 1999, the City of Verdun, Quebec, bestowed the Freedom of the City upon the Regiment. Verdun has provided many Black Watch soldiers from the First War onwards.
marchpast2.jpg

Today the Black Watch is a modern infantry battalion providing trained soldiers to augment regular force units and to aid civil authorities in times of crises. Currently, the Regiment has soldiers involved in peacekeeping activities in the former Yugoslavia. To fufill these tasks, the soldiers undergo extensive infantry and more specialized training.


Battle Honours (43)
EARLY

SOUTH AFRICA, 1899, 1900

THE GREAT WAR

Ypres, 1915, 1917
VIMY, 1917
Gravenstafel
Arleux
ST. JULIEN
Scarpe, 1917, 1918
Festubert, 1915
Hill 70
MOUNT SORREL
PASSCHENDAELE
SOMME, 1916
AMIENS
Pozieres
Drocourt-Queant
Flers-Courcelette
Hindenburg Line
Thiepval
CANAL DU NORD
Ancre Heights
PURSUIT TO MONS
Ancre, 1916
FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915-1918
ARRAS, 1917, 1918

World War Two

BOURGUEBUS RIDGE
Woensdrecht
FAUBOURG DE VAUCELLES
South Beveland
VERRIERES RIDGE -- TILLY-LA-CAMPAGNE
WALCHEREN CAUSEWAY
THE RHINELAND
Falaise
THE HOCHWALD
Clair Tizon
Xanten
FORTE DE LA LONDE
The Rhine
Dunkirk, 1944
Groningen
Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
OLDENBURG
THE SCHELDT
NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1944-1945


Copyright © 2003 The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada - All rights reserved.
 
red_hackle_small.gif
THE STORY OF THE RED HACKLE

Since 1795 the soldiers of the 42nd have worn a red feather or "hackle" in their bonnets, being in this respect distinguished from all the other Highland regiments. The following is the story of the "glorious old red heckle", as told by Lieutenant-Colonel Wheatley, who, we believe, had his information directly from those who took part in the exploit on account of which the Black Watch is entitled to wear the plume.

In December 1794, when the Forty-Second were quartered at Thuyl, as above mentioned, they received orders for the night of the 31st to mark upon Bommell, distant some miles on the opposite side of the river Waal, which they reached by four o‘clock on the morning of 1st January 1795. Here they were joined by a number of other regiments, and lay on their arms until daybreak, when they attacked the French army, and drove them across the river on the ice. The British held their position on the banks of the river until the evening of the 3d, when (the French having been reinforced) a partial retreat took place early on the morning of the 4th. The British retired upon the village of Guildermalson, where the 42d, with a number of other regiments, halted, and formed up to cover the retreat through the village. The French cavalry, however, cut through the retreating picquets, and made their way up to the regiments stationed at the village, where they were met and repulsed, and a number of them taken prisoners. Two field-pieces were placed in front of the village to protect the retreat of the picquets; but instead of resisting the charge of cavalry, they (the picquets) retreated to the rear of the village, leaving their guns in possession of the French, who commenced dragging them off. An A.D.C. (Major Rose) ordered Major Dalrymple, commanding the 42nd, to charge with his regiment, and retake the guns; which was immediately done, with the loss of 1 man killed and 3 wounded. The guns were this rescued and dragged in by the 42d, the horses having been disabled and the harness cut.

There was little or no notice taken of this affair at the time, as all was bustle; but after their arrival in England, it was rumored that the 42d were to get some distinctive badge for their conduct in retaking the guns on the 4th of January; but the nature of the honor was kept a profound secret. On the 4th of June 1795, as the regiment, then quartered at Royston, Cambridgeshire, was out on parade to fire three rounds in honor of his Majesty‘s birthday, the men were surprised and delighted when a large box was brought on to the field, and a red feather distributed to each soldier. This distinctive ornament has ever since adorned the otherwise funereal headdress of the old Black Watch.

