Black Watch Regiment

[Guest]

My name is Steven Hebb. I live in Sint-Niklaas, Flanders. On a local churchyard I discovered the grave of a Canadian corporal from the Great War, between the graves of some Belgian soldiers. This corporal had served in the Black Watch Regiment, age 19. I was very touched that this corporal, who has my age, came to die in this place of the world, all the way from Canada. So, anyone who can give me some information about the Black Watch Regiment during World War 1 is welcome! I also would like to know if there is such a thing as a register from this regiment where I can find this man's name. Or should I try local registers? Thanks!

[Guest lemon trench]

Assuming that the soldier was a member of the Canadian Black watch and not the British Black watch, you may like to try the link below.

http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/

[David Blue]

You may be talking about the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders Of Canada, also known as the Black Watch. This unit was raised in Montreal Quebec for the 2nd Contingent; they served with distinction in France from September 1915 until the wars end.

They have a very comprehensive regimental history with an honour roll of those killed. I know several of the Canadian Pals have this book. (Also, the Canadian National Archives on-line has this regiments complete war diary available for search)

Please give us this soldiers name, and we might be able to help further.

[Tom Morgan]

I think this soldier might have served in the "British" Black Watch. It may be Robert Thompson, who came from Paisley, and who died of wounds 7th October, 1918, according to "Soldiers Died in the Great War."

[Terry Denham]

He is indeed British

If you look up St Niklaas Communal Cemetery on the CWGC site you get...

Name: THOMSON, ROBERT

Initials: R

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 07/10/1918

Service No: S/42066

Additional information: Son of John and Isabella Thomson, of 17 Dunn St., Paisley. Born at Barrhead.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: North East corner.

Cemetery: ST. NIKLAAS COMMUNAL CEMETERY

[David Seymour]

David,

Please could you let me know the web address for the war diaries section of the Canandian National Archives? I have looked but clearly not hard enough!

Regards,

David

[Broznitsky]

David S. see:

http://www.archives.ca/02/020152_e.html

Peter in Vancouver

[David Seymour]

Peter,

What an amazing resource! Many thanks!

Would that the PRO would do the same!

Regards,

David

[pdadme]

Hi

My uncle Sgt David A W Mayo of the RAF is also buried in the cemetery at St Niklaas along with the other crew members (British and Canadian) of his Lancaster bomber which was shot down by german night fighters on 22 May 1944.

I have recently been given copies of photos of the burial service in 1944 performed by the German army officers. The photos were given by Josette Demey Bens, who left St Niklaas as a refugee and came to England to join the WAAF.

After the war she made it her duty to tend the graves of these 7 young men who gave their lives in a foreign land hundreds of miles from home.

I would be most grateful if you could try and find out if Josette Bens or any of her family are still alive, or if anyone still remembers the night the plane was shot down.

Regards

Phil How

My name is Steven Hebb. I live in Sint-Niklaas, Flanders. On a local churchyard I discovered the grave of a Canadian corporal from the Great War, between the graves of some Belgian soldiers. This corporal had served in the Black Watch Regiment, age 19. I was very touched that this corporal, who has my age, came to die in this place of the world, all the way from Canada. So, anyone who can give me some information about the Black Watch Regiment during World War 1 is welcome! I also would like to know if there is such a thing as a register from this regiment where I can find this man's name. Or should I try local registers? Thanks!

[Patte62]

On 21/11/2003 at 18:42, Terry Denham said:

He is indeed British

If you look up St Niklaas Communal Cemetery on the CWGC site you get...

Name: THOMSON, ROBERT

Initials: R

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 07/10/1918

Service No: S/42066

Additional information: Son of John and Isabella Thomson, of 17 Dunn St., Paisley. Born at Barrhead.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: North East corner.

Cemetery: ST. NIKLAAS COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Hi everyone, we are commemorating every year in October Lce Cpl Robert Thomson in St. Niklaas, since last year.  It's an annual commemoration in the month October in the nearby of October 7th, the day that Robert Thomson died, with a piper, in cooporation with the Mayor of St. Niklaas and a moment of laying flowers on the grave.  Robert was wounded during the Battle of Courtrai in 1918 and died of his wounds as an POW in a Bavarian Fieldhospital in St. Niklaas.  Robert is buried in St. Niklaas by the Germans and have a solitair grave in St.Niklaas, while he was the only British soldier who died in that hospital.  Hereby some photos of the ceremony of 2021.  The first photo is a photo of the German (Bavarian) Fieldhospital in St. Niklaas.  We have found also living relatives of Robert Thomson in the United States and Canada (2 nieces from whom Robert was the greatgrand uncle).  the Ceremony will be have place this year on Sunday October 9th 2022 @ 11:00' am at the St.Niklaas Communal Cemetery 'Tereken'

[Patte62]

On 21/11/2003 at 18:42, Terry Denham said:

He is indeed British

If you look up St Niklaas Communal Cemetery on the CWGC site you get...

Name: THOMSON, ROBERT

Initials: R

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

Unit Text: 8th Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 07/10/1918

Service No: S/42066

Additional information: Son of John and Isabella Thomson, of 17 Dunn St., Paisley. Born at Barrhead.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: North East corner.

