Gordon Highlanders - short-lived participation in the war.

[IanA]

BBC Reporting Scotland tonight had the curator of the Gordon Highlanders Museum - a Jesper Ericsson - saying that the Gordon Highlanders "were involved with all the major actions from the outbreak of war, right through even to the famous Christmas truce". So, nothing from 1915-1918 then?

[hazelclark]

BBC Reporting Scotland tonight had the curator of the Gordon Highlanders Museum - a Jesper Ericsson - saying that the Gordon Highlanders "were involved with all the major actions from the outbreak of war, right through even to the famous Christmas truce". So, nothing from 1915-1918 then?

Well, my great uncle's participation with the 1st Gordons was VERY short. Arrived June 1918, killed August 1918! So I guess some of them must have been doing something elsewhere!

H

[seaforths]

Perhaps the Ericssons are better at making phones than curating museums! Or maybe it was interview nerves and jitters that caused him to err.

[4thGordons]

Unfortunate turn of phrase would be my guess....or odd editing. I suspect he meant "every major (British) battle in the (Western Front) war" [subtext including ones that you have been deluged on TV with recently including the outbreak and the Christmas Truce]

or perhaps he was seeking to steer clear of the "serious misfortune" (Conan Doyle) of the 26th of August 1914.

Having been interviewed a number of times on several topics in recent years, the ability of an interviewer/editor to make one sound a complete numpty even in interviews that appeared to go well and on topics on which you are generally reasonably informed is remarkable -- but that might just be me.

Chris

[SiegeGunner]

This being 2014, I think the charitable interpretation would be that he was talking about what the Gordons did in 1914. Presumably he's hoping that the TV will come back next year to find out what they did in 1915 ...

[ICM - RAF Retd]

Having lost my maternal grandfather in the confusion of that 'serious misfortune,' I have some interest in what we may hear (or not) about the circumstances, including the change of command, as 26/27 August comes around this year.

[4thGordons]

Having lost my maternal grandfather in the confusion of that 'serious misfortune,' I have some interest in what we may hear (or not) about the circumstances, including the change of command, as 26/27 August comes around this year.

There is an issue of "Gun Fire" (A Journal of First World War History. Occasional journal of the Northern Branch, WFA Issue No 22) in which there is a 40 page article by A.J. Peacock that does a good job of reviewing and analyzing the official and unofficial sources concerning the events and the subsequent inquiry and related court cases. I have a copy if it is of interest.

Chris

[ICM - RAF Retd]

Chris: Thank you - that sounds like something I'd very much like to see. I can find Issues 21 and 23 from a combination of Amazon and Abe Books but, as it's in Issue 22, I'll be in touch via PM.

[AllenRSmith]

the exhibition Shattered Hopes: The Gordon Highlanders in 1914 is currently being run at the museum, this is covering all that the Gordons were involved in during 1914, this is proberlay the reason they only spoke about the regiment being involved up until the christmas day truce.

Allen

[Moonraker]

.. Having been interviewed a number of times on several topics in recent years, the ability of an interviewer/editor to make one sound a complete numpty even in interviews that appeared to go well and on topics on which you are generally reasonably informed is remarkable -- but that might just be me.

Chris

In my days as a press officer, I used to caution inexperienced interviewees against the misinformed/uninformed/naive/stupid question from an interviewer that could throw them off balance.

Moonraker

[David Filsell]

Moonraker

How true and frequently the need for the interviewee to bounce a stupid question back at the interviewer. The definitely do not like it up 'em