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152-611: The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland ( 3 SCOTS ) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland . The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot . It was known as The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) from 1881 to 1931 and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from 1931 to 2006. Part of

304-649: A Zeppelin raid on Cleethorpes in April 1916. The 3rd Battalion , Suffolk Regiment, suffered a number of fatalities in two air raids at Felixstowe during July 1917 – and most losses were due to sickness or training accidents. The outbreak of the war saw a transformation of the Special Reserve, as its men were quickly posted to make good the losses suffered by the British Expeditionary Force. The initiative of Army Order 295 had absorbed

456-748: A sidearm or ancillary weapons . Infantry with ranged or polearms often carried a sword or dagger for possible hand-to-hand combat. The pilum was a javelin the Roman legionaries threw just before drawing their primary weapon, the gladius (short sword), and closing with the enemy line. Modern infantrymen now treat the bayonet as a backup weapon, but may also have handguns as sidearms . They may also deploy anti-personnel mines, booby traps, incendiary, or explosive devices defensively before combat. Infantry have employed many different methods of protection from enemy attacks, including various kinds of armour and other gear, and tactical procedures. The most basic

608-537: A Security Forces Assistance Battalion order of battle. The regiment is currently organised into a standard light infantry organisation (included are affiliated units): The battalion headquarters and regimental museum are located at Balhousie Castle in Perth . The Black Watch's primary recruiting areas are in Fife , Dundee , Angus and Perth and Kinross . The battalion is permitted to retain its most famous distinction,

760-628: A few exceptions like the Mongol Empire , infantry has been the largest component of most armies in history. In the Western world , from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages ( c. 8th century BC to 15th century AD), infantry are categorised as either heavy infantry or light infantry . Heavy infantry, such as Greek hoplites , Macedonian phalangites , and Roman legionaries , specialised in dense, solid formations driving into

912-497: A final musketry course where the 8th Battalion Machine Gun Section obtained the highest score in the brigade. In early May 1915, the battalion received the long-awaited orders to proceed overseas to France. The machine-gun section and battalion transport led the way, sailing to Le Havre via Southampton on 9 May with the bulk of the battalion following on 10 May sailing to Boulogne via Folkestone . The whole battalion then travelled on by train to Arques near Saint-Omer arriving in

1064-512: A full suit of attack-proof armour would be too heavy to wear in combat. As firearms improved, armour for ranged defence had to be made thicker and heavier, which hindered mobility. With the introduction of the heavy arquebus designed to pierce standard steel armour, it was proven easier to make heavier firearms than heavier armour; armour transitioned to be only for close combat purposes. Pikemen armour tended to be just steel helmets and breastplates, and gunners had very little or no armour at all. By

1216-417: A hundred meters wide and a dozen rows deep. Maintaining the advantages of heavy infantry meant maintaining formation; this became even more important when two forces with heavy infantry met in battle; the solidity of the formation became the deciding factor. Intense discipline and training became paramount. Empires formed around their military. The organization of military forces into regular military units

1368-404: A larger total of 74,846 reenlisted men. From 1 October 1914 onwards a further 42,636 men re-enlisted, of which 27,188 were Line Infantry. These supplementary terms were rescinded on 7 November 1914 by Army Order 470, having served the purpose of facilitating the reenlistment of former soldiers, but it stressed that men could still enlist in the Special Reserve 'under conditions that existed before

1520-471: A man could enlist in the Special Reserve. Ex-soldiers were eligible to 'enlist in the Special Reserve for a period of one year, or, if the war lasts longer, for the duration of the war.' Given the promptness with which AO 295 was published, it seems likely that the authorities had realised that they would be in deep trouble without the use of the Special Reserve as a pool to absorb ex–regulars. 64,223 infantrymen enlisted under AO 295 by 30 September 1914, out of

1672-525: A number of key battles. On 11 May 1918, the original 9th (Service) Battalion left the line for the final time and was merged with the 4/5th Territorial Battalion. This amalgamation was part of measures taken to address the drain on manpower across the British Army. Whilst the bulk of the 9th went to the 4/5th a small training cadre of 10 officers and 51 other ranks remained and were initially employed training newly arrived American troops. Later that month

