The Loss of the "Birkenhead" - On this day in Scottish military history - 1852

“Women and children first”. You may not know it but this chivalrous shout when disaster strikes has a name. It is known as The Birkenhead Drill.

It’s so called because on this day one hundred and sixty years ago the actions of the soldiers and sailors on board a Royal Navy transport ship called the ‘Birkenhead’ changed the way men behaved when a passenger ship foundered. Although never enshrined in maritime law, for decades after the H.M.S. ‘Birkenhead’ sank off Africa in 1852 it would have been unheard off for a gentleman to board a lifeboat if there were women and children still on board the sinking ship.

The ‘Birkenhead’ had sailed from Cork on 17th January 1852 with five hundred and two soldiers from ten regiments. (Over two hundred were from three Highland regiments. The 73^rd Highlanders, 74^th Highlanders and 91st Highlanders) Most were destined for service in the 8^th Cape Frontier War in Cape Colony but because some were heading on to India for garrison duty there were twenty five wives and thirty one children on board too.

On 26^th February the ship had called in at the Cape naval base at Simon’s Town to drop off some passengers and take more on for the short journey round the coast to Port Elizabeth. That was the town nearest the Xhosa homelands where the Cape Frontier War was in progress and where the 74^th and 91st were going to disembark. The ‘Birkenhead’ left Simon’s Town with six hundred and thirty one crew and passengers on board, but soon ran into trouble.

The Captain had taken the ship nearer the Cape Colony coast than usual to cut down his voyage time. This was at the urging of Governor Sir Harry Smith in Cape Town because the new recruits were urgently needed for the war. Unfortunately a large swell forced the ship even nearer land and it hit a submerged rock* about a mile offshore at the aptly named Danger Point in Gans Bay. The situation at that stage was not hopeless but a decision by the captain to order his ship astern to get it off the rocks broke the back of the ship.

It was obvious to all that the ship was doomed so the priority was to launch the three small boats the ship carried and get as many people off it as possible. Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Seton of Mounie of the 74^th Highlanders had the most recruits on board (seventy -three 74th Highlanders) and was also the most senior army officer on the ship, so was in charge of all the soldiers. Seton immediately grasped the situation and ordered the soldiers to help the sailors clear debris of the deck, get the horses off the ship** and help the sailors get the seven women and thirteen children into the boats first. Once they were safely on one of the small cutters the other two boats were filled with soldiers. There were still hundreds of men on board.

Their hope would have been that the small boats would row to shore and then return for more men but the ‘Birkenhead’ was breaking up under their feet. Only twenty five minutes after hitting the rocks and just a few minutes after launching the small boats it was obvious that if the remaining soldiers and sailors headed for the water before the ship sank they would swim to the small boats and swamp them.

Seton quickly issued his orders. The soldiers would fall in on deck as if on parade and this would allow the boats with all the women and children to row away from the sinking ‘Birkenhead’.

According to eye-witness reports the soldiers behaved impeccably. Many were new recruits but they all stoically followed their orders. Lined up on the sea-washed deck they held their position as the ship broke-up beneath them. Seton’s calm authority had ensured that not one of the women or children on board the ‘Birkenhead’ were lost; every boat reached the shore unharmed.

The men left behind on the ship were not so lucky, the ‘Birkenhead’ was close enough to shore to allow strong swimmers the chance of survival but Great White sharks and a nasty clinging seaweed claimed many who had not already drowned when the ship sank. A few managed to swim ashore and a handful managed to cling to debris until picked up the next day by a rescue ship. Colonel Seton and forty seven of his officers and men of the 74th were amongst the four hundred and forty five men lost with the ship.

In Glasgow Cathedral there is a plaque to the 74^th Highlanders. It lists the campaigns the regiment had fought in between its first action in 1789 and 1886 when the plaque was unveiled, after the 74^th had become the 2^nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry. It lists the battles of the Napoleonic Wars the colonial wars of the nineteenth century. It also lists the "Birkenhead".

For the 74^th Highlanders the actions of Lieutenant Colonel Seton and his new recruits on the ‘Birkenhead’ were important as any in the history of the regiment. The bravery and fortitude shown by his men on that day matched any of the battles the regiment had been in over the previous one hundred years. That bravery not only inspired the men who enlisted into the 74^th and later the HLI in future years but also other people around the world. The King of Prussia made every man in his army listen to the tale of the ‘Birkenhead’ to make sure they knew how proper soldiers should behave in adversity.

Colonel Seton’s example inspired generations of Victorians and Edwardians. The poet of Empire couldn’t let it pass and Kipling’s “Soldier an' Sailor Too” published in 1896 devotes a verse to the Drill.

Men who survived the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ were sometimes branded cowards because it was suggested that they had ignored the Birkenhead Drill. That was unfair because many boarded the boats at the orders of the ship’s officers. The public were shocked when they read how many women and children had perished and surviving men faced a backlash.

One hundred years on from the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ and one hundred and sixty years to the day from the foundering of the ‘Birkenhead’ would the men of 2012 stand back when disaster strikes? The recent foundering of the ‘Costa Concordia’ suggests otherwise.

* Now known as the Birkenhead Rock.

** According to Wikipedia some of the horses which swam ashore from the ‘Birkenhead’ were the ancestors of a feral herd that roamed the plains east of Gans Bay until late in the 20th century.

Hackle

Those of you who have visited the Black Watch Museum in recent years would have noticed a Golden Labrador named Hackle. Hackles owner Jim worked at the museum and Hackle loved to see all the visitors.

Sadly Hackle passed away on the 8th January, and he will be much missed. I met him only once, in the Summer, and it was lovely meeting such a friendly dog. My daughter is not particularly comfortable around dogs, but she was happy to clap Hackle and was as delighted to meet him as I was.

The museum won't be the same without him welcoming you...

Clement Agnew - Behind the name

The first name on the 1939-1945 names on the Armadale War Memorial is Clement Agnew. There is no rank or unit on the memorial but he is easy to find on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database. He was a tragically young sixteen years old when he died. Surprisingly the boy from deepest West Lothian was a volunteer in the Royal Navy.

AGNEW, CLEMENT WILLIAM
Initials: C W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Boy 1st Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Royal Oak
Age: 16
Date of Death: 14/10/1939
Service No: P/JX 159143
Additional information: Son of Clement and Susan Agnew, of Armadale, West Lothian.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 34, Column 1.
Memorial: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Boy Agnew was lost on the 'Royal Oak' when it was torpedoed in Scapa Flow by U-9. 833 other sailors were lost that night many of them teenage ratings like Clement Agnew. The tragedy was that the 'Royal Oak' had returned to Scapa Flow from the North Atlantic after a patrol which showed she was too old for active service. When she was sunk she was actually of little threat to the German Navy.

Her loss was a bitter blow to Britain and a propaganda coup for Germany. It also brought home the war to a small Lothians town.

David Ramsay - Behind the Name

Kirriemuir Parish Church's Second World War memorial lists their war dead by unit and name but there is no other information. One of the names listed is D. Ramsay of the Black Watch.

