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. Research your own Family History. 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 June 2010 - 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. List of those who served in The 7th Battalion The Black Watch during The Second World War. If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch. 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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