Wartime Memories Project - The 7th Battalion The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)

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The Black Watch was formed as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 when the Royal Highland Regiment (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Foot to form two battalions of the newly named Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). During World War I the 25 battalions of Black Watch fought in France and Flanders, Mesopotamia and Palestine and the Balkans. In World War II, battalions of the Black Watch fought in almost every major action of the British, from Palestine to Dunkirk to Normandy and as Chindits (42 and 73 columns) in Burma. After the capture of the 51st Highland Division at St Valéry in June 1940 it was decided to reconstitute it in the UK around a nucleus provided by the 9th Scottish Division. Less than thirty members of the old 1st Battalion were available, but it was rebuilt and joined by the 5th and 7th Battalions which had not yet gone overseas. 7th Battalion arrived in North Africa in early 1943 as part of 51st Highland Division taking part in the battle of El Alamein, followed by the pursuit across the North African desert through Mareth and Wadi Akarit ending with a triumphant entry into Tripoli. The 7th Battalion trained in amphibious landings in Algeria, using them in landing in Sicily in early July. It suffered severe casualties at Adrano at the end of July before German withdrawal to the north. The battalion with the rest of the 51st Division landed on the Italian mainland and six weeks later was moved to Britain to prepare for the D-Day? operations in Normandy. The 7th Battalion suffered many casualties in the Bois de Bavent, and after the fall of Caen on 11th July was engaged in the push north to close the Falaise Gap. St Valéry, Le Havre, Dunkirk, the sites of previous defeats in 1940, were all passed through with little German resistance. In February 1945 the battalion was part of the attack through the Reichswald, leading to continuous action under German artillery attack. It crossed the Rhine on 22nd March 1945 under severe shelling, the last major engagement before VE-Day. On our 12th Anniversary we would like to thank all those who have contributed to this project. Research your own Family History. June 2011 - Please note we currently have a large backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site.        We are aware of the issue with missing images, this is due to the redesign of the website, images will reappear as soon as the new version of the page is completed, thank you for your patience. We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great List of those who served in The 7th Battalion The Black Watch during The Second World War. Select a story link or scoll down to browse those stories hosted on this website L/Cpl. Kenneth John Farmer 7th Btn. (d.25th Oct 1944) Read his Story. If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch. L/Cpl. Kenneth John Farmer 7th Btn. The Black Watch (d.25th Oct 1944) This was my Uncle Ken. I do not have a lot of information on him as my family fragmented when my parents divorced when I was 9. I was always in awe of my hero uncle who died at the age of 19 in a place called Halschewater in the Netherlands on 25/10/1944. He was one of only two 7th batallion members recorded killed that day. The other was CPL Harold Dawson 2885672 who was 27. I never really got any details from my mother about his short military career other than he was a "Leading sniper of eight" whatever that meant. He is buried in Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery grave # 179 in plot KK he is there with a lot of aircrew that had died during the many operations from 1940 onwards. His comrade in arms Cpl Dawson was returned to Aberdeen and laid to rest by his family. I have two children of my own now and I tell them often of their great uncle who went to war and never came home. I look at my son who is now the same age as Ken Farmer was when he served and I shudder to think of what my Grandparents and Mother had to deal with when they heard their first born had died. I will always be proud to carry his name and I will ensure he is never fogotten by my clan. Rest in Peace Ken, you saved us all! Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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