RAMSAY, DAVID ANDERSON GOVE
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 04/08/1944
Service No: 2755969
Additional information: Son of Isabella Anderson Dickson, of Kirriemuir, Angus.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 13. H. 24.
Cemetery: TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY

In August 1944 2nd Battalion Black Watch was part of 14th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Indian Infantry Division also known as Special Force or more commonly The Chindits.

Orde Wingate's formation was conceived as an airborne large-scale raiding force which would be sent behind Japanese lines in force to disrupt communications and supply lines.

The life expectancy for a Chindit was not great. When in the field they suffered a lack of nearly all supplies and had very little respite from the Japanese, the jungle and the weather.

By the time Lance Corporal Ramsay died Orde Wingate was already dead. The man who had conceived of and led the Chindits was gone. Control of them then passed to the American commander of the Chinese forces in the area, General Stilwell. Stillwell had no real idea of what the Chindits were or were not capable of, and threw the lightly armed raiders into costly attacks on well defended Japanese-held towns.

The Chindits suffered horrendous casualties in the late summer of 1944 and were soon withdrawn for battle. Unfortunately it was too late for David Ramsay of Kirriemuir.

I'll be honest and admit that I don't have a great knowledge of the Chindits. My interest has always been centred more on the Western Europe campaign, and the Far East campaigns have always been a little bit of a mystery to me. A new book published recently may help to shed some light on that campaign.

"War in the Wilderness: The Chindits in Burma 1943-1944" by Tony Redding is an incredibly comprehensive account of the Chindit campaigns, drawing on interview of fifty veterans of the campaign. It is a remarkably detailed book, well illustrated and offering a new insight into a campaign which I, and possibly many others, possessed only scant knowledge of.

For those wishing to know more about this fascinating campaign, this book would be a valuable starting point.

Author Tony Redding and Chindit veteran John Hutchings were interviewed for BBC Radio 4's Today programme - you can hear that interview here.

Flight Engineer John Kinnear - Behind the name

In the Fife town of Newport-on-Tay the war memorial sits at the side of the Firth. The Second World War names are on two bronze panels flanking the mercat cross memorial erected after the First World War. The names are listed but there are no ranks or units to give any clues as to how they died.

One of the names is John Kinnear. A search on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database comes up with this man:

KINNEAR, JOHN
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 617 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 17/05/1943
Service No: 635123
Additional information: Son of William and Helen Kinnear, of East Newport, Fife.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 21. D. 14.
Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY

Note his squadron and date of death. Flight Sergeant Kinnear was a Dambuster. He was lost when his Lancaster AJ-B 'Baker' flew into a pylon before reaching the target.

Nothing at the Fife memorial indicates that one of the men listed had been picked as the cream of the RAF to fly on one of the most difficult and daring air raids in history.

Sadly he was one of the fifty three men lost that night. Was his death worth it? The debate still continues to this day but nearly seventy years later he is still remembered in Newport.

Seaman James Anderson - Behind the Name

We have not posted a ‘Behind the name’ post for a while so in the week leading up to Remembrance Day we are going to pick a few names from Scottish war memorials to highlight. If you happen to be standing in front of one of these names next Friday (11th) or Sunday (13th) then you will know a little bit more about why that person is commemorated.

The small village of Thrumster in Caithness on the Pentland Firth has an obelisk for a war memorial. After the First World War it was erected as an estate memorial but by the time it had come to add the Second World War names it was for the community.

The first name on the list of Second World War names is the only sailor listed. He is Seaman J Anderson R.N.V.R.

He is this man.

ANDERSON, JAMES
Initials: J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Jervis Bay
Age: 27
Date of Death: 05/11/1940
Service No: C/X 10533
Additional information: Son of Donald Anderson and Martha Foster Anderson (nee McKellar); husband of Ellen Anderson, of Thrumster, Caithness-shire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 40, 1.
Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

The ship he served and died on, on this day in November 1940 was the 'Jervis Bay'. We covered it as an 'On this Day' last year.

Seaman Anderson's ship was pulverised by the German battleship 'Admiral Scheer' to allow the convoy it was protecting to scatter and escape from the Germans. It was a costly act of self-sacrifice which earned the Captain of the 'Jervis Bay' a Victoria Cross but saved many valuable merchant ships and seamen.

Scottish Regiments in TV Programmes and Films

A few years ago I compiled this list of Scottish regiments I had seen in films and television programmes. It has been a while since I updated it so recent appearances of Scottish troops on large or small screen may not have not been noted. If anyone can add any more, or correct any mistakes please leave a comment here or on our facebook page.

Note that most entries are for highland regiments. As far as I know, no KOSB or HLI soldiers have featured in a film.

Real Regiments

Scots Guards

TV Film ‘Tumbledown’ – Robert Lawrence’s story based on his own book about his time with the Scots Guards before and during the Falklands Conflict.

TV Drama ‘The Camomile Lawn’ – Character Hector is in Scots Gds in WW2. Service Dress tunic on screen is of Grenadiers but his wife refers to the three button spacing of his tunic in another scene.

Film ‘Paratrooper’ – Harry Andrews’s Para RSM is ex-Scots Guards.

Royal Scots Greys

Film ‘Waterloo’ – Charge of the Union Brigade. See also Gordons

Royal Scots Fusiliers

TV Series - Poirot special. Chronologically the first story but not first one made. See also unknowns

Black Watch

Film ‘The Sand Pebbles’ – Extras in scenes in Shanghai Bund

TV Series ‘Strathblair’ – Son is a Black Watch Major

TV Series ‘Monarch of the Glen’ – Flashback special where one character is a Boer War period Black Watch officer.

Film ‘Gunga Din’ – Easy to identify British soldiers for the US movie goers

Film ‘Soldiers Three’ – Easy to identify British soldiers for the US movie goers

Film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Black Watch on march behind Allenby in one scene

TV series ‘Northern Exposure’ – The former astronaut’s father or grandfather was an ex- Black Watch piper. His kilt and pipes are found in his loft.

Seaforth Highlanders

TV Series - Evelyn Waugh autobiographical comedy / drama – One of the officers wears a Seaforth glengarry

Film ‘Tobruk’ - Nigel Green’s colonel is a Seaforth.

Film ‘Appointment with Venus’ – David Niven as Seaforth Commando

TV Series - Blood Red Roses – Crippled father is a Seaforth. Fought in N.Africa, Italy N.W. Europe and Norway in the script. No Seaforths in Norway.

74th Highlanders

Film 'The Rare Breed'- James Stewart Western about breeding cattle. Brian Keith is a rival rancher and Scottish ex-soldier who turns up in 74th Full Dress to impress Maureen O'Hara. Keith’s ridiculous accent is more than matched by the fiery thatch of ginger facial hair he sports. (Rip Torn recreates this ridiculous combination of hair and tortured accent as a drunken Scottish sailor in Goldie Hawn / Kurt Russell comedy ‘Swept Away’)

Gordon Highlanders

TV Series ‘The Monoc’led Mutineer’ – Involved in rioting in town.

Film ‘Waterloo’ – Several scenes. See also Scots Greys

Film ‘Zeppelin’ – Michael York as a half-German, half-Scots Gordon

Film ‘The Heroes of the Krait’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.

Film ‘The Highest Honour’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.

TV Series ‘The Heroes’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.

