26 January 2015

Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) - PoW Other Ranks 1914


The following men were serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 53 names in this list; quite a modest total by the standards of 1914.  Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following sources which are now housed at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/99. A two-page typed letter from the Irish Women's Association to the officer i/c of records, Black Watch, asking for address details of men.  Letter dated 6th March 1919

2. B.O.2 1/101. A single-sided hand-written letter confirming the men's date of capture.  Letter dated 27th December 1918
3. B.O.2 1/102. A typed letter from the Black Watch Relief Fund to the officer i/c Records. Dates of capture and comments are handwritten. Letter dated 18th December 1918.

4. B.O.2 1/103. A two-page typed letter from the Black Watch Relief Fund to the Hon Sec, Princess Mary's Xmas Fund giving names and addresses of "Prisoners of war captured before December 1914". Letter dated 19th December 1918.
5. B.O.2 1/104 is single-sided typed letter from TF Record Office, Perth to Mrs Donachie enlosing the late Pte Donachie's tin.  Letter dated 18th May 1916.
6. B.O.2 1/106. A three-page typed letter from Major Rennie,  Infantry Record Office, No 1 District, Perth, to Sir Ernest Goodhart, dated 30th January 1919.

The majority of the men were regular soldiers serving with the 1st and 2nd Battalions, but there are also men listed here who were Territorials, serving with the 1/5th (Angus & Dundee) Battalion (Territorial Force).

My full transcription of this Black Watch Prisoners of War roll call of other ranks (not reproduced here) also contains the home address or next of kin address, and date of capture against many of the men's names. Note that date of capture is also included, in many cases, on these men's medal index cards.

The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20. Contact me if you would like to purchase a copy.

783 Sergeant Allan Adam
9389 Private H Alexander
87 Private John Andrews
1646 Private G Ballantine
139 Private G Black
1507 Private J Bruce
700 Private Bryant
9806 Private W Cairney
2595 Private J Clift
2230 Private W Craigie
305 Private George Cunningham
7530 Private T Dilly
2365 Private John Donachie
2514 Private E Downton
9677 Bandsman W Egerton
1819 Private D Ferguson
71 Private G Forrester
Private G Gibson
1589 Private C Glover
1369 Private J Gordon
9879 Private F Hemmingway
2391 Private E Hendry
9657 Private A Imrie
9327 Private R Ireland
9414 Private J Lawson
7135 Private W Loudfoot
9752 Sergeant J MacGregor
7224 Private L MacQueen
5973 Private W Manson
2658 Private J McDade
9752 Sergeant J McGregor
2222 Corporal A McIntosh
7298 Private P McNay
9945 Drummer W Morrison
8321 Private W Muir
9568 Private W Murrie
2619 Private Scott Oram
2280 Private P Phinn
8269 Private W Rodgers
9939 Private G Rowan
7808 Private G Selvester
1337 Sergeant W O Smith
327 Private W Squire
75 Corporal Strachan
9289 Private J Thompson
2116 Private G Watson
8240 Private H Whitcombe
3/2391 Private J L Whitton

The roll also includes the names of a handful of men who have a 1915 date of capture against their names. As they appear in the original archive, I am also including them here:

7786 Private T Mathie
2735 Corporal  James McRobbie
9818 Corporal T Neil
3282 Private P Pennycook
230 Private G Smith

The image on this post shows the Pipe Band of the Black Watch at Edinburgh Castle c1905.

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