3rd Btn, Black Watch Regt -- OLD pic.

**James Hood** · 25th March 13, 06:54 PM

In this opinion, RSVPiper and Richard nailed it.

Bunch of crusty NCOs and Pipe-Major.

No reason to personally believe this was 3rd Bn, though. If memory serves, all battalions of the BW served in France (though one was usuallyretained back home to train replacements).

**AJBryant** · 25th March 13, 08:08 PM

I didn't even realize there *was* a third battalion, but that was how the pic was introduced to me.

**rsvpiper** · 26th March 13, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by AJBryant

I didn't even realize there *was* a third battalion, but that was how the pic was introduced to me.

By 1918 there where 10 battalions, the PM has a lanyard around his left shoulder which may have either a lock knife or whistle on the end of it.

**OC Richard** · 26th March 13, 05:40 AM

Originally Posted by AJBryant

I didn't even realize there *was* a third battalion

Well I'm reading up on it now and as they say "it's complicated".

"From 1860 nine rifle corps were formed in Fifeshire, amalgamated into one corps in 1880, designated the 6th (Fifeshire) Volunteer Battalion Black Watch in 1887. In 1861 several Rifle Corps were raised in Forfarshire and were organized into two battalions, merged in 1874 to form the 1st Admin Battalion, forming the 2nd Forfarshire Rifle Vol Corps in 1880, then the 2nd Vol Batt in 1887.

The 10th, later 3rd, Forfarshire Rifle Vol Corps became the Black Watch's 3rd Vol Battalion.

In 1880 the 1st Perthshire Rifle Vol Corps was formed, which in turn became the 4th Vol Batt The Black Watch. In 1887 the 2nd Perthshire Corp was redesignated the 5th (Perthshire Highland) Vol Batt The Black Watch.

During the Boer War volunteers from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th Vol Battalions served.

In 1908 Lord Haldane organized the Territorial Army, and the Volunteer Battalions with longstanding links to The Black Watch formally became the regiment's Territorial Battalions: 4th (City of Dundee), 5th (Angus and Dundee), 6th (Perthshire), 7th (Fife)."

The organization during WWI was complex and changed in 1916. The 4th and 5th Vol Batts were merged. I see mentions, in accounts of WWI action, of the Black Watch's 1st and 2nd Battalions (Regulars) and the 4th/5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, and 14th (Territorial) Battalions but I don't see a reference to the 3rd.

"In all, 25 Battalions of The Black Watch served in WWI, with more than 50,000 men passing through the regiment." (Barnes gives 27 Battalions.)

I don't see anything about a 3rd Battalion in WWII either. What I do see is the 51st Highland Volunteers who were re-titled the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Black Watch in 1995.