Forgotten Faces of the First World War

We've been very quiet on the blog front recently. We've really got no excuse other than we've been working on various projects which will hopefully be of interest. We can't ay much more than that, but in the future we'll hopefully have lots of news for you.

In the meantime, we thought we'd show this short video. We've already mentioned this on our Faxcebook and Twitter feeds, but here it is on the blog for those of you who don't subscribe to either.

You may recognise some of the photos in the slideshow from our "Image of the Day" posts on the blog, but there are a number of images you won't have seen before. Hope you enjoy it.
 

Release of the movie "The Eagle"

It's not often a war film set in Scotland gets released and a big budget Hollywood one at that. Tomorrow is the release date for "The Eagle". It's based on Rosemary Sutcliffe's 1954 book "Eagle of the Ninth".

I haven't seen the film so can't possibly comment on how good or bad it is but it was filmed in Plockton and used locals as extras so I hope it has an authentically Scottish (well Pictish / Celtic) feel.

It is known that the Roman Ninth, or IX Hispana Legion was based in the North of England in the second century A.D. from an inscription in York in 108 A.D. By 162 A.D. a list of all the Roman Legions around their Empire doesn't list the Ninth, so between 108 and 162 it ceased to exist. Unfortunately records from that time are too patchy to know whether it was or wasn't destroyed in what is now Scotland, and all the evidence either way seems to be pretty circumstantial

By tracing evidence of a campaign from Roman marching camps, local historians from Roman Scotland have put forward a theory that the legion was marching along the Tweed valley in 117 A.D. when it disappeared around what is now Cardrona near Peebles. They have put a lot of effort into this investigation so I'd be interested to see if their theory turns out to be right.

Anyway enough about the real history; we're talking about Hollywood history (and one based on a children's novel from the 1950s). So forget about the facts and enjoy the trailer we've posted.

Who's Who in Scottish Military history - Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown

The Dundonian Adam Duncan is hardly known outside Angus and even there he is known mainly because his family gifted Camperdown Park to the city nearly 150 years after his death.

He really should be better known because his victory at Camperdown in 1797 was an overwhelming defeat of the Dutch Navy; which at the time was still a powerful fleet and a threat to the UK .

Duncan was born on 1st July 1731 in Lundie, a few miles from Dundee , into a prosperous local family. His father was Provost of Dundee between 1744 and 1747.

At fifteen Duncan joined the Royal Navy. Just in time for the Seven Years War which saw British ships fight for supremacy of the seas against the French and Spanish. There was a lull in his active service between the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence and then he served as a captain from 1778 to 1782 where he distinguished himself in various actions against French and Spanish ships.

In 1783 the war was over and he returned to Portsmouth and was promoted to Rear Admiral of the Blue. Over the next twelve years he was steadily promoted until in 1795 he was promoted Admiral and made Commander-in-Chief in the North Seas . Duncan ’s appointment was to a very important post. In the late eighteenth century the Dutch had one of the strongest navies in the world and with Holland under the control of the French it meant they were a threat to Britain and more importantly a threat to the Thames sea trade which ultimately paid for the Royal Navy and protected the country from Napoleon.

By 1797 Duncan had managed to blockade the bulk of the Dutch fleet in the port of Texel with only four ships. Keeping ninety five Dutch ships in port with only four ships pretending to be many more was a sleight of hand which would put Paul Daniels to shame. It couldn’t last though and autumn storms forced Duncan back into Yarmouth to refit.

The Dutch took the opportunity to head for the open sea. They weren’t actually going anywhere, it was just a political move to show that they were no longer trapped in port. It was a mistake they would soon regret. On 7th October 1797 Duncan left port again, this time with sixteen ships and on 11th October 1797 the two fleets met off the small Dutch fishing village of Camperduin in North Holland.

The Royal Navy took the advantage straight away and in a bold stroke Duncan ordered his sixteen ships to fight their way in between the eighteen Dutch ships and put themselves between the Dutch fleet and the coast so that the Dutch could not run away into port.

The fighting was a brutal slugging match with ship pounding ship but in the end the Royal Navy’s gunners were better than their Dutch equivalents and sunk nine ships. The rest of the Dutch fleet had been badly mauled and scattered out to sea.

In one day Duncan had effectively destroyed the Dutch Navy; a fleet which had been feared by the British for over one hundred and thirty years.

Duncan was a hero at home and was made a Viscount. His family thought he deserved an earldom (and that was granted to his son) but he was also awarded a pension of £2000 which was no trifling amount in 1797.

That was a fitting end to Duncan ’s long career but he didn’t have a long retirement. Old age and a punishing life at sea caught up with him and he died suddenly on 4th August 1804 at Cornhill in Berwickshire, and is buried in the churchyard at Lundie.

Apart from Camperdown Park in Dundee he is commemorated with a statue in his home town. It was unveiled in 1997 in Dundee , on the 200th anniversary of his most famous battle.

His name also lives on in the Royal Navy. The seventh HMS ‘Duncan’ a Type 45 Destroyer was recently launched on the Clyde. Appropriately it was launched on 11th October - the anniversary of the Battle of Camperdown.

You can see a video of that launch here:

The Scottish Soldier in Bronze and Stone

Happy New Year!

