Canada's Black Watch (history - merged)

[Kirkhill]

Ah weel, takin money from ra sassenach the noo......

Ye cannae call it ra crime, its ra national sport laddie!

Nivver said it wuz Wull.  They're ay guid fur a wee bit spiling frae time tae time.  Aw in guid fun o' coorse.

And Michael, thanks for the confirmation on Bill Millin.  But now you have reminded me of his name was it not spelt Milne?

 

[Infanteer]

Bagpipes seem like the most military of instruments....

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Bagpipes seem like the most military of instruments....

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present....

Number 3500.

(Round of golf claps erupts from the Peanut Gallery).

 

[Infanteer]

You just wait - I'm expecting to get piped into my 4,000th post.... :warstory:

 

[Veterans son]

You just wait - I'm expecting to get piped into my 4,000th post.... :warstory:

8)

 

[Michael OLeary]

Back to the topic, rather than post count padding. ;-)

One historical explanation of the origin of the title "Black Watch":

The Black Watch: The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Through the 1st Battalion, as the 42nd Highlanders. From the dark tartan worn by the battalion on its organization in George II's reign--1739. "The Watch" (i.e., police), or "Highland Watch," a semi-military border force to keep the King's peace in the North of Scotland, was the original title of a force supplied by certain clans during the 17th Century. Each company wore its own clan tartan. When reorganized in 1725 in six Independent Companies they were uniformed in kilts of one pattern, a dark tartan, a combination in black, green, and blue, known as the "Government tartan." From that they were popularly called in the Highlands "The Black Watch", in Gaelic " Am Frieceadan Dubh." When, in 1739, the companies were brought together into a regiment of Highlanders, renumbered a little later as the "42nd" the popular sobriquet was transferred to the new corps. All other infantry regiments at the time wore red coats, waistcoats and breeches, and were spoken of in Scotland as the "Seidaran dearag" or "Red Soldiers." "The Black Watch" is now the official title of the regiment. - Edward Fraser and John Gibbons, Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases, 1925

 

[Danjanou]

Adding to information on this esteemed regiments history (or just showing off the wealth of otherwise useless military trivia I've collected over the years, and how's that for post padding?) IIRC for a brief period the Blackwatch was originally the "43rd" Shortly after their incorporation as a Regiment another more senior unit left the OOB and they "moved up" one in the seniority list.

 

[Kirkhill]

Just to add to the tale,

Those independent companies, supplied mainly by the Campbell's, that were tasked with supplying the Watch after the '15 originally replaced the Cameronians, (One of ROJ's favourite units).  The Cameronians, a bunch of Lowland Presbyterians that were officially recognized as a formed unit after the protestant King William of Orange won the Battle of the Boyne, were not particularly welcomed by the Highland Catholics they were sent to look after.  Their reception may have had something to do with the treatment the Highlanders meted out to their families when the Highlanders were billeted on the guid folks of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire to keep them in line and suppress their seditious nonsense against the Catholic Stewarts - after the fashion of Louis's Dragonades.

Every history has another.

 

[Caleix]

Hello there,
    I've tried searching the websites search engine on the Regiment but couldn't come up for answers to a question of mine. I'm moving to Montreal in the near future and was wondering what the majority language spoke at the Regiment is, French or English. This is a concern for me because I've struggled through highschool trying to learn French and am not very..."accustomed" to speaking it properly. If anyone can tell me if its a 50:50 ratio of French and English spoke there or if it is different, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Caleix

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Hey there Cailex.................came across this in the recruiting part of the Black Watch website..........

Requirements
a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant (conditions apply)
at least 16 years old as of July 1 and must have parental permission if a minor
have completed Grade 9 (Secondary III - Math, English, French) with 24 credits, or Canadian Provincial Government equivalency.
in good physical health
be of good character
 

Cheers
Steve

 

[Redeye]

Hello there,
    I've tried searching the websites search engine on the Regiment but couldn't come up for answers to a question of mine. I'm moving to Montreal in the near future and was wondering what the majority language spoke at the Regiment is, French or English. This is a concern for me because I've struggled through highschool trying to learn French and am not very..."accustomed" to speaking it properly. If anyone can tell me if its a 50:50 ratio of French and English spoke there or if it is different, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Caleix

Most Black Watch members I've met are anglophones, so you should be fine.