In 1822, from a mistaken direction in a book of dress for the guidance of the army, some of the other Highland regiments concluded that they also had a right to wear "a red vulture feather". The 42d, however, remonstrated, and their representations at headquarters called forth the following memorandum:-

"For Officers commanding Highland Regiments.

"Horse Guards, 20th Aug, 1822.
"The red vulture feather prescribed by the recent regulations for Highland regiments is intended to be used exclusively by the Forty-Second Regiment: other Highland corps will be allowed to continue to wear the same description of feather that may have been hitherto in use.

"H. Torrens, Adjutant-General".

CANADIAN BLACK WATCH

At Vimy Ridge in April 1917--a battle always associated with the Canadian forces--their Divisional Commander told the 13th Battalion that " not a battalion of The Black Watch could deserve better to wear the Red Hackle than this battalion." The right to wear the Hackle was granted to The Black Watch of Canada during the war.
 
Regular Force - Our 1st and 2nd Battalions
In the inter-war years Canada had made do with a minuscule force of between three and four thousand men. Their job was little more than to train the Militia both for direct national defence and for the tasks associated with the provision of expeditionary forces overseas should the mother country ask for assistance and should Canada decide to answer its call. In 1947, however, permanent armed forces of some 25,000 men in peace-time were formed. Of these, 2,299 officers and 13,586 other ranks were to be in the Active Force of the army. This army was no longer to be merely a trainer of the Militia but would be available for more swift-moving international events to which Canada might have to respond. While the Militia remained the larger force numerically, its training would no longer be the first priority of the Regular Army.

The formation and reinforcement of NATO in 1949-1951, and the beginning of the conflict in Korea in 1950 added further urgency to the peace-time armed forces of Canada which were expanded in these contexts, and in the wider one of the "cold war", to over 120,000 personnel. Of these, some 5,400 officers and 44,600 other ranks were in the Army.

Canada‘s Armed Forces were completely reorganized at the end of World War II. When NATO was formed for Western Europe and the Korean War, the forces were expanded, resulting in the creation of three additional infantry regiments in the regular force. The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada was one of these regiments, with two regular battalions. From 1953-1970, these battalions saw service in Korea, in Germany with the NATO forces, and regular tours of duty with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

Disaster struck the regiment in 1969. IN that year it was decided to combine the resources of six existing Regular Force regiments to form three regiments of three battalions each. The seniority of The Black Watch in the order of battle as a regular force unit only went back as far as 1953 in an unbroken lineage and therefore suffered under the government ax. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were reduced to nil strength and the combined manpower was amalgamated to form the new 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment on 1 July 1970. Once again the regiment was survived by its Militia battalion, the 3rd at the time, in Montreal.

Former members of these two Regular Force Battalions still play a very strong role in Regimental life to this day and continue to wear the Red Hackle proudly. Their legacy is embodied in the strength of the Black Watch Association, and in particular the Atlantic Branch, which still draws over a thousand members at regularly held reunions.

See A Short History of the Regiment
aldershot.jpg

Copyright © 2003 The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada - All rights reserved.
 
The Black Watch is the oldest highland regiment in Canada. Volunteers have served since the regiment‘s inception in Montreal on January 31st, 1862 as 5th Battalion, Royal Light Infantry. The rise of American military strength during the Civil War concerned Canada. The government authorized formation of militia regiments. Each of six Montreal Scottish chieftains responded by raising an infantry company for the 5th Battalion. Eventually, eight companies were raised for border service. Since then, thousands of Canadian citizens have served in the Black Watch.

In addition to Canadian border security, they have fought in the Boer War, WW1, WW2, Korean War; bolstered NATO operations in Europe and UN peacekeeping worldwide; and provided aid-to-the-civil-power, most recently during the Quebec and Eastern Ontario ice storm disaster.