As the first post of 2011 we thought a small treat was in store.

Below is a short film created by Adam Brown, showcasing some of the memorials on Scotland. We hope you enjoy it!

Sites of Interest: "The Fallen Oak"

HMS Royal Oak was sunk at Scapa Flow in 1939, and is now recognised as a war grave.

In 2006 ADUS Ltd were commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to carry out a sonar survey of the wreck.

Images of that sonar survey can be viewed on the ADUS website here, as well as images of other wrecks.

You can also view a movie "flypast" of the wreck, which is fascinating to watch.

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 24

For today's advent calendar entry, think of this as a Christmas carol.

This scene is from the film Joyeux Noel, which is set around the time of the "Christmas Truce" of 1914. The film features a company of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, here singing and playing the pipes in the trenches.

This scene does not feature the subtitles of the foreign soldiers, so here (courtesy of the original uploader to YouTube) is a translation of those lines of dialogue:

German Soldier: They seem to be having quite a party. Don't you want to? This is Anna Sörensen.
Anna: Good Evening.
Soldiers: Good Evening.
German Lieutenant: What is this? Are you crazy, bringing this lady with you?
German Soldier: Lieutenant, I've convinced the Crown Prince that a little music on Christmas Eve won't do any harm.
German Lieutenant: Very well. Start singing, then.

French Soldier: Lieutenant, come quickly! Something weird is happening there!
French Soldier: I don't like the look of this, Lieutenant. Might be a diversion?

German Lieutenant: Sprink! Come down from there!

German Soldier: Good evening, Englishmen!
Scottish Soldier: Good evening, Germans, but we're not English, we're Scottish!
German Lieutenant: Alright, that was nice and all, but we're going back now. This is not the Berlin opera house.
German Soldier: You're right. This is better than Berlin.

French Soldier: Well, look at that. That beats everything. A summit meeting in No-Man's-Land, and we're not invited!
French Lieutenant: Shut it, Ponchel. What kind of mess is this?

French Soldier: What are they doing there?
French Soldier: Maybe the Germans have had enough. Maybe they're surrendering?
French Soldier: That would surprise me.
French Lieutenant: Ponchel, give me a bottle of champagne, and my cup.

Fancy a brew?

I'm always partial to a nice cup of tea. The first thing I do when I get to work is to fill my mug and have a nice cuppa. It sets me up for the day.

We've written about tea on the blog before, when it was announced that NAAFI Tea was available to the public.

Now, for those of you prefer your tea loose and not shoved into a bag, you can purchase Royal Air Force tea. It not only tastes delicious, but whenever you purchase it you are helping the Royal Air Force charities.

Made by the Rare Tea Company, you can either purchase it directly from them, or you can buy it at Sainsbury's. You'll find it online by searching item code 7337723 on the Sainsbury's website.

Need persuading further? Why not let Alexander Armstrong explain how good this tea is:

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 21

Today's item is another YouTube clip, this time a series of films entitled "A Soldier's Story - Argylls in Afghan" - soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland) videoed their experiences while on a 6 month tour of Helmand province.

Part One


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four


Part Five


Part Six


Part Seven

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 20

Today's advent calendar item is a film of the dedication of a new Standard for the Highland Light Infantry Association at the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel. 13th August 2010.

Part One


Part Two


Part Three

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 14

Today's advent calendar item shows a little-known Scottish Regiment on the march and performing duties in their barracks...

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 13

Today's item is a clip from a 2005 news item reporting the death of Alfred Anderson, Scotlands last surviving veteran of the First World War.

Alfred was also the last surviving witness of the Christmas Truce of 1914.

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...

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 11

Another YouTube treat for you today.

This is the disbandment ceremony for the Cameronians, which took place in Douglas, Lanarkshire on 14th May 1968.

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three:


Part Four:


Part Five:


Part Six:

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 10

A music video for Day 10 of our Advent Calendar. I'll let the YoutTube description speak for itself:

"One of Scotland's top Pipers Major RTD Gavin Stoddart MBE BEM and Hawick singer song writer Alan Brydon of Scocha perform their song for Passchendaele during the Tattoo on Flanders in August 2007. The song was specially commissioned by the organisers of the new memorial to fallen Scots at Passchendaele, Flanders."

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 8

Today's advent calendar item is a reading of a poem by Charles Hamilton Sorley.

Sorley was once described as "one of the three poets of importance killed during the war". This poem was found in his kit after he was killed at the Battle of Loos, aged just 20.

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 7

Today's advent calendar treat is a link to a short excerpt of film courtesy of the British Pathe website.

The film is dated 1931 and shows ex-servicemen gathered for a service of remembrance.

We hope you enjoy it. Be sure to check the British Pathe website for many more clips of interest.

EX-SERVICEMEN OF EVERY SCOTTISH REGIMENT

Visit the Poppyscotland store

Poppyscotland, the website of the Scottish Poppy Appeal, this year has a shop selling a number of Poppy branded items.

The English equivalent has sold items like this previously, but this is the first year that Scotland has followed suit. The store is worth a look, and I would encourage anyone to have a browse and consider a purchase - it's all in a very good cause!

You can also now follow Poppyscotland on Twitter, Facebook, or view their YouTube page.