Film ‘The Drum’ – Volunteers from regiment help Political Officer Roger Livesey on North West Frontier during the 1930’s

Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders

TV Film ‘Kim’ – Deserter is a Cameron

Film ‘Whisky Galore’ – Island in Inverness-shire. Home Guard in Camerons uniform

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Film ‘Too Late the Hero’ South-East Asia 1941/42

Film ‘To End All Wars’ – Several key characters are Argylls

Film ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ – 93rd Highlanders

Film ‘The Captive Heart’ – Blind Gordon Jackson is an Argyll. See also unknown regiment section.

Recent TV Film ‘The Thirty Nine Steps’ – Set in 1914. Wrong sporrans.

The Highland Regiment

TV Sitcom ‘Dad’s Army'

Canadian Scots

Film ‘The Devil’s Brigade’ – Canadian contingent led by Pipe Band. Several Canadian Scots regiments represented.

Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

Film ‘Paratrooper’ Alan Ladd joins Paras via Seaforths of Canada. Also Harry Andrews is an ex-Scots Guards RSM

Unknown regiments

Poirot special – In military hospital red tartan kilt. Canadians? See also RSF

Film ‘The Captive Heart’ – Reformed 51st Div personnel used as extras playing captured 51st Div. men using real POW camp in Germany for film set. See also Argylls

Film ‘The Man who Would be King’ Sean Connery and Michael Caine laughing about one of the pipers in their old regiment during their campaign in Afghanistan. Could be 72nd or 92nd Highlanders?

Confused Soldiers

Sean Connery in 'Murder on the Orient Express' is a Royal Scot in one scene and a Scots Guard in another

Richard Todd is referred to as a Cameronian and but dressed as a Cameron Highlander in the ‘Hasty Heart’. Both regiments had battalions in Burma where it is set.

Made-up Regiments

Caledonian Highlanders - Film ‘Bonnie Scotland’ Laurel & Hardy. Uniform based on Black Watch and Camerons

Spofforth Highlanders - Film ‘The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer’. The Colonel of the Regiment, Julian Glover, is bribed to steal the Swiss gold reserves for Britain to avoid amalgamation. Can’t remember uniform details (Camerons?)

Third Foot and Mouth - Film ‘Carry-on Up the Khyber’ – Uniformed as Camerons

Un-named Highland Regiments

Film ‘Tunes of Glory’ - Hunting Scot tartan for the kilts. Lion rampant replaced the St Andrew of the Cameron's badge. The regiment in the book is based on Gordon Highlanders. See also the book George McDonald Fraser’s ‘The General Danced at Dawn’ which has characters very obviously based on the same real life people as Kennoway’s ‘Tunes of Glory’)

TV Series ‘The Avengers’. Episode from 1st series ‘Esprit de Corps’. Duncan MacRae. Roy Kinnear, John Thaw. 1960s Jacobites in Camerons uniform.

Film ‘The Amorous Prawn’ hard up General uses his HQ as a Country house hotel. Camerons? turn up at the end.

Film ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ – Song & Dance scene in Portobello Road. Uniform of government tartan kilt, Black Watch bonnet badge (Not hackle).

TV Pathologist Series from early 1990’s. Officer Presiding at a Court martial. QOHldrs glengarry with a thistle badge. Couldn’t identify kilt.

Film ‘You Must be Joking’ – Several military / secret service folk are set some tasks around London to assess their suitability for a mission. Lionel Jeffries as Sgt. Maj. McGregor turns up in Full Dress including feather bonnet. Argyll uniform?

Others

I have a feeling that Alexander Korda had a Highland regiment in his Sudan shots in ‘The Four Feathers’. This story has been remade several times and pretty much all of them re-used Korda’s footage so there may well be several more films with these Highlanders in them.

I’m not sure that ‘Young Winston’ has some Highlanders in the Battle of Omdurman scenes but it has been many years since I have seen that film so can’t be sure. The Seaforths and Camerons were both involved in this Campaign. In the same film Edward Woodward plays an officer in the Boer War train derailment scene. In real life Churchill was travelling with Royal Dublin Fusiliers but in the film I’m pretty sure the officer had a helmet flash of the Douglas tartan of the Cameronians.

Black Watch museum suspends its research service

Just spotted the following when browsing the web today. Hopefully this will be a temporary suspension.

Suspension of Research Enquiries

We are sorry but at present the Museum has suspended its enquiry service. The staff who operate the enquiry services are working hard on improving collections care and management as part of our major redevelopment project.

The project will involve an extension to the castle which will provide:

•     increased display space
•     a large area for special exhibitions, education and events
•     better storage for the Museum and archive collections
•     an improved shop and ticket office
•     accessible visitor facilities, including a tea room for visitors
•     improved parking

The project will involve a major redevelopment of the existing museum building and galleries. We possess a fine collection of artefacts and records spanning the whole history of The Black Watch.  Through this we tell the story of the Regiment and the part it has played in the history of our nation.  We wish to add to, conserve and display our collection so as to honour in perpetuity the memory of the Regiment and the countless men who have served in it.

We therefore cannot respond in any detail to your request at this time. Please see our Tracing a Soldier webpage for further information that may be able to assist in answering your query.

Once again our apologies for not being able to help you at this time

Sir Hector Munro - Who's Who in Scottish Military History

We’ve mentioned Sir Hector Munro before in the Who’s Who about Lord Macleod. They were contemporaries of each other but while Macleod was a Jacobite, Munro was a staunch supporter of the Hanoverians. When MacLeod was an exile in Europe, Munro was rising through the ranks in the British Army.

In his long career Munro served in many parts of the world but it was in India he had his biggest success, and biggest failure.

It’s not clear exactly when he was born but his father moved from Novar to Clayside at Dunrobin Mains, near Golspie when he was a baby, so he was probably born in 1725-1726.

He was first commissioned into Loudon’s 64th Highlanders in 1747 but biographies mention previous service against the Jacobites. He may well have served in one of the Independent Companies raised by the Northern clans in 1745-46 and under Loudon’s command which were beaten at Inverness and Dornoch. If he was captured, as has been rumoured, then he was unlikely to have taken part in Cromartie’s defeat at Golspie.

After being commissioned in the 64th Highlanders he went with them to the Low Countries, where they were serving in the War of Austrian Succession. His regiment was in action at Bergen-op-Zoom near Antwerp but saw little service apart from that. It was disbanded in June 1748 at the end of hostilities.

Munro was after an army life so transferred into the 48th Foot as an ensign, and then in the days of purchasing commissions he bought himself a lieutenancy in the 31st Foot in Ireland, and a few years later he was a Captain and company commander of the 2nd battalion 31st Foot (which became the 70th Foot in 1758).

Another regiment soon followed in 1759 when Munro got his majority in the newly raised 89th Highlanders. This was during the Seven Years War and Imperial commitments saw the 89th being sent to India.

With Munro in charge the 89th arrived outside French held Pondicherry in Madras in September 1760. They were there until early 1761 when they were sent to Bombay after the French capitulated.

When the 89th sailed for home in 1763 Munro elected to stay in India. In 1764 he was sent to his third East Indian Company Presidency in India, Bengal, with some other European troops to help quell a mutiny amongst EIC sepoys.