 

[Lost_Warrior]

Don't worry.  It's a 95% english regiment.  There are a couple of officers who are french, but the vast majority of the regiment is english. 

It's a good group of guys too, you're going to like them.

 

[big bad john]

Try this site: http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/en/index.htm

 

[Caleix]

Thanks a bunch fellas, one more question though, I'm in the West Nova Scotia Regiment right now as a Private, so can i just transfer to the Black Watch when i get to Montreal or do i have to redo all my testing? Cause I thought I could just transfer....

Many thanks,
Caleix

 

[spoon man]

Let your chain of command know what you plan to do, and you shouldn't have any problems. You won't have to redo your application.

 

[Caleix]

thankyou kindly

Caleix

 

[George Wallace]

If anyone is interested:

Hello all and happy holidays! Just a reminder that an encore presentation of Black Watch Massacre at Verrieres Ridge will air this Thursday night (December 21st) at 9pm on History Television in Canada (channel 522 on Star Choice).

 

[time expired]

Although I was RCEME, during my the early part of my career I kept running into members,of this for me,
Canadas finest inf. regt.First on leave in Copenhagen on those wonderful leaves that I remember very
little about,unfortuneatly,then again in the bars in Soest,a great bunch of guys.Also I will never forget
the best army hockey games ever played between the Black Watch and the Ft. Chambley Huskies,the
Watch always had their Pipes at the games and whenever they scored the pipes would break into The
Black Bear,unforgetable!.From Germany I was posted to Gagetown and of course met many old friends
from the Watch,I was lucky enough to be invited to the Trooping of the Colours for the Queen Mother
in 1967 all three Bns. on parade.Fortunatley I was not present for the final parade as I heard it was a
very sad ,angry, and tearful end to this proud Regiment.Thanks Mr.Trudeau for your arrogant disregard


for our military traditions.
          Thought it was all over for my connection with the Watch, but no, when I joined the Airborne
Regt.in 1976 Col Fraser was the CO and Don Reekie the RSM. both former members of the Watch a
very Highland flavour in the mess pipers always present at mess dinners I really enjoyed serving with
these fine gentlemen.
          My last connection with this Regiment was as a civilian driver in Lahr after my retirement,I was
tasked to pick up a WW1 vet at Le Bourget airport and escort him to the Commemoration services at
Vimy Ridge.It turned out that this gentleman was a member of the Black Watch,Regretfully I do not remember his name,he enlisted at the age of 15 and was 16 when he took part in the Vimy battle.
We had only one official funtion to fullfil so we spent the rest of the time visiting his fallen comrades
all the way to Mons where the Regiment ended its war,as you can imagine it was a very emotional
journey for and as it turned out for me too,it ended as I mentioned in Mons,and in this small Belgian
town is a small museum in the Marie in which is a room dedicated to the Black Watch,well worth a 
visit if you are in the area.
                                Regards

 

[FascistLibertarian]

Operation Spring
I have been to the ridge where they got wiped out on the 25th july 44
It is important to note that this was at the same time the US was doign Cobra and our job was to keep the Germans busy.
A Company Commander, Major Phillip Griffen had to take over as the Lt. Col and his second were killed eariler that day.
The tanks were late so he had to advanced (did not want to lose the artillery)
We did not have enough air units.
These troops were new to war.
the Germans were not.
they held their fire until our boys were on top of them and then they let go with everything.
Bit more complex than that but still....
See Stacey vol 3 for a good overview and some of his most heartfelt writing (in regards to this eposide)

I have also been to Blue Beach/Puys where they landed at Dieppe, whoever decided on that beach had never been there and looked at arieal photos.
Puys was the worst day for a can infantry batt in ww2, the Black watch on the 25th was the 2nd worst.

 

[Hawk]

Kirkhill-better not mention the Campbells to any other clan!!! I'm a Cameron by birth-a cousin told my girl-chasing teen-age son-"she can nae be a Campbell". We don't hold grudges or anything-stems from the Campbells supporting the English at the Battle of Cullodin Moor in 1746.


Hawk