In the year 2000, the Black Watch battalion earned the distinction of being selected as the best unit in Québec‘s 34 Brigade.
To celebrate this lengthy service and sacrifice of kith and kin, The Black Watch will mark its 140th anniversary at various events throughout the country.
 
One is tempted to add several not so flattering elements of the Black Watch history -

a) on the way to Dieppe, a Royal Highlander priming hand grenades aboard a troop ship accidentally detonated one (a not so difficult mistake to make, unfortunately, when concerning the No. 36 hand grenade),killing and wounding several Canadians

b) at Verrierres Ridge, the battalion‘s fighting strength was practically wiped out during a head long attack over open ground and into the teeth of enemy tanks and machine guns

c) the Black Watch was wiped out again on Black Friday, 13 October 1944, while attacking over hundreds of yards of open beet fields near Woensdrecht at the neck of the South Beveland peninsula. One company of 90 men was reduced to 4. Canadian officers later found it impossible to walk along the railway embankment there without stepping on the dead of the Black Watch.

d) at Walcheren on 31 Oct 1944, Charlie Company of the Black Watch was shot up trying to cross the 1600 metre long causeway. The task was passed on to the Calgary Highlanders, who had to try twice - the second time with decent artillery support - to cross over. They eventually created a bridgehead, but it was lost after the Maisonneuves relieved them on the island.

e) by war‘s end, the Black Watch had suffered the highest casualty rate of any infantry battalion in NW Europe. They suffered 1777 casualties in 10 months, or an average of 177 a month. By way of contrast, the Chaudieres, who landed one month earlier than the Watch, had the lowest monthly casualty rate with 92 a month (or 1014 in 11 months of action). A battalion at full strength had approximately 801 officers and men, with just over half of those being in the rifle companies where the most casulaties were suffered. (Stats from THE LONG LEFT FLANK by Jeffrey Williams)

In many cases, the brigade mates of the Black Watch (Calgary Highlanders and Regt de Maisonneuve) had to pick up the slack in the wake of the many disasters that befell the RHC. If the Second Division was the "hard luck" outfit of the Canadian Army, one could make a convincing case that the Black Watch was the "hard luck" outfit of the Second Division.

Not to denigrate the bravery of the Watch, but suicidal frontal attacks seem to have been the order of the day on many occasions.
 
points well made. the Watch had a reputation of never retreating, and did , at the cost of many lifes be part of some baddly planned assults. But the Watch never shirked thier duties.
One of the members was a founder of the Devils Brigade, he jusr recently passed away Here is his obit from the Daily telegraph


Colonel Johnny Bourne
(Filed: 11/02/2003)


Colonel Johnny Bourne, who has died aged 84, commanded a force of Canadian and American soldiers in southern Europe; later, in the face of separatism, he nurtured the loyalty of Quebecers to the Crown.

As a battalion commander of the Canadian/United States First Special Service Force, Bourne saw his first action in Italy in January 1944 on Mount Majo, south east of Monte Cassino. After fighting their way to its summit, his men held out against a series of determined counter attacks. When ammunition ran low, their training in German weapons paid off as they poured fire from captured MG42s into the enemy. Their practice of attacking with blackened faces at night led the Germans to nickname them "Black Devils".

In a further month of bitter weather Bourne led his men in clearing stubborn enemy rearguards from the mountain slopes until the force had virtually eliminated opposition east of the Rapido River. On February 1, they landed at Anzio and entered the line next day. From then until the breakout from the bridgehead took place, the lightly equipped force, which was roughly the same strength as a British brigade, held a seven-mile front along the Mussolini Canal, almost a quarter of the entire bridgehead perimeter. Denied a normal defence in depth, Bourne kept the enemy off balance by active patrolling and large scale raids out into the Pontine flats. Although the inevitable German counter attacks failed to breach their defences, these resulted in heavy casualties.

