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- 6th Battalion, Black Watch during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

6th Battalion, Black Watch



   The 6th (Perthshire) Battalion Black Watch had their HQ in Tay Street, Perth. At the outbreak of war in 1914 they were part of the Black Watch Infantry Brigade, thier allocated war station being the Scottish Coastal Defences. A and B Companies were based in Perth, C Coy was drawn from Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Doune and callander. D Coy from Crieff and Cromerty. E Coy was from Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus and Alyth. F Coy was from Auchterarder, Blackford and Dunning, G Coy from Birnam, Pictlochery, Bankfoot, Ballinluig, Stanley, Luncarty, Strathbraun and Blair Atholl. H Coy was from Aberfeldy, Kenmore, Fortingall, Grantully and Killin.

23rd May 1915 6th Blackwatch in the trenches  location map

7th Sep 1915 Newspaper Exchange

13th of April 1918 Report  location map

17th Aug 1918 Reliefs  location map

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 6th Battalion, Black Watch?


There are:4 items tagged 6th Battalion, Black Watch available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

6th Battalion, Black Watch

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Blacklock John. Pte. (d.23rd Apr 1917)
  • Campbell Niven. Pte. (d.7th Sep 1916)
  • Davidson Walter. Pte. (d.31st July 1917)
  • Johnston William. Pte.
  • Manning Michael. Pte. (d.13th Aug 1915 )
  • McNeill Peter. Drum Major (d.20th Nov 1917)
  • McPherson Andrew. Pte. (d.26th Jun 1915)
  • Nicol Charles. Pte.
  • Smith Robert Boyd. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
  • Stewart Charles Edward. Pte. (d.30th July 1916)
  • Sutherland James Neil. Pte. (d.9th Apr 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 6th Battalion, Black Watch from other sources.


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  • 22nd April 2024

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      World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
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  Pte. James Neil Sutherland 8th Btn. Black Watch (d.9th Apr 1917)

James Sutherland, known as Neil, was born 21st of July 1892 in Markinch, Fife, to William Sutherland and Elizabeth Mowat. In May 1909 he went to work for the Royal Bank of Scotland as an apprentice in Markinch, before moving to the Leven Street branch in Edinburgh in August 1914, and finally Cupar branch in 1916.

During the First World War he left the bank to join the army, becoming a Private in the 9th (Scottish) Infantry Division 8th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) and died aged 24 on the first day of the Battle of Arras, and is buried in Mindel Trench British Cemetery at St. Laurent-Blangy. He is commemorated on the War Memorial on Balbirnie Street, Markinch.

The 8th Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) were among the first Allied soldiers to spring out of tunnels in a surprise attack against the German front line at Arras. Neil died in the battle but while in the tunnels wrote a letter to his brother John back home. He was also a keen musician.

<p>James Neil Sutherland (1892 - 1917)

Bryce Sutherland






  Pte. Robert Boyd Smith 6th (Perthshire) Battalion Black Watch (d.1st July 1916)

I understand that Robert Smith answered the call and volunteered along with his brother James in 1915 and joined the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion of the Black Watch Regiment which formed part of the 51st Highland Division that took part in the Battle of the Somme. I believe that Robert was killed during the offensive on the first day.







  Pte. Walter Davidson 6th Btn Blackwatch (d.31st July 1917)

Walter Davidson was my great grandfather's uncle. He died at the age of 19 at Passchendaele. He is buried in No Man's Cot cemetery, near Ypres.

Kyla Evans






  Pte. Andrew McPherson 6th Btn. G Company. Black Watch (d.26th Jun 1915)

Pte. Andrew McPherson served with the G Company, 6th Battalion, Black Watch. He died on 26th July 1915

Mary Meldrum






  Pte. Michael Manning 6th (Perthshire) Battalion (d.13th Aug 1915 )

My 2nd great grandfather Cornelius Manning and his son, Michael Manning, both went off to war in 1914. Father and son both served in France, Cornelius for two years, Michael for one serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 6th (Perthshire) Battalion (Territorial) - he was killed in Flanders dying of his wounds and subsequently buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery, France.

Cornelius survived and was discharged in 1919, later dying in 1925 at around the age of fifty. He was survived by his wife Annie and his five daughters, including Annie Hutchison, my great grandmother.

J Kennedy






  Drum Major Peter McNeill 6th Battalion Black Watch (d.20th Nov 1917)

Peter McNeill worked at Pullars dye work in Perth, Scotland. He was involved in The Battle of Festubert, Battle of Beaumont-Hamel, The Somme, Third Battle of Ypres and The Battle of Cambrai, where he died age 35. He left behind a widow and four sons. His regiment were part of the 51st Highland Division, one of the most feared units from Britain, and the 153rd Military Brigade. He was a piper and a drummer.

Max Macdonald






  Pte. William Johnston 6th Battalion Black Watch

William Johnston. At the beginning of the First World War in 1914 when he was 18 years of age he volunteered for duty. He was at first assigned to the 13th Battalion of the Scottish Horse but then re-assigned to the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion of the Black Watch as 268693 Private William Johnston/Rifleman.

My Father seldom spoke of what he saw or of what he did, however my research has shown that one conflict he took part in was at the Battle of The Ancre (Beaumont Hamel), 13th-14th November in 1916. On the 29th October 1918 the 6th Battalion was withdrawn from the front line and at the time of the Armistice was located in the Cambrai area. At 10.15am on the 10th of December 1918 William Johnston crossed the Belgium frontier into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. He had scribbled this fact down on a page of a tiny German diary which he had acquired and which he kept in his cigarette case. This case had been quite intricately engraved by a fellow soldier using only a needle and a piece of leather. It was about this time, as he passed through Belgium, that he joined the church, his Army Chaplain wrote to his Minister at Midmar to let him know of this.

It's not known for how long Dad remained in Germany but then, according to Army Form Z.11 (found in small cardboard box containing his medals), on the 29th August 1919 at the Dispersal Unit at Kinross he was demobbed from the Army and returned to the family home now at Upper Kebbaty in Midmar in Aberdeenshire.

When he left for the War in 1914 he was told his job would be waiting for him when he returned, needless to say and in common with thousands and thousands of other returning young soldiers, this was not the case. So in order to complete his grocers apprenticeship he had to find another position in another shop to allow him to do so. He got a reference from his last employers, the Northern Co-operative Society, and then found such a position with Mr Brown who had a General Merchants business in the village of Pitmedden in Udny, here he became known as "Broon's loon"! This proved to be the most fortuitous of moves because whilst there he met and courted the miller of Udny's daughter, Lizzie Gibson, whom he married on the 24th December 1924.

The only wartime possessions he had, and left, were, his Bible which he carried throughout the War; a metal cigarette case which is mentioned above; and his two medals. My Father died on 2/2/1988.

William G. Johnston






  Pte. Charles Edward Stewart 6th Battalion Black Watch (d.30th July 1916)

Charles Stewart died age 21 at Highwood, Somme, France. His body was not found so his name is on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.

Stewart Winchester






  Pte. Charles Nicol 6th Perthshire Battalion The Black Watch

Charles married his wife Amelia Drydon in Perth, Perthshire, on June 26, 1915. He was a watchmaker and on his wedding certificate he notes that he is a Private in the 6th Perthshire Battalion, The Black Watch.

Ellen Stewart






  Pte. John Blacklock 6th (Perthshire) Btn. The Black Watch (d.23rd Apr 1917)

I was researching the family tree recently and found out the John who is my maternal great grand father was killed in action in Arras on 23/04/1917. If anyone can give me any more info on him I would appreciate it.

Lorna Charnick






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