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1824-399: A problem. This can be avoided by having shield-armed soldiers stand close together, side-by-side, each protecting both themselves and their immediate comrades, presenting a solid shield wall to the enemy. The opponents for these first formations, the close-combat infantry of more tribal societies , or any military without regular infantry (so called " barbarians ") used arms that focused on

1976-571: A result of the German spring offensive it was decided that one battalion in each brigade would be withdrawn from Greece and transferred to the Western Front . On 14 June 1918 the 10th Battalion received orders to move to France with the men embarking on the French transport Odessa at Itea on 6 July bound for Taranto . From Italy, the battalion travelled by train to Abancourt , finally reaching

2128-440: A return to body armour for infantry, though the extra weight is a notable burden. In modern times, infantrymen must also often carry protective measures against chemical and biological attack, including military gas masks , counter-agents, and protective suits. All of these protective measures add to the weight an infantryman must carry, and may decrease combat efficiency. Early crew-served weapons were siege weapons , like

2280-465: A section of the line East of Maroc and opposite the famous 'Double Crassier'. The battalion was in turn relieved on 9 August 1915 by 10th Battalion Scottish Rifles . To their credit, the battalion suffered no casualties during this first introduction to trench warfare. On 25 September 1915 the battalion went in to action at the Battle of Loos where it suffered severe losses in two days of hard fighting. Of

2432-418: A shortfall in the Special Reserve of 13,000 in 1914, Haldane's successor, John Seely , identified the similar number of National Reservists who had agreed to be liable for service overseas as the means of bringing it up to establishment. The Special Reserve, unlike the militia, did have an overseas service commitment for its members and, in wartime, it was seen that the Special Reserve battalions would take on

2584-700: A sniper in East Belfast in November 1971 and a young private serving with the regiment was killed while on foot patrol in Dungannon , County Tyrone , by a remote control device in July 1978. The Black Watch was the last British military unit to leave Hong Kong in 1997, and it played a prominent role in the handover ceremony . During the 2003 Iraq War , the Black Watch fought during Operation Telic in

2736-463: Is personal armour . This includes shields , helmets and many types of armour – padded linen , leather, lamellar , mail , plate , and kevlar . Initially, armour was used to defend both from ranged and close combat; even a fairly light shield could help defend against most slings and javelins, though high-strength bows and crossbows might penetrate common armour at very close range. Infantry armour had to compromise between protection and coverage, as

2888-692: Is first noted in Egyptian records of the Battle of Kadesh ( c.  1274 BC ). Soldiers were grouped into units of 50, which were in turn grouped into larger units of 250, then 1,000, and finally into units of up to 5,000 – the largest independent command. Several of these Egyptian "divisions" made up an army, but operated independently, both on the march and tactically, demonstrating sufficient military command and control organisation for basic battlefield manoeuvres. Similar hierarchical organizations have been noted in other ancient armies, typically with approximately 10 to 100 to 1,000 ratios (even where base 10

3040-552: The 12th Brigade in the 4th Infantry Division for service with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The battalion later transferred to the 153rd Brigade of the 51st (Highland) Division and was captured at St Valery-en-Caux during the Battle of France . It was reformed from reserve units of the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division in August 1940 and moved to North Africa in August 1942 where it fought at

3192-945: The Anglo-Egyptian War . It was in combat again during the Mahdist War , at the First and Second Battles of El Teb in February 1884, the Battle of Tamai in March 1884 and at the Battle of Kirbekan in February 1885. They were stationed in India from 1896, but were sent to South Africa for service during the Second Boer War . After the war ended in June 1902 with the Peace of Vereeniging , 630 officers and men left Cape Town on