The force attacked north-eastwards toward the Via Appia, then led an armoured task force toward Rome. Five miles below the city, Bourne received orders to seize six main bridges across the Tiber. Driving toward the central railway station, his battalion‘s attack was hampered at first by an exuberant population and then by stiff enemy resistance. Thanks to his determination and skill in forcing the pace of the attack, the bridges were secured.

Bourne next led his battalion ashore by rubber boat during the Allied landings in the south of France. As part of the force, they then began a series of rapid advances along the Riviera coast which in three weeks brought them almost to the Italian border, a distance of 45 miles. Pushing eastward on foot against light opposition, they drove aside stiffened resistance in the mountains behind Nice.

Three days later, their patrols entered Menton, only two miles from the international boundary. There the German 34th Division was firmly ensconced in the fortifications of the Little Maginot Line, from which the French had defeated Italian attacks in 1941. Aided by the fire of warships, Bourne and his men took part in the reduction of these forts one by one. When the force was disbanded in December, Bourne commanded a Canadian reinforcement training battalion at Aldershot, then returned home to civilian life.

There was some resentment among the force‘s Canadian members that, while the Americans‘ contribution was recognised, there were no Military Crosses or Distinguished Conduct Medals for them.

The feelings of the Canadians were not assuaged by a poor Hollywood film which was made about them in 1968, entitled The Devil‘s Brigade; Bourne‘s innate modesty was offended by it.

John Gilbert Bourne was born in Montreal on March 25 1918, and educated at Selwyn House and Westmount High School. At McGill University he became a keen skier and a member of the Quebec junior golf team.

In 1937, Bourne was commissioned in the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, and after mobilisation was sent with them to England in 1940. He was sent back to Canada as an instructor in 1942, then volunteered for the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion, which became the Canadian component of the First Special Service Force formed at Helena, Montana, under an American, Colonel Robert T Frederick. Although the Canadians took a sterner view of discipline, the officers and men of both armies successfully intermingled.

Highly trained in mountain warfare and other "commando" skills, the force was intended to take part in operations in snow-covered areas in Europe, the objectives being the Romanian oil-fields and hydro-electric plants in northern Italy and Norway. Operation Plough (conceived by an Englishman, Geoffrey Pyke) caught the imagination of both Winston Churchill and Lord Louis Mountbatten, but foundered on such practicalities as lack of airlift. Nevertheless it was kept in being for use in the Mediterranean theatre.

Shortly after joining, Bourne was appointed to command the 2nd battalion of its 3rd Regiment, which took part in the unopposed landing on the supposedly Japanese-held island of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands.

After the war, he rejoined the militia battalion of the Black Watch and was appointed Colonel of the regiment in 1968. With the disbandment of its regular battalions in 1973, he became its honorary Colonel, which brought an enduring friendship with its Colonel-in-Chief, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

In civilian life, Bourne was the president of a major construction company and was engaged actively in charitable works. For 17 years, he served on the National Council of the Duke of Edinburgh‘s Award Scheme and was responsible for organising the programme in Quebec and for enabling 15,000 young people of the province to participate. To raise such interest in a fundamentally British scheme during a time of anti-English-Canadian political upheaval in the province was a considerable feat.

In 1985, he was appointed CVO.

Johnny Bourne, who died on December 8, married, in 1942, Joan Elspeth Dawes; she survives him with their son and daughter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Royal Highlander
I recently had the pleasure of renting a kilt for my Grade 12 Graduation and i thought i‘d ask you, would it be improper for me to wear the Black Watch tartan? I chose it because it A is close to my Clan tartan(Keith) and because My Grandfather was with the Black Watch for a time
Any help would be great
 
There is no "Black Watch" tartan. It is properly called Government Tartan and is worn by soldiers in the employ of the Crown. If you‘re in the Canadian Army, I think that means you qualify...
 
