My late Father was a piper with the 2nd battalion Black watch Regiment of Canada. 1955-58. He was the youngest piper in the band 17. And a damn good soldier. This makes me proud. Cheers.
My late Father was a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, The BLACK WATCH (RHR), 51st (Highland) Division. These were his brothers. I sat with him while he died and his last words were "I can see aw the boys" NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT
My husband served in the US Army, so when he became an amateur athlete in the Scottish Highland Games, he was permitted to wear the Black Watch tartan, which he did. He also has family tartans, but the Black Watch is his favorite, and that is the kilt I always picture him in. And that I insist he wear to my wake and funeral, or that I will send him off in, should he go first. :- )
My grandfather born in Dunblane, died when I was a child he often talked about the Black Watch. I often wonder what the connection was with the town of Dunblane and the Black Watch. He built a house in Mcpherson st North Carlton Melbourne Australia when he returned from the Boer War where I spent my childhood. He named it Dunblane.
I grew up in Dunblane & yes there was a lot of guys who served in the Black watch in WW1 & 2 Basically up until I think the mid 70s Dunblane came under Perthshire so the Black watch recruited in Dunblane. Later Dunblane came under Stirlingshire which is Argyll & Southerland Highlanders. Where I joined in the Stirling Army Careers Office they were all Argylls & so recruited for their Battalions. Stirling is just up the Road from Dunblane .
If you ever visit Dunblane go to the War memorial which is across the River Allan from the Cathedral. You'll see all the names on the memorial & how many were Black watch Other cap badges too like the Royal Scots on there
I must say even though I am an American my great grandfather was a general of the black watch during ww1 and I have never been so proud if such lineage. Every time I see this (which is very often) my hair stands god bless the black watch no other has the honor to battle with such graceful bagpipes
During World War I the Highland Division still wore the kilt in battle, they were referred to by the German forces as "Der Damen Aus Der Helle" The Ladies From Hell
Glory to the Black Watch, well done boys, i'm very proud of my Scottish ancestry. My mother was born and raised in Wishaw Glasgow and her family emigrated to New Zealand when she was a teen. Her maiden name was Thomson. My paternal grandmother was Mary McRae and her family settled in Central Otago New Zealand. I'm told, all the McRae's in New Zealand and Australia are related, and I am indeed proud to have in my possession the family tree book of the McRae clan. My name and those of my siblings and our children are recorded in the McRae family book. I'm also proud of our families allegiance to the Black Watch Regiment, and as a former New Zealand infantry soldier, it does my heart proud to see you all parading on this video. I notice there are no lassies in the Battalion, unlike here where our units have female soldiers.
Hey mate, your mum might enjoy this song then if she's from Wishaw, you may enjoy it yourself if your mum isn't around anymore ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P2CDNKUYJ-o.html
My Dad was a member of the Black Watch, he passed away 5 years ago but I make sure his grandson and his great grandson will never forget what a proud soldier he was.
I really do wish that we, here in the US would treat our returning warriors with the respect and dignity that you show yours.. I am a Gulf I vet, my son Gulf II, just wish we had such a warm and truly heartfelt welcome home! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! , and God bless America.. lord knows we need it!
I love it!! I live in the states, but originally from Glasgow, Scotland..when people realise I am from Scotland, they say " I have never been to Europe" and I reply...neither have I !!! and I am NOT European either!! . Thank you thematblais for that comment...
Where in Glasgow? I lived on George Street in the early '70s. I've been back twice, but not sure I'd want to spend much time in Glasgow, I hear it's pretty rough at night.
Perhaps It was brought over from Passchendaele where the 42nd fought in 1917! a nice touch to the march. A fine body of men, just absolutely great! I wish I could do it all over again! well done lads, well done!
I wish we paraded like that here in the US. Unfortunately we barely have military parades and therefore hardly bother to teach our troops how do more than the most basic marching.
My late Father, William McLaren Young Nicol was a Sergeant in the First Battalion, the Black Watch, RHR, his older brother, James was Sergeant in the Fifth Battalion, he was wounded and captured at Caën and ended up in Stalag Luft III how do you follow that?
Unusual, considering that Stalag Luft 3 was for captured Air Force personnel, but there is a precedent: in the book, "The Wooden Horse", which was the true story of three men escaping from the camp, one of the escapees was a British Army officer, John Miller (I think). The book commented about how unusual it was to have a non-Air Force officer in the camp. Miller survived the war, but was later killed by communist insurgents in the Malayan conflict.
Stalag Luft III was indeed a Prisoner of War camp for aircraft personnel. However, after the Normandy invasion, it was used as a facility for captured forces, irrespective of background.
MarsFKA Stalag Luft III was indeed, as it's name denotes, a camp for Airforce POW's. However, after the invasion of Europe, towards the end confusion reigned - even in the super-efficient NSDAP Reich. I have letters from my Uncle James Nicol - sent back home to his mother. They were written from Stalag Luft III SAGAN.
