Photograph Black Watch Scotland

December 10th photograph of Sergeant Major Theyers, on the left, and Colour Sergeant Blyth, on the right, from The Black Watch 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland. I met these fine gentlemen, today, in Forfar, Scotland. I wanted to thank the Regiment personally for their bravery and service to this country, those soldiers having just returned from a seven month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

The Black Watch. A Concise History. The Black Watch was formed at Aberfeldy in Perthshire in the early eighteenth century as an independent security force, or 'watch', to guard the approaches to the lawless areas of the Scottish Highlands. Instantly recognisable due to the famous red hackle cap badge and the traditional dark blue and green government tartan kilt from which it got its name, The Black Watch was renowned as one of the great fighting regiments of the British Army and served with distinction in all major conflicts from the War of Austrian Succession onwards. In a highly controversial move, the regiment served under the operational control of the US Army during the counter-insurgency war in Iraq in December 2004. The Black Watch prided itself on being a 'family regiment', with sons following fathers into its ranks, and this new concise history reflects the strong sense of identity which was created over the centuries. In 2006, as part of a radical review of the country's defence policy, The Black Watch was amalgamated into the new Royal Regiment of Scotland. This new account of the famous regiment is therefore a timely memorial to its long and distinguished history. The Black Watch: A Concise History.

The Black Watch Regimental Archives contain many thousands of photographs graphically illustrating the history of this famous Highland regiment since the first images were recorded some 150 years ago. Over two hundred of these pictures have been selected for this volume to represent different aspects of regimental life both home and abroad, in peace and at war. From the days when the infantry still practised forming squares to the hand over of Hong Kong, the last significant remnant of the Empire, in 1997, this collection provides a fascinating insight into the activities of the Regiment. Naturally, many of the Regiment's great heroes and characters appear in these pictures but so do many other famous people, members of the royal family, Presidents of the United States of America and other heads of state. The collection of photographs also covers the Territorial battalions of the Black Watch from their early days as Rifle Volunteers through the two World Wars during which they won such renown for the Regiment. Black Watch (Blach Watch Photography Arcive).

The Black Watch is one of the finest fighting forces in the world and has been engaged in virtually every worldwide conflict for the last three centuries. Named after the dark tartan of the soldiers' kilts, its unique formation - raised from loyal Scottish clans in the wake of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion - make it the oldest Highland regiment. As part of the British army, their first battle abroad was in Flanders in 1745 but the regiment soon moved to North America to fight the French, and then shared the capture of Montreal, the Windward Islands and Martinique. The American War of Independence saw the regiment once again in America, fighting horrific battles and eventually storming Fort Washington in 1776. Since then the regiment has held its own from Egypt to the Napoleonic Wars, from the Crimea to the Indian mutiny, from both World Wars to Iraq. The Black Watch is the UK's most decorated regiment, combining the proud history and tradition of an organisation that has been soldiering for over 250 years. Black Watch: The Inside Story of the Oldest Highland Regiment in the British Army.

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