8th (Service ) Bn The Black Watch

[patrick anderson]

On 1st September 1914 my namesake Uncle , 2nd Lieut Patrick Wright Anderson from Arbroath Scotland and a colleague 2nd Lieut William Stewart Robertson from Broughty Ferry were commissioned 2nd Lieutenants in the 8th (Service ) Bn The Black Watch from the St Andrews University Officer Training Corps as both men were university students at St Andrews University or at University College Dundee during that year and went off to war to return "after Christmas " to their studies which neither men did .

They joined the 8th Battalion at ALBUERA BARRACKS, in Aldershot and during the middle part of that month the battalion moved to MAIDA BARRACKS which was shared with the 5th Cameron Highlanders .

The Commanding Officer of the 8th Batallion was Lt Col Lord Sempill of Fintray aberdeenshire. A member of the famous fighting family , he had served with the Black Watch and Cameron Highlanders in the Soudan in 1886 and with the Lovat Scouts in the South African War .

Hard training was carried out daily. The battalion had a backbone of regular and ex regular officers most of whom had served formerly in the Black Watch . A number of the Subalterns had served in the University Officers' Training Corps , and all were full of enthusiasm for their work. The ranks of the warrant officers and senior non commissioned officers were filled with serving solders or ex soldiers . The rank and file came mainly from the city offices , from the plough, and from the Fife Collieries .

Joining the 8th Battalion Black Watch was Captain The Hon Fergus Bowes-lyon who was second in command , A company . Capt The Hon Fergus Bowes-Lyon was from Glamis Castle .

.

[ander11]

Hello Patrick

I have just been reading your post but I cannot find 2nd lieut P.W Anderson & 2nd Lieut W.S Robertson in vol 3 ( A history of the Black Watch in the Great,1914-1918) .

But I did find Bowes-Lyon,Hon. F.Capt Killed 25th sept 1915.

regards

Ian

[Guest]

The Scottish War Memorial Project

Mike

[ander11]

Thanks Mike ,

I was going around in circles looking for them. In the records of 10th BN for Officers - Anderson P.W. Lieut. Transferred to R.F.C. 20th Nov., 1916

that link was full of information Cheer's Mike

Ian

[patrick anderson]

Hi folks

Both Lt P W Anderson and 2nd Lt W J Duffy later MC are listed in that volume ( Vol 111) under 10th Black Watch as both are mentioned in the war diary pages and in the Officers index too .

Lt P W Anderson from Arbroath is listed in the Scottish National War Memorial index at the Castle in Edinburgh under RAF but shows also his service in the Black Watch and in the RFC as well . Also on their website index too . His stomach and thigh wounds received in action in the RAF on 27 June 1918 but died on 2 Nov 1921 so missed the cut off date of 31 August 1921 to be included in the CWGC index . Buried in the family grave at Arbroath western cemetery , (see Scottish war graves project website for Dundee and angus ) .

[ander11]

Hi Patrick ,

Duffy, W.J. 2nd Lieut. went to France with Battalion Sept., 1915. W. 28th Dec., 1916. Rejoined Battalion. Awarded M.C. 4th June , 1917.

Ian

[patrick anderson]

Lt W J Duffy had a spell in the Cameron Hdrs and then back to the Black Watch as Lieutenant , having been wounded . He was from Lancashire in England .