Old Photograph Of Black Watch Soldier In Fife Scotland

Old photograph of a Black Watch soldier in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. The Black Watch regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, The Black Watch, was amalgamated with the 73rd Perthshire) Regiment of Foot to form two battalions of the newly named Black Watch, Royal Highlanders. The 42nd became the 1st Battalion, and the 73rd became the 2nd Battalion. The 1st Battalion saw action at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War. It was in combat again at the First and Second Battles of El Teb in February 1884, the Battle of Abu Klea in January 1885 and the Battle of Kirbekan in February 1885 during the Mahdist War. The 2nd Battalion suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Magersfontein in December 1899 during the Second Boer War. The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 1st Brigade in the 1st Division in August 1914 for service on the Western Front. It saw action during the Retreat from Mons in August 1914, the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914 and the First Battle of the Aisne later in September 1914; it also took part in the advance to the Hindenburg Line in September 1918. The 2nd Battalion landed at Marseille as part of the Bareilly Brigade in the 7th Meerut Division in October 1914 for service on the Western Front. It took part in the defence of Givenchy in December 1915 and then moved to Mesopotamia later that month and saw action during the siege of Kut in Spring 1916, the fall of Baghdad in March 1917 and the Battle of Istabulat in April 1917. It transferred to Palestine in January 1918 and took part in the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918.



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