WAUCHOPE MEDAL to the Black Watch

[patrick anderson]

A History of the Black Watch ( Royal Highlanders) in the Great War 1914-198 edited by major General A G Wauchope CB has in Volume 1 Regular army 1st 2nd & 3rd Bns a write up on page 269 the WAUCHOPE MEDALLION.

It is inevitable that in regiments such as The Black Watch , where every man seeks to distinguish himself when fighting for his country, there should be many whose gallant acts go un rewarded .

This fact was well understood by the men of the Battalion, but Colonel Wauchope was eager to give a mark of recognition to those who greatly distinguished themselves in battle . He therefore ordered a medallion to be specially struck , and gave this to NON COMMISSIONED Officers and MEN who had led their sectins with specail distinction or had done some deed of marked gallantry in action. Colonel Wauchope gave 60 of these medals , mostly to men who had been recommended for gallantry after the Battles of LOOS and MUSHAIDIE - the battle Beyond Bagdad - and ten others to men who had specially distinguished themselves scouting in No Man's Land.

The Medallions became known as "The WAUCHOPE MEDAL " , and were highly prized by the men who gained them and by the platoons to which those men belonged; they were now , in all too many cases , treasured by Widows as a symbol of the Great deeds done by Men of the Black Watch for their Regiment and Country .

medals presented by Col A G Wauchope for gallantry at the Battle of Loos 1915 & the Battle beyond Bagdad 1917

one shows reverse of medal 2nd Bn Black Watch and Pte A Menzies for conspicous gallantry in the Battle beyond Bagdad March 14 , 1917 presented by Colonel A G Wauchope

another medal shows reverse engraved L/Cpl J Shirra , for conspicous gallantry in the Battle beyond Bagdad March 14 , 1917 presented by Colonel A G Wauchope in an Elkington & Co case of issue - 2nd Bn Black Watch

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patrick w anderson

[FredJCarss]

As a former custodian of both these medals I thought you would like to know that Shirra is on the Stirling War War Memorial and that Menzies is the biggest mystery recipient of all. To date I have nothing on him apart from the obvious.

Regards Fred

[trenchtrotter]

Dixons medals had one recently..will check my catalogues for details of recipient.

TT

[patrick anderson]

Thank you FredJ Carss and Trench Trotter for the info . Seems this Medal is not well known in Scotland even by ex Black Watch officers and men who I know

Pat w anderson

(in memory of my namesake Uncle Lt P W Anderson, 8 Black Watch , 10 Black Watch , 18 Sqn RFC RAF - wounded in action 27 June 1918 & d of w on 2 Nov 1921 arbroath )