No believer in taking a soft line Munro decided that the only way to deal with the sepoys, whether their grievances were justified or not, was to execute the ringleaders in typical EIC fashion - by tying them to the wheels of a cannon and blowing them apart. He also disbanded the most rebellious native regiment.
With the mutiny suppressed Munro was given charge of the Bengal Presidency Army and took it north from Calcutta to head off an invasion force of Mughals on the Bihar – Oudh border.

On 22nd September 1764 Munro’s army met the Mughals at Buxar, under the command of Nawab Wazir Shuja ud-Daula.

On paper it looked like there would be no contest. The Indians had a force of 40,000 and Munro had only 7,000 men. However since taking command Munro had drilled his men hard to prepare for battle and it would be no walkover.

In a shocking display of underestimating your opponent Shuja ud-Daula left his prepared defences and advanced over open ground to meet Munro’s force.
Wave after wave of Mughal cavalry attacked the Bengal Presidency Army but Munro’s training had paid off and the disciplined firepower of the redcoats held off the horsemen.

Munro then showed his tactical prowess by throwing forward his sepoys at the point of the bayonet onto his opponent’s left flank. The Indians were unprepared for this assault and fell back. Retreat soon turned to rout as the whole Indian front line collapsed.

Whilst Plassey in 1757 may have been the decisive battle to decide which European power influenced Indian affairs, it was the overwhelming victory at Buxar which led to the East India Company becoming the de facto rulers of India’s richest provinces and it tuned British traders into rulers.

It was the high point of Munro’s career and with a very large haul of prize money he resigned his commission and returned to Scotland in early 1765. His uncle had left him the Munro estate at Novar in Cromarty near Evanton, and his money bought him a seat in Westminster as MP for Inverness Burghs. For the next few years he led the life of a country laird spending his Indian fortune on improving his house and estate.

Investment mistakes and loss of money in the 1770s probably led to his decision to rejoin the army. India was where he had made his name and his fortune over ten years before; so with his EIC and parliamentary connections, and his reputation preceding him, he was appointed in 1777 as commander-in-chief at Madras. Now he also had a local royal commission as an EIC major-general and a seat on the Madras council.

Things were complicated in India when Munro arrived. Struggles for control of the East India Company were taking place in London and in Madras the local rulers were not as compliant as the ones in Bengal. It was a recipe for future disaster.

Munro had to deal with weak allies, a strong and antagonistic neighbour, and the involvement of the French and Dutch. Both had enclaves in India and the American War of Independence saw them become allies of the Unites States and enemies of Britain. When the news of the French taking the American’s side reached Munro in 1778 he immediately marched south to take their base at Pondicherry. He had last been there nearly twenty years before with the 89th Highlanders and once again the French capitulated.

Eager to capitalise on his success he captured the other French settlements on the Coromandel Coast / Malabar Coast. Unfortunately this eagerness to defeat the French antagonised Hyder Ali, the powerful ruler of Mysore at Seringapatam.

Ali had no love for the British and had beaten them in a war in 1768. He also considered the French possessions to have been under his protection. Munro’s attacks on Pondicherry was too much for Hyder Ali and he made preparations to march across the Eastern Ghats and onto the Carnatic Plain.

Time and again we’ve seen in our who’s who and on this day articles that pride comes before a fall; and once again a Scot in a position of power chose to ignore the advice of others and carry on regardless.

Hyder Ali and his son Tipoo Sultan amassed 90,000 men. It took time to assemble an army of that size and throughout 1779 and early 1780 it was obvious to everyone except Munro that he would be marching East in strength. Munro chose to ignore the signs. Even when reinforcements were sent to him, including the newly raised Lord Macleod’s Highlanders, they were sent to outlying posts.

In June 1780 Ali moved. Munro finally responded. Instead of ordering his outnumbered troops back to the protection of Madras to regroup he decided to push his force forward and consolidate his army in the field.

The man who lead the Bengal Army to victory against impossible odds at Buxar must have thought he could outfight Ali’s native host. Munro was sadly misjudging his opponent. Ali’s army was well trained by French advisors, and equipped with the latest guns. As Munro advanced on Arcot he expected his other troops to meet him at Conjeeveram.

Unfortunately for Munro his supply train was not as good as he had hoped and his advance bogged down. Ali advanced to meet him before he could congregate all his forces, and Colonel Baillie’s column containing Macleod’s Highlanders was attacked and soundly beaten at the Battle of Pollilur by Tipoo Sultan’s force. 2,800 men, including the future general, David Baird, were killed or captured.
Munro knew his position was untenable and finally retreated to Madras leaving Hyder Ali in control of most of the Carnatic Plain.

Munro’s handling of the affair nearly wrecked his career. He was criticised by Macleod on his tactics and his failure to support Baillie’s men once battle commenced. Certainly no other East India Company in the Carnatic had been beaten so badly. Rather than being sacked Munro was effectively demoted when Eyre Coote was sent to take command of the Madras Army. Munro continued to serve under Coote and attempted to rebuild his reputation as Coote took the fight back to Ali.

Eventually after a spell in his sick bed in Madras he was given independent command again. This time it was to capture the Dutch port of Negapatam in November 1791. Munro’s old skill returned and this attack was a success.

Munro’s second spell in India was now coming to an end. With the campaigning over he resigned his appointment and returned to London. Mixed fortunes awaited him at home. He was granted a knighthood for capturing Pondicherry and then sacked by the East India Company for losing Baillie’s column. He must have cried all the way to the bank because he was awarded yet more prize money and was made a major general in the British army.

He remained a soldier on paper an eventually becoming a full general on 1st January 1798 and he was also Colonel of the 42nd Highlanders (the Black Watch).

His main activity between his return to the UK in 1782 and his death in 1805 seems to have been interesting himself on improving his estate in the then current fashion of replacing tenants with sheep. The man who restored order in Bengal by blowing mutineers from his cannon had no problems bringing the army in to restore order when his improvements provoked protests in the summer of 1792.

However he also showed a slightly more benevolent side when he built a folly on his land to provide jobs during a period of unemployment. Fyrish Monument is said to represent the gates of Negapatam, the city he had captured in 1781 and which had saved his reputation. It doesn’t, but it certainly has an Asian feel to it, and given he renamed many of the parks on his estate after places in India then it’s likely Fyrish was built to remind him of his many years in the sub-continent.

Finally was it civic duty as the local MP, or right-wing tendencies, which led him to provide a substantial sum of money to the building of the new court house and jail in Inverness? The building is gone but Munro’s steeple and clock still survive to mark his contribution to his constituency’s policing.

It was at Novar where Munro died. Uncertainty over his date of birth was matched by the uncertainty of his date of death. Sources quote late December 1805 or early January 1806. His headstone says 27th December 1805.

Munro is a little known figure in his own land. I come from East Sutherland and had never heard of him until recently, but he was an important figure in the history of the British in India. His reforms in the Bengal and Madras EIC armies and his victory at Buxar had laid solid foundations for British supremacy in India and the establishment of the Raj.

2014 target for Black Watch memorial at Ypres

An article from The Courier today. Frustratingly it mentions wristband available for sale, but doesn't mention how you can get one...

