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1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
The 1st Battalion was despatched to France in May 1940 and forced, under the assault of the German blitzkrieg, to withdraw to Dunkirk. Along with most of the 51st Highland Division, it was ordered to surrender at St Valery.
In August 1942 the re-formed 1st Battalion along with the 5th and 7th Battalions arrived in North Africa as part of 51st Highland Division in time to take part in the battle of El Alamein, the turning point in the war. This was followed by pursuit across North Africa with hard-fought victories at Mareth and Wadi Akarit, and the entry into Tripoli.
Still under the 51st Highland Division, the 1st Battalion Black Watch was part of the invasion of Sicily. After heavy fighting by the 1st Battalion at Gerbini and by all at Sferro, Sicily was conquered.
The 1st, 5th and 7th Battalions, still in the 51st Highland Division, were all landed in Normandy on or shortly after D Day, 6 June 1944. All three battalions were employed in the operations to stem the last German offensive into the Ardennes in January 1945. It then fought in the battles of the Reichswald Forest on the Dutch-German? border, with the 1st Battalion being the first Allied troops on German territory.
4th January 1940 Orders 
6th January 1940 Postings
7th of April 1940 Battlefield tour
16th Apr 1940 On the Move
1st May 1940 Reliefs
15th May 1940 Orders
20th May 1940 Withdrawal
22nd May 1940 Threat
23rd May 1940 In Reserve
24th May 1940 Orders
25th May 1940 On the Move
26th May 1940 Moves
27th May 1940 On the Move
28th May 1940 On the Move
11th Jun 1940 Orders
12th May 1942 Training
 1st Battalion, The Highland Regiment leap over an obstacle on an assault course, Dundee, 12th of May 1942 © IWM (H 19616)
12th May 1942 Training
22nd May 1942 Competition
23rd May 1942 Competition
30th of May 1942 Movement Instruction No. 1.
1st Jun 1942 Royal Visit
1st of June 1942 Royal visit
2nd Jun 1942 Exercise
7th of June 1942 Training Instruction No.3
7th of June 1942 Appendix 'A' Block Programme
7th of June 1942 Syllabus No. 1 - Appendix 'B'
7th of June 1942 Syllabus No. 2 Appendix 'C'
7th of June 1942 Syllabus No. 3 Appendix 'D'
7th of June 1942 Syllabus No. 4 Appendix 'E'
7th of June 1942 Syllabus No. 5 Appendix 'F'
7th of June 1942 Champion Platoon Competition Appendix 'G'
10th of June 1942 Visit
11th of June 1942 Movement Instruction No: 2
11th of June 1942 Movement Instruction No 2, Appendix "A"
12th of June 1942 Preparations for move
13th of June 1942 Movement Instruction No. 3
13th of June 1942 More preparations
14th of June 1942 Addendum No. 1 to Movement Instruction No. 3
14th of June 1942 Rail Table - Appendix "A"
14th of June 1942 Train Staffs - Appendix "B"
15th of June 1942 Move
19th of June 1942 Sailing
20th of June 1942 Stopover
21st of June 1942 Sailing on
21st of June 1942 At Sea
1st of July 1942 Stopover
4th of July 1942 At Sea
5th of July 1942 Training
17th of July 1942 Arrival Cape Town
19th of July 1942 March
20th of July 1942 March
21st of July 1942 At sea
21st of July 1942 At Sea
19th of September 1942 Move
22nd of September 1942 Exercises
1st of October 1942 Tragic loss
4th of October 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
4th of October 1942 Field Return of Officers
9th of October 1942 Notes
9th of October 1942 1 Black Watch Op Order No 1. Exercise "Rothes"
10th of October 1942 Amendments and Additions to O.O. No. 1 Exercise "Rothes"
11th of October 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
11th of October 1942 Field Return of Officers
13th of October 1942 Move
13th of October 1942 Quiet Period
18th of October 1942 Movement Timetable
18th of October 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
18th of October 1942 Field Return of Officers
18th of October 1942 Movement Order
18th of October 1942 Relief
19th of October 1942 Relief
20th of October 1942 Preparation for attack
21st of October 1942 Preparation
21st of October 1942 Move to attack
22nd of October 1942 Action
22nd of October 1942 Schedule of Tasks for Evening
23rd Oct 1942 In Action
23rd Oct 1942 Led by the Pipers
23rd of October 1942 Action
23rd of October 1942 In battle
24th Oct 1942 In Action
28th Oct 1942 Barrage
29th of October 1942 Shelling
30th of October 1942 Liaison with Tank Regiment
31st of October 1942 Consolidation
1st of November 1942 Relief
2nd of November 1942 Move
3rd of November 1942 Under fire
4th Nov 1942 In Action
4th Nov 1942 Out of Action
4th of November 1942 Battalion's involvement in El Alamein ends
5th of November 1942 Reorganisation
9th of November 1942 Move
10th of November 1942 Reorganisation
11th of November 1942 Inspection
15th of November 1942 Field Return of Officers
16th of November 1942 March
17th of November 1942 March continues
18th of November 1942 New base
19th of November 1942 Stock taking
19th of November 1942 Stocktaking Questionnaire
22nd of November 1942 Field Return of Officers
22nd of November 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
22nd of November 1942 Operational Order No. 11. Appendix B
22nd of November 1942 Instructions
23rd of November 1942 Administrative Situation Report up to 23 Nov 42
24th of November 1942 Additions and Amendments to 42nd O.O. dated 24 Nov 42.