The only DoD units I know of that can even come close to marching like these lads are USMC. Jeez, it was like they all were marching as one MAN. Most US Army units look like caterpillars compared to these Scots. Bravo Zulu- Well Done!!
A point I would like to add, when you watch a Homecoming Parade of a Scottish battalion, if the troops are carrying arms and bayonets fixed, they have the freedom of the city or town they march through
The origins of The Black Watch can be traced back to 1725, when George II requested a series of Independent Companies to watch and patrol areas of the Highlands. The primary purpose of the Companies was to prevent smuggling and cattle rustling following the Jacobite Rising of 1715. The Companies originally wore kilts of locally woven tartan and comprised of groups of local men, most of whom were trusted and respected members of society. The Independent Companies were bought into the British Regimental System on 25th October 1739, and numbered the 43rd Regiment of Foot, however they continued to be known by their more popular name, Am Freiceadan Dubh (Gaelic, The Black Watch). The dark government issue tartan may have contributed to the epithet, however it is possible the name derives from the original role of the regiment, which was to keep ‘watch’ for crime (namely blackmail and extortion of cattle in the Highlands). In order to prevent ill-feeling between clans the first commanding officer was chosen as Lowlander
My Father was a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, The BLACK WATCH in 1944-47 - if you think you are hard enough just make a comment! hahahaha he taught me well!
@barruga43 Atholl Highlanders Bonny Dundee fine 6/8 marches, and it'll be nice to call them tunes rather than songs - a song is something you sing, a tune is something you play ;-)
+teller121, +Robert Gannon That bloody pony, reminds me of a story from a friend who served in the army, noting that the Royal Artillery would regularly park a gun near "high traffic areas" on basis (as the Gun serves as the regimental standard, and thus should be saluted).. anyway, back to Pony talk. 1. That is LCpl Cruachan IV I believe, which means that anyone under ranking under Nato OR3 should clearly salute him, when it is "appropriate", and should certainly stand to attention. He, along with LCpl Pegasus V of the Para (another Shetland), and Shenkin III (Kashmiri goat) 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh are not just mascots, but are in fact NCO's. 2. Somewhat interestingly when one looks at the Royal Welsh, LCpl William Windsor (army number 25232301) was temporarily demoted back to fusilier en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Windsor_(goat) for behaviour unbecoming, and retired 20 May 2009 having been reinstated Lance Corporal. 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh currently have Fusilier Llywelyn who (subject to good service) is likely to get promoted. To borrow from wikipedia, Billy was charged with "unacceptable behaviour","lack of decorum" and "disobeying a direct order",and had to appear before his commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Huw James. Following a disciplinary hearing, he was demoted to fusilier. The change meant that other fusiliers in the regiment no longer had to stand to attention when Billy walked past, as they had to when he was a lance corporal. Mercians have Private Derby XXXI currently, replacement of LCpl Derby XXX who passed away in 2015. 3. Since this video LCpl Cruachan IV has a few more medals. I have detailed his current medals on a tweet which covered them twitter.com/ArmyScotland/status/839745783431892992 4. These animals are not regimental pets (there are quite a few mascots which are regimental pets, and thus don't get accorded official rank). 5. As a little aside, Australia had Sgt Septimus Quartus (who has been retired) and replaced with Pte Septimus Quintus in 2011 (I have not been able to find any reference to him being promoted). Sgt Septimus Quartus got his para wings completed the Basic Parachute Course by correspondence and conducted three successful jumps in Townsville from December 10-11 1994 and on February 11, 1995. Thus, the take home here is if the animal is wearing the chevron...
Little correction: The Ministry of Defence said junior ranks did not have to salute the mascots which had officer rank because they did not hold the Queen's Commission. However, if one is an American serviceman, then you should as per Field Manuals :: 7-21-13 :: 4-13. regarding officers of friendly forces...
Love it. I can think of one or two of our officers who merited the salute considerably less than such a harmless creature. (80% of life, after all, they say, is just showing up.)
@25204024 pie? and actually i still dont understand why theyre in desert camo. Unless they just disembarked from the plane, it wouldnt be too hard to change into those "stored" uniforms
@burqabob Nope, it's a totally different kind of pulse A 3/4 tune has three beats per bar(1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4) while a 6/8 has two (3/8 + 3/8) Musical stuff , not mathematical ;-)
@gaelicscots so they just got off the plane from deployment? it wouldnt be too hard to change into dress uniform which they all have. And my point was that wearing desert camo in a very wet and green country
In a strange way... Some of this screaming way off.. reminds me of one of the starts in a Pink Floyd song.. ( Never mind that )The Fog.. gives an interesting component. I bet its tough on the drum skins though.
How can you march, when you don´t know who is behind you? Arab? Hindu? Indian? Muslim? Katholic? Tamil? Kanak? Thechnic?(That is:Tjetjener) Bulgarian? Kosac? Danakil? Zulu? Maumau man? How can you just march on?
@burqabob Nope, they're twoe different things A 3/4 tune has three betas per bar (1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4) while a 6/8 has two (3/8 + 3/8) Musical stuff, not mathematical ;-)