The bravery of Black Watch soldiers in the first world war is to be celebrated in an ambitious project forged in the regiment's heartland but with its focus on a tranquil corner of rural Belgium.

For almost a century, Polygon Wood has stood in calm remembrance of the horrors of war experienced by the men who wore the red hackle.

Some 8000 of those heroes fell in the first world war, and although their sacrifice has lived on in the memory and historical records of the regiment there has never been a permanent memorial to honour that sacrifice.

However, with the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the war looming, Black Watch Association veterans in Angus have taken the lead in a project to create a fitting monument for the men of Tayside, Fife and beyond who were destined never to return from the fields of Flanders.

Association members across the country will be joining their comrades in Angus on a drive to raise the estimated £25,000 for the planned 2014 unveiling of the memorial in the poignant location of what, for the past nine decades, has remained Black Watch Corner in the countryside close to Ypres.

The project was revealed to The Courier at the weekend when senior association figures visited the Kirriemuir war memorial on which it is planned to model the Belgian tribute.

Angus Black Watch Association branch chairman Major Ronnie Proctor said, "We lost 8000 men in world war one and there is no specific Black Watch memorial in France or Flanders. One of our members, Tom McCluskey, mooted the idea that, with such an important milestone approaching in 2014, it would be fitting to create a memorial to these men.

"I was then able to propel it forward. Brigadier Edward de Broe Ferguson, the association chairman, is very much behind the idea, as is the rest of The Black Watch community.

"It is important to us that the memorial will be sourced and produced in the regiment's homeland, so the stone will come from Perthshire and is to be carved by well-known sculptor Bruce Walker from Kirriemuir... We hope to model it on the figure from the war memorial at Kirrie which is a striking monument, and it will take the form of a large stone slab with a Black Watch soldier carved in relief."

Angus branch is aiming for part of its contribution to come from the sale of specially commissioned wristbands created in the regimental colours which are now on sale.

"The association works to support the welfare of Black Watch soldiers and their dependents, and the wristbands are aimed at raising money for that continuing work," continued Major Proctor. "Proceeds will go into the welfare fund and hopefully we will be able to make a contribution from that to the memorial project.

"Three years seems a long time away but it will come round quickly so we are hopeful that the project will gather pace."

 The origins of Black Watch Corner

The origins of Black Watch Corner are revealed in a passage from The History of the Black Watch in the Great War 1914-1918, written by Maj-Gen A.G. Wauchope.

"November 11, 1914 — Ypres Sector, South West Corner of Polygon Wood: Between 6.30 and 9 a.m. on the 11th of November, the heaviest bombardment so far experienced by the British forces broke out; as it ended, a Division of the Prussian Guard, with orders from their Emperor to break the line at all costs, attacked the front of the 1st and 2nd Divisions. Under the cover of the bombardment, a strong force drove back D Company and the two platoons of A Company entrenched at the south-west corner of Polygon Wood, and broke through the line. Second Lieutenant M. McNeill, commanding this portion of A Company, was last seen on the parapet of his trench, revolver in hand, fighting right gallantly to the end with all his men.

"The supporting point of C Company, under Lieutenant F. Anderson, held out firmly, and split the attack into small parties of twenty or thirty men, many of whom were soon lost in the woods behind. It is interesting to note that Lieutenant Anderson's post was the first instance in the war of the "strong point," or wired-in locality, which later became a salient feature of defensive warfare. This particular post was sited and constructed by a great friend of the regiment, Major C. Russell-Brown, R.E., commanding the 23rd Field Company.

"B Company and the two platoons of A Company, under Lieutenant Sprot, who were in reserve in the paddocks of Verbeek farm, were overwhelmed by the first onrush of the enemy; Lieutenant Sprot and most of his men were killed. A few men, amongst whom were Privates Jackson and Gardner, were taken prisoner; but when their captors took cover from a chance shell, they slipped away and escaped into the Nonne Boschen Wood.

"Verbeek Farm, the joint Headquarters of The Black Watch and the Cameron Highlanders, was temporarily occupied by the enemy; the actual Headquarters dug-out, a primitive brushwood lean-to against the farmhouse was, however, kept safe by the spirited defence of the two commanding officers, Lieutenant Colonels C. E. Stewart and D. McEwan, and of Sergeant D. Redpath, The Black Watch signalling sergeant. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart was wounded in the head at point-blank range by a German who was, in his turn, despatched by Sergeant Redpath.

"Lieutenant Rowan Hamilton and Captain Brodie of the Camerons, the two adjutants, had previously, when the attack commenced, gone to 1st Brigade Headquarters in Nonne Boschen Wood to report the situation. Lieutenant Rowan Hamilton, in returning to report to Colonel Stewart at Verbeek Farm, was wounded.

"Meanwhile, Nonne Boschen Wood, in which the 1st Brigade Headquarters was situated, was held by 1st Brigade Signal Section, The Black Watch party that had been with the North Lancashire Regiment for the past three days and had reported at 1st Brigade Headquarters during the preliminary bombardment, and a few men who had got away from the the front line. Several small parties of the enemy had broken past Lieutenant Anderson's Post and Verbreek Farm and had attempted to enter the wood or passed along its eastern edge, but they were successfully dealt with. During this fighting Captain Brodie of the Cameron Highlanders and Lieutenant Lawson were killed. Lieutenant Lawson had recently been granted a commission having come out to France with the Battalion as Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant - a most gallant officer, who fell fighting, having served the Regiment loyally for nineteen years.

"About 3.30 p.m. three companies of the 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, assisted by a party of The Black Watch and Camerons, advanced from Nonne Boschen Wood and regained the line Veerbeek farm — Lieutenant Anderson's Post, south-west corner of Polygon Wood, this corner being known on all later maps as "Black Watch Corner." Lieutenant Anderson was most severely wounded and his garrison suffered many losses; but they had accounted for a large number of the enemy - Lieutenant Anderson having himself shot several - and had broken up the main German attack in this area.

"The net result of the German effort was to drive back the British line about five hundred yards on a front of a mile. Only one officer, Captain V M Fortune, remained unwounded at the end of the day. The casualties were: killed, Lieutenant Lawson and 18 other ranks; missing (nearly all ascertained to have been killed), Lieutenants Sprot and McNeil and 49 other ranks; wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart, Captains West and Rowan-Hamilton, Lieutenant Anderson and 52 other ranks."

Black Watch battlefield will bring 18th century soldiering to life

An article from The Courier:

Curatorial assistant Jill van Millingen with some of the pieces which can be seen during the tours.

 The chaos of the battlefield will be brought to life at an event in Perth in May when re-enactors arm themselves with swords and antique muskets.

Battles of The Black Watch is a free, fun drop-in event for all the family at Balhousie Castle when there will be a chance to experience life in an 18th century army camp and learn about a day in the life of a soldier.

To be held on Saturday, May 14 there will be shows at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

The event is part of the Festival of Museums weekend, a new festival celebrating Scotland's wealth of culture.
As part of the same event there is a chance to take part in an exclusive guided tour of the regimental museum collections.

The tour is on Friday, May 13 from 7-9pm, will be followed by drinks and canapes and a chance to talk to museum staff.