24th of November 1942 Instructions
25th of November 1942 Move
25th of November 1942 Orders
28th of November 1942 Routine
29th of November 1942 Reorganisation
29th of November 1942 Organization
29th of November 1942 Field Return of Officers
30th of November 1942 Preparation for move
1st of December 1942 Move
1st of December 1942 Operation Order No. 12.
1st of December 1942 Orders
1st of December 1942 Orders
1st of December 1942 Orders
2nd of December 1942 Move
5th of December 1942 Work
6th of December 1942 Op Order No. 13 Appendix B
6th of December 1942 Op Order No. 13 Appendix "A" - March Table - 7 Dec 42.
6th of December 1942 Tpt for Move 7 Dec 42 - Appendix C
6th of December 1942 Field Return of Officers
6th of December 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
7th of December 1942 Recce
7th of December 1942 Patrols
8th of December 1942 Relief
8th of December 1942 Relief
9th of December 1942 Shelling
10th of December 1942 O.C. C Coy killed
10th of December 1942 Orders
11th of December 1942 Raid
12th of December 1942 Advance
13th of December 1942 Patrol casualties
13th of December 1942 Field Return of Officers
13th of December 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
13th of December 1942 Move planning
14th of December 1942 Reorganisation
15th of December 1942 Rest
15th of December 1942 Congratulatory messages
15th of December 1942 Orders
16th of December 1942 Rehearsal
17th of December 1942 Rest
18th of December 1942 Training
18th of December 1942 Training Forecast
18th of December 1942 List of Bn Personnel killed in action and died of wounds
18th of December 1942 Bn HQ Group - Battle Equipment
18th of December 1942 "Battle Duties" - Battalion H.Q. Group
18th of December 1942 Appx M. - Battle Procedure - Bn. HQ Group
19th of December 1942 Exercise
20th of December 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
20th of December 1942 Church parade
20th of December 1942 Field Firing Exercise
20th of December 1942 Field Return of Officers
20th of December 1942 Field Return of Other Ranks
21st of December 1942 Training
21st of December 1942 Appx J - Training Instruction No. 3.
21st of December 1942 Training Programme, 23 Dec - 5 Jan
22nd of December 1942 Training
22nd of December 1942 Christmas Fare
23rd of December 1942 Discussion
24th of December 1942 Eighth Army News
24th of December 1942 Movement Order No 1.
25th of December 1942 Christmas day
25th of December 1942 Message
26th of December 1942 Changes in personnel
26th of December 1942 Field Return of Other ranks
27th of December 1942 Move
27th of December 1942 March Table Appendix 'A' Movement Order No 1.
27th of December 1942 Field Return of Officers
28th of December 1942 Training
30th of December 1942 Move
30th of December 1942 Training Schedule
31st of December 1942 Training
16th Jan 1943 Advance
5th Feb 1943 Inspection
6th Mar 1943 In Action
16th Mar 1943 In Action
6th Apr 1943 Attack Made
6th Apr 1943 In Action
19th Apr 1943 In Action
5th May 1943 In Action
9th Jul 1943 In Action
29th Jul 1943 In Action
17th Jan 1944 Exercise
18th Jan 1944 Exercise
19th Jan 1944 Exercise
10th April 1944 Exercise
10th April 1944 Exercise
21st April 1944 Exercise
22nd April 1944 Exercise
22nd April 1944 Orders
23rd April 1944 Exercise
23rd April 1944 Exercise Notes
24th April 1944 154th Brigade Instructions
12th Jul 1944 Rest
18th July 1944 In Action
7th Aug 1944 In Action
16th August 1944 Reorganisation
16th Oct 1944 Enemy Positions Targetted
23rd Oct 1944 Attack Made
3rd May 1945 Orders
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)? There are:1524 items tagged 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Pte. John Barty 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.9th May 1940) My late mother was Ann Hay Barty and 2 of her brothers - John and Robert were in the Black Watch Regiment. John appears in several Rolls of Honour and I have seen him appear in records at Edinburgh Castle, The Black Watch Museum in Perth and the City of Dundee. Robert appears to have died in 1940 in Glasgow from a heart condition. I intend to visit the Choloy Cemetry in the next couple of years.