Cemetery: ST. NIKLAAS COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Thats exact Terry, Robert Thomson was born in Barrhead and lived in Paisley (Scotland) before War with his family.  The were residing in 17 Dunn Street before war and Robert Thomson is also mentionned on the Paisley Cenotaph War Memorial and named in the 'Paisley's Fallen in the War 1914 - 1918' book and Robert Thomson is also named on the Familygrave in Neilston Cemetery, East Renfrewshire,  Scotland

Edited 9 July , 2022 by Patte62

[Patte62]

To complete the search we are looking for a photo of Robert Thomson, so we can put a photo during the annual ceremony near Robert's grave.  If anyone can help us with that search it will be great 

Many thanks in advance

Robert & Patrick (Organisators)

Edited 9 July , 2022 by Patte62

[Patte62]

On 06/04/2010 at 02:34, pdadme said:

Hi

My uncle Sgt David A W Mayo of the RAF is also buried in the cemetery at St Niklaas along with the other crew members (British and Canadian) of his Lancaster bomber which was shot down by german night fighters on 22 May 1944.

I have recently been given copies of photos of the burial service in 1944 performed by the German army officers. The photos were given by Josette Demey Bens, who left St Niklaas as a refugee and came to England to join the WAAF.

After the war she made it her duty to tend the graves of these 7 young men who gave their lives in a foreign land hundreds of miles from home.

I would be most grateful if you could try and find out if Josette Bens or any of her family are still alive, or if anyone still remembers the night the plane was shot down.

Regards

Phil How

 

Hi Phil, from those soldiers I've also a lot of information and were are trying to organise also a commemoration moment of those 7 men who are buried in St.Niklaas.  This was the entire crew of the  Avro Lancaster L851 BQ-V 'London's Pride and Joy' 550th Squadron who crashed on May 22nd 1944, 5 crewmembers were of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Sergeants Donald Sydney Bruty, Sydney Alfred Jarvis and David Alfred Mayo and 2 Pilot Officers Peter James Dukelow and Leslie Howard Dunham) and 2 were member of the Royal Canadian Air Force (Pilot Officers Herman Earl Macduff and Leslie Robert Towsley)

In Order the photos are:

• Donald Sydney Bruty R.A.F.V.R.
• Peter James Dukelow R.A.F.V.R.
• Leslie Howard Dunham R.A.F.V.R.
• Sydney Alfred Jarvis R.A.F.V.R.
• Herman Earl Macduff R.C.A.F.
• David Alfred Mayo R.A.F.V.R.
• Leslie Robert Towsley R.C.A.F.

Edited 9 July , 2022 by Patte62

[pdadme]

Hi,

Thanks for this. I actually posted this in 2010 and have since been in touch with many people. I found Josette a few years ago and was in touch with her, but sadly she passed away a few years ago aged ninety something. I am also in touch with the Dukelow family. I have Edward Dukelow on Facebook. He is Peter Dukelow's brother.
Do you know Andy Daelman in Sint Niklaas? He is an amazing individual who helps organise the memorial each year. He has a museum, where he actually has some of the wreckage from the plane
I have also accumulated quite a lot of information about the events before, during and after the 22nd May 1944.
.
Best wishes and kind regards

Phil How

p.s. Incidentally my uncle's full name was David Alfred William Mayo. Alfred and William were the first names of his two grandfathers.

[Patte62]

Hi Phil,

yes indeed Andy Daelman, Steven Hebb and Herbert Heyman, all living in St. Niklaas are persons wich I'm in contact with.  Every time that I pay a visit to St.Niklaas Communal Cemetery I'm paying my respect to all those braves, who gives theirs lives for our freedom.  On my following visit I will sent you some photos of this visit of the graves of the Avro-Lancaster Crew.  I'm creating special wooden crosses (remembrance cross)  to put on their graves next time, with a special text.  I will let you know the result, once those are created. I will provide such a cross to Andy also to put it in his private museum.Photo woodbarn.be

[le ulhan]

A bronze statue representing a soldier of the Scottish regiment "Black Watch" was inaugurated on Saturday in Zonnebeke, near Ypres. The statue was installed in the "Black Watch Corner", the place where the Scottish soldiers faced the German troops in November 1914. During the war 14-18, 8,960 men of this Scottish regiment died and more than 20,000 were wounded.

The first battalion of the "Black Watch" regiment played a crucial role at the start of the First World War. Polygon Wood in Zonnebeke was then an important combat zone. The Scots temporarily halted the advance of German troops on November 10 and 11, 1914. Now, a monument honors the memory of these soldiers who fell during this war. This statue, sculpted by Alan Herriot, represents a sergeant of the Black Watch regiment in First World War uniform, with kilt, jacket and cap, and his Lee Enfield rifle and bayonet.

This inauguration marks the official start of the year of commemoration of the 14-18 war in Zonnebeke. The monument was inaugurated in the presence of Flemish Tourism Minister Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) who presented the remembrance program for this year.

The Memorial Museum
In August, the Passchendaele Memorial Gardens will be open to the public. These gardens refer to the various nations that fought in the First World War. Also in Passendaele, the exhibition “The Old Contemptibles”, a nickname for British troops on the Western Front, will be presented at the Memorial Museum Passchendale 1917.

[Patte62]

we will be present during the ceremony on 11.11.2022 in Zonnebeke