Tickets are £5 for adults, £3 for children and £1.50 for Friends of the Museum.

There is a maximum of 20 places and booking is essential.

Behind the scenes tours are an opportunity to find out about the objects in the museum stores.

There will be further tours the following day giving a chance to see objects not usually on display to the public.

The tours are at 11am and 2pm with the same prices as above.

There is a maximum of eight places per tour and booking is essential.

For more information on these events and The Black Watch Castle and Museum visit www.theblackwatch.co.uk/index/events.

Alexander Brook - The Story Behind The Name

Of all the names listed on the Bank of Scotland war memorial, Alexander Brook is noteworthy for two reasons. Firstly, he is (so far as we can tell) the oldest casualty of the bank for the First World War, and as a Lieutenant-Colonel, he is also the highest ranking.

Alexander Brook was born on the 12th of June 1865, the only son of John Brook, a master grocer and Annie Leckie, of Primrose Bank, Haddington. He attended the Knox Institute in Haddington, before attending Edinburgh University as a Student of Arts between 1883 and 1887, gaining an M.A. He was appointed Writer to the Signet in 1891.

Shortly before the outbreak of War he was appointed County Clerk and Treasurer to the County of East Lothian. He was also a member of Haddington Town Council.

He served as joint agent at the Haddington branch of the Bank of Scotland from 1895 until his death in 1915. At the time bank agents usually had no formal training and were normally "upstanding" members of the community, such as lawyers, and it was while working as a solicitor that Brook was joint agent.

Brook had joined the 8th Battalion of the Royal Scots in 1886, and had been awarded the Volunteer Decoration for his services, and on the outbreak of war he was mobilised as a Major. He was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1914 and was Mentioned in Despatches.

At the time of his death his battalion had taken part in three days of fighting, and he and a Major Gemmill were in a trench studying a map when a shell burst beside them. Major Gemmill was deafened and buried by the shell, and on clearing himself found the Colonel Brook had suffered a head wound from shrapnel.

Four men were detailed to carry Colonel Brook to an aid post, and in the process two of these men were themselves wounded. It was to no avail as Colonel Brook died shortly afterwards on the 19th of May 1915. He was buried the following day, 100 men from the battalion attending the service.

Colonel Alexander Brook is buried in Section II, Row H, Grave 12 of Bethune Town Cemetery. He is commemorated on the Bank of Scotland memorial in The Mound, the civic memorial at Haddington as well as at Edinburgh University.

Memorial tribute to West Fife Black Watch soldier

An article from the Dunfermline Press about a recent addition to the town's war memorial:

Family, friends and comrades of fallen Black Watch corporal Tam Mason gathered at Dunfermline War Memorial to remember his life and mark the occasion of his name being added to the memorial plaque.

In a poignant ceremony held in bright early spring sunshine on Monday, accompanied by a bugler and piper, the Rev Seoras Mackenzie, Black Watch padre, said Tam gave his life so others could enjoy peace.

"He was prepared to put his life on the line for people like us.

"That life was taken by that dreadful act of terrorism," said the Rev Mackenzie.

He added, "Tam died so that others were free not to live in fear and under repression."

Tam grew up in Rosyth and lived later in Dunfermline. He was 27-years-old when he died as a result of severe injuries he sustained in an explosion in Afghanistan.

He was flown back to the UK but died in hospital in Birmingham six weeks after the horrific blast.

Tam, who was on his second tour in Afghanistan, had joined the army in February 2005 and qualified as a mortar fire controller, earning promotion to corporal two years later.

His mum, Linda Buchanan, who lives in Kelty, said after the ceremony, "It's been a very emotional occasion.
"There's an element of pride of course because Tam died doing the job he loved.

"He was proud to be in the Black Watch and he always said there could be no greater honour than to die doing the job he loved so much.

"He used to say, 'Whatever they say about the army, the Black Watch is different and we're like one big family'.

"He was one of the last to join before the change came in over to the Royal Regiment.

"Tam is the first thing I think of every morning when I wake up and the last thing I think of when I fall asleep and I know that will always be.

"He was fun-loving, loved a challenge, was very motivated and because he was like that it rubbed off on those around him.

"He was respected by those who knew him."

Meanwhile, Tam's family are delighted with the response to their petition calling for a memorial garden to be built for the families of those who have died in recent conflicts.

More than 700 people have signed the petition which has been left in shops around West Fife and is also being backed by the Press with dunfermlinepress.com users able to sign online.

"We've had tremendous support from the public and from the other families," said Mrs Buchanan.

"People have been getting in touch from all over Scotland so if we have this quiet place where people can go to remember their loved ones, people could be coming to Fife from all over."

Tam's mother, Linda Buchanan, at the plaque that now bears her son's name. (Photo by Ted Milton)

Robert Gordon Millar - The Story Behind the Name

If you were to happen to be looking at the names on the war memorial at Arbroath, you would be forgiven for not noticing the name of Miller, 2/Lieut Robert G. It's one name amongst many, and there is nothing in particular to make it stand out.

However, while we have been collating memorials for the Scottish war Memorials Project, we have encountered several individuals who were not specific to one particular town or loaction, and Robert G Miller is one of these men. He is a perfect example of how a combination of employment, education, and upbringing can influence how you can be commemorated across the length and breadth of the country.

Robert Gordon Miller (or Millar) was born on the 28th September 1883. A native of Arbroath, he attended the High School there before going on to St Andrews University, receiving an M.A. in 1913. He was assistant minister at Paisley Abbey and afterwards became minister of St. Mary's Parish Church, Dumfries.

When war broke out he enlisted, not as a chaplain like many other members of the clergy, but as a combatant. He was part of the 4th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, but was attached to their 11th Battalion. He was wounded in April 1917, and succumbed to his wounds in May. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.

Millers occupation as a minister goes some way to explaining the number of commemorations on which he appears. As a native of Arbroath, he naturally appears on the town's memorial, and as a former pupil of the High School he is also commemorated there.

Arbroath High School memorial. Robert G Miller is the first name on the right-hand column.

As he attended St Andrews University he is commemorated on their memorial. The University also published a Roll of Honour - Miller is featured in it and the photograph of him at the top of this article originates from there.

The remaining memorials we have located to him all date from his time in the ministry - the memorial to Ministers, Probationers and Divinity Students which is located in St Giles' in Edinburgh lists him as an ordained minister serving as a combatant.

The memorial to Ministers, Probationers and Divinity Students

His time as assistant minister at Paisley Abbey may mean he is commemorated there - the main Paisley civic memorial lists no names and we do not at the moment have a list of the names on the Roll of Honour for Paisley. Nor do we have a memorial in Paisley Abbey - until we do, we can only assume he may be mentioned there.

There are two final memorials, and these result in three commemorations to Miller. How is that possible?

The two memorials in question are both located in St Mary's Church in Dumfries. The first is a plaque solely commemorating Miller.

The final memorial is to the congregation of the church, and this is where the extra commemoration comes in: Miller is listed among the fallen of the congregation, but is singled out for special mention at the top of the memorial.

Why that was done we shall probably never know, but what is clear is that Robert Gordon Miller was clearly well thought of, both by the town of his birth and the town where he led a congregation. The number of commemorations certainly indicates that.