There is no "Black Watch" tartan. It is properly called Government Tartan and is worn by soldiers in the employ of the Crown. If you‘re in the Canadian Army, I think that means you qualify...
Well thats debatable, yes its called the Govt Tartan,or Sett but if you ever do a search for the "Black Watch Tartan" you‘ll see what you get. Its also known as the Watch Tartan too. And you dont even need to be in the military to wear it either.

http://www.men-in-kilts.com/mill/tartans-b/black-watch.html
http://www.angelfire.com/biz3/SolidFashionGuide/blackwatchlinks.html

Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch comments on the so-called "Tartan of the Black Watch Regiment":

"Just a friendly point from a former commanding officer of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. The tartan‘s name is commonly "Black Watch" or more appropriately the Government Sett or Tartan (when I say government I mean British). The tartan doesn‘t belong to the Regiment, it belongs to Her Majesty and she grants the right to various regiments around the world to wear it.

"The first, of course to wear early variations of it was The Black Watch of Scotland, but many other fine regiments are also entitled to wear the British "Government Sett" including the Canadian Black Watch, The Calgary Highlanders, The Lanark & Renfrew Scottish, and the now defunct PEI Highlanders, all right here in Canada. The Black Watch tartan is also very much their regimental tartan and not the sole right or possession of the Imperial Black Watch.
 
they have fought in the Boer War, WW1, WW2, Korean War
Perhaps I am nit-picking - but I believe that while the Black Watch served in Korea, like the Queen‘s Own, they arrived after the cessation of hostilities. No disrespect to this fine regiment intended...just wanted to clarify.
 
I was just looking through the photo gallery and saw a picture from Korea with the comment, "could be members of the Black Watch". Now my question is, who or what exactly were the Black Watch?
 
The Black Watch is the more commonly used name for the Royal Highland Regiment.

There are actually two such regiments, the parent British one and the Canadian one. The British regiment was the first unit raised from the Highlands of Scotland in the 17th century. Until then only Lowland Scots were recruited into regiments. Originally it was the 42nd Regiment of Foot.

The term Blackwatch refers to the dark tartan that the regiment wore and/or the idea that they as loyal government soldiers were recruited to "watch" over the Highlands.

The Canadian Regiment dates form the late 19th Century (Michael will be on here in a minute witht he exact dates and corrections, I‘m typing from memory as I‘m at work) and is one of the oldest Canadian Militia Regiments. It‘s based in Montreal.

During the expansion of the Canadian Army for the Korean conflict and for service in West Germany,in the 1950‘s three "new" regular infantry regiments were "created." The Queens Own Rifles, The Canadian Guards and The Royal Highland Regiment of Canada.

Initially all three regiments were made up of drafts from the militia including the regiments listed: Guards, QORS and RHR. The RHR was made up of called up volunteer contingents from the Nova Scotia Highlanders, the RHR, 48 Highlanders, and Seaforths (probably missed a couple)

THE RHR had two regular Bns and served in West Germany and in Korea toward the end of the conflict there. Home station was initially Aldershot Nova Scotia and then later Gagetown.

The regular Bns of the RHR, and the other two regiments, were reduced to nil strength with the cut backs instituted by Trudeau in the 1970‘s (1972?)
 
The short answer was "the buggers who kept getting wiped out in WW II while the Calgary Highlanders carried the 5th Brigade load". ;)

Danjanou needs no corrections from me, he has well stated the case. Their distinctions of dress include the Red Hackle worn in the headdress from the late 1700s by the Imperial regiment, replacing the cap badge in 1822 and adopted by the Canadian regiment after the First World War in honour of their splendid conduct (the Canadian Black Watch raised several battalions for World War One, including the 13th, 42nd and 73rd).

The proper name of the Black Watch tartan is "Government Tartan", though it is almost universally referred to as Black Watch tartan anyway. The idea of a tartan belonging to one specific group never existed until the kilt was banned in Scotland following Culloden, and the only troops permitted to wear it were (British) Government soldiers recruited in the Highlands. After the ban on kilts was lifted, clan tartans evolved - before that time, the number of colours in your kilt was a recognition of your rank and/or wealth status in the clan. Poor clansmen could probably afford two colours only, while a chief may have many more.

