No. 132 November 2013 THE RED HACKLE their future starts here Boarding Boys & Girls aged 9 to 18 Forces Discount & Bursaries available Scholarship Dates: Junior Saturday 25th January 2014 Senior Mon. 24th - Thur. 27th February 2014 For more information please contact Felicity Legge: T: 01738 812546 E: [email protected] www.strathallan.co.uk Forgandenny Perthshire PH2 9EG Strathallan is a Scottish Charity dedicated to education. Charity number SC008903 No. 132 42nd 73rd November 2013 THE RED HACKLE The Chronicle of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), its successor The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Affiliated Regiments and The Black Watch Association The new extension to Balhousie Castle and the upgraded Museum were officially opened on 24 June 2013. NOVEMBER 2013 THE RED HACKLE 1 “I’m stuck at the bridge, I might be late” If you cannot live without reporting your every thought on Facebook and Twitter, then The HALO Trust is not for you. But if you are up for a challenge, want a job with real purpose, then you might find HALO’s charitable work very interesting. HALO’s 8,000 staff clear landmines and unexploded ordnance, and cut up redundant Kalashnikovs, in places in and out of the news. Our international staff are usually in their late 20s or 30s and lead between 250 and 1,000 local employees. All our recruits undertake a tailored training package of up to six months’ duration in one or more of the mine-affected countries. Successful applicants are generally fit, well educated, articulate and resourceful – and keen to move on to something worth- while that offers new challenges every day – but still provides “I’ve found a way round” a reasonable remuneration package. If this sounds like what you should be doing, send a short covering letter and a one page (no waffle) CV to: The HALO Trust, Carronfoot, Thornhill, Dumfries DG3 5BF [email protected] www.halotrust.org Registered Charity No. 1001813 & SCO37870 THE Contents Editorial .............................................................................................................................................. 3 RED HACKLE Regimental News ............................................................................................................................... 4 The Black Watch Heritage Appeal, and Friends of the Black Watch .................................................... 7 Correspondence ............................................................................................................................... 12 Obituaries ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Articles .............................................................................................................................................. 18 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland ............................................ 28 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland .................................................. 55 The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada .......................................................... 58 HMS Montrose................................................................................................................................. 60 Angus and Dundee Battalion Army Cadet Force ........................................................................ 63 Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force .................................................................................... 66 Association News ............................................................................................................................. 67 The Chronicle of Editorial The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) The opening of the new museum and extension took place in June and whilst it was later its successor than planned, the event was well attended and was much anticipated. Brigadier Melvile The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion Jameson who is both the Lord Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross as well as President of The Royal Regiment of Scotland The Black Watch Association officially opened the building and a full report and update is contained on page 7. The Affiliated Regiments Balhousie Castle is the home of the Regimental Association and the Association has been and busy at a local level with Branches enjoying annual dinners and lunches and the Association The Black Watch Association Secretariat have organised the AGM, the biennial Muster at Aberfeldy, as well as the Reunion in the grounds of the newly refurbished Castle. At the same time the planning for the dedication of the memorial at Black Watch Corner has stepped up a gear and details were sent out to the November 2013 Regimental family over the summer. No. 132 The statue has been completed and the granite plinth remains to be cut but the Belgian authorities in Zonnebeke have agreed to prepare the ground-works to accept the granite plinth and statue, to landscape the area of the memorial and to look after the statue in perpetuity. I would draw readers attention to an excellent spread of articles of regimental interest; with Published for The Black Watch the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo taking place in 2015 there is an article about Captain William Wharton “A soldier of the Napoleonic Wars”. With the Middle East so much in the news it is interesting to read about the 2nd Battalion’s experiences in the Mandate of Palestine in 1937-38 and to see some previously unpublished images of that era. An article entitled “Viking VC” explains how Private Thomas Dinesen (a Danish national) of the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada (Black Watch) won his VC in 1918. Dr Tom Renouf’s article about the battle for Mauny is very moving and there is also a new section of the magazine where we hope to show readers artefacts of interest that are held in the Black Watch of Canada’s collection. The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland seem to have been as busy as ever, fulfilling their role as the United Kingdom Contingency Battalion, as well as carrying METHOD PUBLISHING out a major training exercise, support to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, training as fire Sutherland Press House, Golspie, fighters and organising and running a Regimental Highland Games in Fort George. All of this Sutherland, Scotland KW10 6RA being achieved through yet another re-organisation to their ORBAT. Telephone (01408) 633871 We hope very much that as many of the Journal’s readers will join us in Belgium on 3 May Fax (01408) 633876 2014 for the dedication of the memorial at Black Watch Corner. to whom all enquiries regarding advertising should be addressed. The opinions expressed in the articles of the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Regiment or the MOD. This publication contains official information. Editorial Matter and Illustrations It should be treated with discretion by the recipient. © Crown Copyright “The Red Hackle” is published every six months in May and November. Contributions large and small will always be welcome. They should be typewritten in double spacing on one side of the paper only. Photographs, cartoons and sketches of Regimental interest are also welcome and will be returned if requested. Design and Typography All material for inclusion in the various issues must reach the Editor not later than 1 April and 1 October © Method Publishing 2013 respectively. From 1 January 2013, bulk orders are supplied at a rate of £7 per copy. Individual copies are sent out to permanent subscribers, both in the UK and abroad, at a subscription rate of £14 annually for UK subscribers, £14 annually to Europe and £16 annually Worldwide by airmail. A Gift Aid Scheme is available for individual subscribers who are subject to UK tax. The magazine fund benefits from tax reclaimed in this way. All subscriptions should be sent to the editor, “The Red Hackle, Home Headquarters, The Black Watch, Balhousie Castle, Hay Street, Perth PH1 5HR, and those interested in the Gift Aid Scheme, will on request be provided with the correct forms for completion. NOVEMBER 2013 THE RED HACKLE 3 Regimental News FORECAST OF EVENTS 2013/2014 2013 7 November Field of Remembrance – Westminster London Branch Abbey, London 8 November Balhousie Castle Remembrance Service Perth 10 November Remembrance Sunday, Cenotaph Parade London 15 November Curling Match v A and SH Perth 21 November London Branch Dinner Victory Services Club London 1 December Stoke Branch visit to Birmingham Military Tattoo Birmingham 21 December Officers’ Regimental Ball Perth 2014 10 January Curling Match v HLDRS Perth The statue which is to be placed at Black Watch Corner has now been cast in 25 January Burns’ Supper – Angus Branch bronze and patinated and is being stored in Edinburgh until April 2014 when it Royal British Legion Forfar will be transported to Belgium. 31 January Red Hackle Dinner – Dundee Branch Dundee CONGRATULATIONS TBC January Burns’ Supper Stoke Branch Stoke-on-Trent To Major General J M Cowan DSO on the award of a CBE in The 8 February Burns’ Supper – Perth Branch Perth Queen’s Birthday Honours List. 2 March Edwards VC Ceremony – To Major General M L Riddell-Webster DSO on the award of a CBE London Branch Epping in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List. 6 March London Branch Lunch and AGM London To Colonel A J Aitken OBE on his provisional selection for promo- (Venue