However, while Miller is certainly unusual in the number of commemorations, his is by no means the largest number to a single person in Scotland. That, though, will have to be a story for another time...

Gordon Boyd Walker: The Story Behind the Name

Today we feature a name that isn't part of anyones research as far as we are aware, but instead highlights how one man honoured the memory of his best friend.

A recent new member of the Scottish War Memorials Project posted that he was looking for information on a Second World War casualty. He had been told that this man Gordon Walker had been the best friend of his father, and after Walkers death his father had named his son after him, to honour his memory.

Gordon, the SWMP member in question, had heard this story, and had met Walkers sister, but apart from that didn't know very much.

At this point the intrepid SWMP members used their considerable detective skills to find out more about Walker in order that Gordon could learn more about the man he was named after.

Gordon Boyd Walker was born on the 19th of May 1923, and was the younger son of Ernest and Margaret Walker, of "Dunolly", Kilmarnock Road, Newton Mearns.

Together with his brother Ian, he joined the High School of Glasgow in 1935. As he was fond of animals, he went on to the Royal Veterinary College in Glasgow, before leaving in 1940.

In September 1941 he joined the Royal Air Force, and underwent training in both Canada and the United States.

1943 would prove to be a tragic one for the Walker family. Ian, the eldest son, was killed on the 27th March when HMS Dasher sank after exploding in the Clyde.

Ten days later, Gordon Boyd Walker was on board Lancaster ED662, which was taking part in a Bullseye exercise in Suffolk. The bomber suffered a total engine failure and hit the ground at Kennyhill, 1 mile North of Mildenhall Airfield. There were no survivors.

The two brothers are buried together in Mearns cemetery.

Angus MacKenzie: The Story Behind the Name

Directly above Robert George Mavor on the British Linen Bank memorial is the name of Angus Mackenzie. Unlike Mavor, Angus Mackenzie didn't win any awards, and his death didn't (so far as we know) result in letters of fulsome praise to his family, but his story is no less valid than that of Mavor's, and it deserves to be told just as much as his.

Angus Mackenzie was born on the 7th July 1896, the son of John and Marion Mackenzie, of 25 Dalnair Street, Glasgow. He was educated at Woodside Higher Grade School and later the Glasgow High School.

After leaving school at Christmas 1912 he joined the Hillhead branch of the British Linen Bank.

In about 1913 he joined the Territorial Army, enlisting in the 5th Scottish Rifles, and on the outbreak of war he served a year of home service before volunteering to serve abroad in early 1916.

On the 20th July 1916, Mackenzie together with the rest of the 5th Scottish Rifles were involved in the battle for High Wood.

High Wood was the last of the major woods taken by the British forces during the Somme offensive of 1916. The first assault was on the 14th July, and after several assaults it was finally successfully taken in September. The attack of the 20th July was undertaken by several battalions, including the 1st Cameronians, 5th Scottish Rifles and the 20th Royal Fusiliers.

The attack was unsuccessful. Few men reached the wood itself, and those that did were cut down by German machine gun emplacements within the wood.

The 5th Scottish Rifles suffered 25 Officers and men killed, 165 wounded, and 217 missing, the majority of whom were never found.

Angus Mackenzie was initially reported wounded and missing at High Wood. It was not until June 1917 that he was officially declared to have died on the 20th July 1916.

The body of Angus Mackenzie was eventually found and identified, and he lies in Section XI, Row A, Grave 34 of Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval. He is commemorated on the British Linen Bank war memorial in Edinburgh.

The Story Behind the Name: Robert Mavor

Whenever you look at a war memorial, it is important to remember that the men and women commemorate are more than just a name on a plaque. This new regular feature will pick selected names on memorials and tell you a little about their lives.

My research into the Bank of Scotland memorials has also meant researching some of the banks which were incorporated into the Bank of Scotland, later HBOS and now the Lloyds Banking Group.

One such bank is the British Linen Bank. Their memorial can be seen in the Bank of Scotland branch in St Andrews Square in Edinburgh, and one of the names on that memorial is Robert George Mavor, MC.

The British Linen Bank First World War memorial in Edinburgh.

Robert George Innis Mavor was born in September 1891, the youngest son of John and Margaret Mathieson Mavor. He was educated at George Heriot’s School from 1903 to 1907, and served his apprenticeship with the Linen Bank in the Newington branch before being appointed permanently in the Head Office. He was a member of the Institute of Bankers.

He was released for military service by the bank on the 21st October 1915, and was commissioned into the 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as a Second Lieutenant.

He arrived in France in October 1916, and in April 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Vimy Ridge. The citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He took command of the company during the advance at a time when it was held up by machine gun fire. He reorganized the company and handled it with great skill. His fine example and skill enabled the company to gain its final objective.

The Captain of the company concerned wrote to Mavors’ parents, giving them a little more detail about the events leading to his award:

“I was hit in the knee, and unable to move. Things looked black; but your son, on finding I was hit, took command, reorganized the company, and led them forward, clearing out the enemy and taking our objective, for which splendid work he was recommended by the Colonel. It was magnificently done, and he deserves great credit , especially as he was slightly wounded at the time.”

Despite being wounded he was able to continue his duties, but he would not live to see the award of the Military Cross as he was killed in action at Roeux on the 23rd April 1917.

His Colonel wrote to his parents:

“It is with the greatest regret that I have to tell you that your son was killed on the 23rd, while gallantly leading his men in the attack. He was one of the most capable young officers I had, and had already done splendidly in the Vimy Ridge. His name would have been sent in for special mention.”

A fellow officer wrote:

“He went with B Company to attack Roeux on the 23rd, but unfortunately was killed by machine-gun fire in the woods before reaching the village. His men tell me he was slightly wounded, but refused to give up, like the true and faithful soldier he has always shown himself, until he was mortally hit. He is the greatest loss to the battalion as he was loved by everyone, and his work at all times was beyond praise.”

Another officer wrote:

“I knew your son well, and the longer he was with me the more I appreciated his sterling qualities. Always cheerful and willing, his men loved him and would go anywhere with him; an officer can have no finer tribute paid him…in his death the battalion have lost one of their very best officers, and the company, both officers and men, a bright and unselfish companion.”

Robert Mavor is buried in Section I, Row A, Grave 11/16 of Level Crossing Cemetery, Fampoux. As well as being commemorated on the British Linen Bank war memorial in Edinburgh, he is also listed on the memorial at George Heriot's School.

Soldiers unveil rare war memento seized from Taliban in daring raid

From the Daily Record today:

Black Watch squaddies yesterday unveiled a rare battle flag captured from the Taliban during one of the biggest airborne assaults since World War II.

A soldier dodged a storm of machine gun and rocket fire to seize the war standard during a daring raid on an insurgent stronghold at the start of Operation Panther's Claw.

Military experts said the white flag was an "astonishing find" and a powerful symbol which Taliban fanatics would have fought to the death to defend.

The flag, which has religious script scribbled on it by hardened Taliban fighters, is now the centrepiece of the Black Watch's regimental museum in Perth.

Captain Ben Collis, of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, said the flag was taken when 430 troops swooped into the Luy Mandah bazaar in Babaji, central Helmand, on June 20 last year.