I am attaching photographs of both of them in uniform (don't know who is Robert and who is John) but can find no trace of Robert having served in the Black Watch. I also have a photograph of my grandfather John Barty in uniform but I do not know the regiment he was in. Is anyone able to help identify the regiment from the photo?
I am researching my Scottish Ancestry now and would dearly love to know more about my relatives and the roles they played in the British Army
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Harry Dalby 1st Battalion The Black Watch, 51st Highland Division My late grandfather Harry Dalby was a POW in Stalag XXA. I have had his prisoner of war records translated and they give 2.K Batlingen, Batlingen 20 and Reigersfeld as work camps.
My grandfather, while in one of the camps, had what can only be described as a large hankie or part of a sheet with his Battalion's badge and two soldiers in highland dress on either side of it. This was drawn in ink we were told. It also has HE YDEBRECK written on the top of it which I believe is Batlingen. We have no idea who made this for him so if anyone has any idea or info I would be very greatful.
He was in the 1st Battalion The Black Watch, 51st Highland Division captured St.Valery 16/6/40.
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Pte. Arthur Charles Freeman 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.22nd Nov 1944) Arthur Arthur was my uncle and lived in Liverpool all his life. I remember the telegram coming to tell us of his death when I was 10 years old.
He was a very shy young man and didn’t talk a lot, though he seems to have made some good Scottish friends in the army.
He had two older brothers, one in the British Army and one in the RAF. Both of them came home from the war. Sadly, Arthur did not.
I am 85 and the last living relative to remember him. He was my mother’s brother, and I lived with the family from birth, so he was very close to me as a child. I will be going to Arnhem on the 22nd November with my daughters to visit his grave. He will live on in my family.
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Pte. James N. Black 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.24th June 1940) James Black served with the 1st Battalion, Black Watch in WW2. He died 24th of June 1940 aged 28 years and is buried St Valery-en-Caux Franco-British Cemetery in France.
His medals were part of my late brother's collection.
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CSM. Gilroy O'Neill 1st Btn. Black Watch Gilroy O'Neill is great grandfather but I do not have a lot of information to share.
All I can provide is his rank and name.
He served for 18 years to reach the rank of CSM.
He was a part of the Bren Gun carrier unit in India.
Also had taken part in the fighting in Italy.
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Pte. Norman Gibson 1st Btn. Black Watch Norman Gibson served with the 1st Battalion, Black Watch part of the 51st Highland Division. He was stationed at Dover then posted to France in September 1939. Their deployment was to the Maginot Line.
He was captured on the 12th of June 1940 at St. Valery-en-Caux. General Fortune had no option but surrender the Battalion to Rommel.
Norman was a POW for 5 years in Mulhausen, Germany, he was liberated from Stalag IXC in 1945.
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Pte. John Kinross 1st Btn. Black Watch My grandfather John Kinross was a prisoner of war in Stalag 20b, Marienburg, Germany. He was a private in the Black Watch Royal Highlanders and captured in France in 1940. He was reported missing from July 1940 until he was registered as a POW in October 1940.
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Pte. Donald McNamee 1st Btn. Black Watch Donald McNamee was originally conscripted to Lancashire Fusiliers in 1944 but subsequently transferred to 1st Battalion, Black Watch, prior to seeing active service in the Ardennes, and then into Germany, including Hartz Mountains area and Hanover.
At the end of the War Dad spent time as a prison guard at the former Sandbostel Concentration Camp which was being used to detain captured German SS soldiers. The Captive Heart film starring Michael Redgrave, Jack Warner and other well known British actors of the period was filmed at the camp, and Dad along with many of his comrades was used as extras.
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W/O John Gray 1st Battalion Black Watch My father, John Gray, was a bandsman, trumpet, in the Black Watch Band. He joined as a boy soldier in 1930. First stationed in the Black Hole of Calcutta in India as boy soldier, then travelled all over world with the Band.
He was captured at Dunkirk and spent 5 years in German prison camps. My father was one of the prisoners who had to march 600 miles under Germans when the war was coming to an end.
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Pte. George Waddell 1st Btn. Black Watch (d.27th Mar 1945 ) George Waddell is the nephew of my grandfather Alexander Dutton, son of Lilly Dutton.
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