Talk about going off on a tangent...

I believe the regular force battalions were reduced in 1970. Their final parade was in July - the majority of the men went into the RCR if I recall correctly, including their pipe band.

redlas.jpg


Final Parade of the Regular Black Watch in Canada.
 
Germans called them the "ladies from **** ", didn‘t they? (despite Michael‘s tongue in cheek reply, they were well respected)

In the UFI column, the last (to my knowledge anyway) serving reg force black watch was in CFB Gagetown. I ran into him from time to time in the late ‘70‘s. He was employed as the Base Commanders driver when the Reg‘t was disbanded, and since he was supernumery at the time, refused to take the hat badge off. As he had friends in high places (the Base Commander) he wasn‘t pushed too hard, and eventually wasn‘t pushed at all. When I returned to Gagetown in the early ‘80‘s he was gone.

Cheers-Garry
 
High praise from the good Mr. Dorosh, I’ll think I’ll take it, thanks Michael

Any way now that I’m at home I can fill in the gaps. According to my trusty copy of DUCIMUS, The Regiments of The Canadian Infantry

Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (Blackwatch)
4th in order of precedence for militia Infantry regiments
Formed in 1862 in Montreal from 6 volunteer militia rifle companies
43 Battle Honours including South Africa
6 Victoria Cross Winners
3 Bns in the CEF in WWI (13th, 42nd & 73rd)
(Michael has already covered their WWII exploits)

May 4, 1951 1st Canadian Highland Bn formed for NATO service in W. Germany from Militia volunteer contingents from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, 48th Highlanders, Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, and the Canadian Scottish (see I did forget one earlier). 2nd Canadian Highland Bn was formed April 10, 1952.

Both of these units re-designated 1st and 2nd Bns The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) October 16, 1953. The Militia Bn was at that time re-designated the 3rd Bn. regimental Depot established at Camp Aldershot Nova Scotia

1st Bn initially served in 27 Brigade in West Germany and then back in Canada before going overseas again to serve with 4CMBG. 2nd Bn were sent to 25 Brigade in Korea in October 1953 and remained there for a year before coming back to the regimental depot at Aldershot. Later they went to Germany for a tour.In 1958 the regiment was moved from Aldershot to Gagetown.

The regular regiment was reduced to nil strength effective July 1, 1970, members being transferred into 3rd Bn RCR. At that time the Militia Bn dropped the 3rd Bn prefix.

Garry I also heard about a couple of Blackwatch who were posted away from the Bn at the time of the reduction including an officer, and who by hook and/or crook managed to avoid rebadging. If it isn‘t true then it should be.
 
Blackwatch parade square in Aldershot.

plus the monument :salute:
 
I had no idea they were part of Canadian military history. Very interesting stuff, and thanks for the in-depth replies.

Michael, you said they were constantly being wiped out by germans during WW2.. Were they not an effective fighting force then? Do you know of any specific battles they fought in?

Don‘t tell me they wore the kilts to war too.
 
Re Black Watch, you forgot the 48th Highlanders of Canada in your second mention of the units of the Highland Battalion. Michael I got the impression that the Black Watch only had one bad battle in WW II and I can‘t remember the name of the ridge. They were not the only ones to take a pasting, the RCR came out of the Gully Battle at Ortona with less than 200 all ranks, they may well have been under strength before they went in. I believe the Hasty Ps didn‘t do much better.
 
The pictures referred to are of members of the Black Watch while serving in Korea. I posted them a short time ago. I have since received confirmation on the identities of the soldiers (one of them my Father) who were originally members of the Seaforth Highlanders. Glad to see it generate some discussion.
 
Try this site for some interesting reading about Verrieres Ridge.

http://www.valourandhorror.com/DB/CHRON/July_25_May.htm
 
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