He said: "It was the opening move of Operation Panchai Palang - which translates as Panther's Claw - and marked the beginning of the Afghan and British armies' retaking of central Helmand from the Taliban.

"The operation was focused on providing security in the most populous area of Helmand, between the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and the town of Gereskh, before reconstruction and job creation schemes could begin.

"The battalion was to take part in three subsequent phases of the operation, which lasted for over a month in total. This Taliban flag was found flying in the bazaar.

"It was captured by Lieutenant Alex Phillips, commander of 5 Platoon, on the second day of that operation. Lieutenant Phillips was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in an earlier operation."

Other mementoes gifted to the museum from the battalion's recent tour of Afghanistan include blank mortar rounds fired at the repatriation ceremony of two fallen Black Watch soldiers, a pressure pad detonator from a deadly improvised explosive device and a personal mine extraction kit.

Afghanistan expert Dr Alex Marshall, of the Scottish Centre for War Studies at Glasgow University, said: "This flag is fascinating and a very unusual acquisition for the museum.

"The Taliban have a codex or book of strict rules on how to treat civilians and how to live. These are sometimes found but I have never heard of a flag being seized before.

"It would not be carried into battle but used as a marker to signify a Taliban stronghold or headquarters. Symbolically, it is very important and shows how the Taliban are trying to establish a shadow state.

"The flag would also be important religiously and to have it flying over an area would be a real two-fingered gesture towards the Kabul government.

"The Taliban would only have let this flag fall into British hands as a matter of last resort and if they were taken by surprise by overwhelming forces."

The Black Watch museum at Balhousie Castle features items from their formation in 1725 - when General Wade, leader of the King's Army in Scotland, set up six companies of the Highland "Watch" dressed in the unit's tartan - to modern-day wars.

Museum manager Emma Halford-Forbes said: "It was fantastic to get the Taliban flag, which is very rare, and other items from the battalion's recent deployment in Afghanistan.

"We are always very grateful for all items received from serving soldiers. They are mementoes from momentous times in people's lives and help bring to life the history of the battalion.

"They help to allow people to relate to what is happening in modern conflicts and the sacrifices of modern soldiers.

"A lot of young children will be fascinated by the displays from Afghanistan. These items may seem commonplace to people using them on a day-to-day basis but they have a huge sentimental value and provenance.

"They also help the museum to preserve the history of the Black Watch for future generations.

"In recent years we have been very lucky to receive many interesting items from conflicts to add to our collection.

"These include an Iraqi AK47 and a box of rations from Iraq in 2003."

Other items in the museum's collection include a German Luger pistol from World War I, a book of pressed flowers from Jerusalem belonging to a Black Watch soldier wounded at Ypres in 1917 and German and Japanese flags from World War Two.

White Flag When Taliban warlords seized power in Kabul in 1996 and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the white flag became the national flag of the country. It symbolises the alleged purity of their Islamic faith and government.

After 1997, the Taliban added the Shahadah - the declaration that there is no god but Allah and the prophet Muhammad is his messenger - to the flag.

Pressure Pad This boobytrap was donated to the museum to show the deadly array of weapons they faced in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters made the pressure pad as part of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) designed to evade detection and kill British soldiers. The device has two metal sections that make an electric circuit when pressure is applied, triggering a nearby bomb.

Bunker Buster This rocket launcher was also gifted to the museum. The bazooka-style weapon was used by troops to destroy compounds and fortified positions.

The High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Warhead Launcher was fired from the shoulder. It was very effective against Taliban using thick compound walls to snipe at British soldiers.

Troops to cross paths

Scots troops will cross paths as they leave and arrive in Afghanistan in Spring.

Soldiers of 2 Scots, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, and 5 Scots, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, are due home in April.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Royal Marines from 45 Commando in Arbroath will go over to the Nad-e-Ali district at the same time.

They will join 4 Scots, the Highlanders, 100 soldiers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and TA troops from the 6th and 7th battalions to train Afghan forces.

Around 120 personnel from RAF Lossiemouth's 617 Squadron will also carry out patrols from a base at Kandahar Air Field.

Some 200 from RAF Leuchars will provide security for a main Nato air base.

Following a training period in Kenya this year, soldiers of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, are due to go to Afghanistan in around a year's time.

Troops from 1 Scots, the Royal Scots Borderers, arrived back from Afghanistan in October. They were deployed to shovel snow on the streets of Edinburgh in early December and were officially stood down for Christmas on December 17.

In October 400 troops from 1 Scots marched down Edinburgh's Royal Mile as part of their homecoming parade. Army chiefs are planning similar parades for soldiers coming back in 2011.

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 12

The first day of our advent calendar featured a pair of boots from the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Black Watch.

Today's items is a short video featuring clips from the production and an interview with the director John Tiffany.



I believe that the entire play might be available on YouTube, but don't quote me on that...

Who's Who in Scottish Military History - General George Wade

No-one said those I choose to be included in my Who's Who series should actually be Scots. However Irishman George Wade's appointment to the post of Chief of His Majesty's forces, castles, forts and barracks in North Britain in December 1724, a post he would hold until 1740, forever changed the Highlands of Scotland.

By 1724 Major General Wade had been in the army for 34 year. After being commissioned aged 17 he had gone on to serve in many battles in Flanders and Spain and had been involved in suppressing the 1715 Jacobite Uprising.

Like most senior officers of the time he even became an MP and served as a Member of Parliament from 1715 to 1747; and helped set up the Foundling Hospital in London in 1739.

At first Wade was sent up to Scotland in 1724 on an inspection tour to report back on what could be done to pacify the Highlands after the third Jacobite rising in 1719. The report he sent back impressed the government so much that he was immediately made senior army officer in Scotland.

For the next twelve years Wade set about building roads between Inverness, Perth and Stirling so troops could quickly move from the Lowlands north. He rebuilt and connected by roads Ruthven Barracks, Fort William and Fort Augustus and he ensured the areas in between were policed.

In all 250 miles of road and 40 bridges built. For the first time the highlands of Scotland were connected by a road network.

In 1725 he also raised a gendarmerie style unit. Six independent companies of highland soldiers who would police or ‘watch’ the Highlands. By 1739 another four companies had been raised and the ten companies were combined to form the 43rd Highland Regiment, later better known as the Black Watch.

By 1740 his experience was needed abroad after the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession and in 1743 he was a Field Marshall in command of a combined British-Austrian army in Flanders and served under George II at Dettingen, the last time a British monarch ‘led’ his troops into battle.

In 1744 he returned home to take command of Allied troops in the UK (these included Dutch and German troops) in case the French invaded.

What he didn’t expect was another Jacobite Rebellion and he was caught unprepared. With his Independent Companies now a regular regiment and fighting in Europe there were few troops patrolling the Highlands. All his work with his roads, troops and diplomacy failed to stop the rising taking place and the string of defeats and swift advance of the Jacobites into England meant he was dismissed and replaced by the Duke of Cumberland.

Wade’s long and distinguished career had ended in ignominy but when he died in 1748 his latter disgrace didn’t overshadow his previous accomplishments and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. He also left behind a legacy of roads and bridges in Northern Scotland which helped its development in the eighteenth century.