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3344-555: The Anglo-Zulu War , there were just 59 regular home battalions supporting 82 abroad. The situation became untenable at the turn of the century when, during the Second Boer War , the strain placed on the army severely denuded Britain's home defences and forced the government to appeal for volunteers to augment the regular forces overseas. > Nearly 46,000 militiamen served in South Africa, another 74,000 were enlisted into

3496-646: The Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and the Battle of Festubert in May 1915, amalgamated with 2nd Battalion in September 1915. The 1/5th (Angus and Dundee) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 24th Brigade in the 8th Division for service on the Western Front. It also saw action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and the Battle of Festubert in May 1915. The 1/6th (Perthshire) Battalion and

3648-690: The Black Watch Depot in Perth where the battalion was officially disbanded in mid-December 1919. During active service between 1915–1918 the 8th (Service) Battalion lost a total of 169 officers (69 killed/93 wounded/8 missing) and 3,597 other ranks (1,123 killed/1,673 wounded/510 missing). The bravery of the 8th is reflected in the number of gallantry decorations awarded, this includes 7 Distinguished Service Orders , 32 Military Crosses , 38 Distinguished Conduct Medals , 6 Meritorious Service Medals and 137 Military Medals . The 9th (Service) Battalion

3800-484: The Macedonian front . On 10 November the battalion marched to Longueau from where they boarded trains to Marseilles which they reached soon after midday on 12 November. The battalion marched straight to the quay to begin boarding HMS Magnificent alongside two companies from the 11th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and two companies from the 12th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . The course followed

3952-590: The Regimental Sergeant Major W. H. Black. Another notable casualty at Loos was Captain The Hon. Fergus Bowes-Lyon , the elder brother of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who would later marry the future King George VI . The 8th (Service) Battalion spent the rest of the war in the trenches of the Western Front and took part in a number of key battles. Following the armistice, demobilization began on 27 December 1918 and men were released in batches during

4104-972: The Retreat from Mons in August 1914, the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914 and the First Battle of the Aisne later in September 1914; it also took part in the advance to the Hindenburg Line in September 1918. The 2nd Battalion landed at Marseille as part of the Bareilly Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Division in October 1914 for service on the Western Front. It took part in the defence of Givenchy in December 1915 and then moved to Mesopotamia later that month and saw action during

4256-1142: The Royal Dragoon Guards , Royal Lancers , and King's Royal Hussars . Similarly, motorised infantry have trucks and other unarmed vehicles for non-combat movement, but are still infantry since they leave their vehicles for any combat. Most modern infantry have vehicle transport, to the point where infantry being motorised is generally assumed, and the few exceptions might be identified as modern light infantry . Mechanised infantry go beyond motorised, having transport vehicles with combat abilities, armoured personnel carriers (APCs), providing at least some options for combat without leaving their vehicles. In modern infantry, some APCs have evolved to be infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are transport vehicles with more substantial combat abilities, approaching those of light tanks . Some well-equipped mechanised infantry can be designated as armoured infantry . Given that infantry forces typically also have some tanks, and given that most armoured forces have more mechanised infantry units than tank units in their organisation,

4408-809: The Scottish Division for administrative purposes from 1967, it was the senior Highland regiment . It has been part of the Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division for administrative purposes since 2017. The source of the regiment's name is uncertain. In 1725, following the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 , General George Wade was authorised by George I to form six "watch" companies to patrol the Highlands of Scotland , three from Clan Campbell , one from Clan Fraser of Lovat , one from Clan Munro and one from Clan Grant . These were to be "employed in disarming

4560-573: The Seaforth Highlanders . The introduction of conscription early in 1916 overwhelmed the New Army's regiment-based system of training new recruits, resulting in the reorganisation of its training battalions into the centralised Training Reserve in September 1916. The Special Reserve battalions remained responsible for training replacements for their own regular battalions, but when they were at full establishment, new recruits were sent to

4712-810: The Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 and then continued to fight in the Tunisian Campaign before it took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943. It also took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944, the Battle for Caen later that month and the Battle of the Falaise Pocket in August 1944. It later saw action at the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, Battle of

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4864-438: The Western Front . They formed reserve regiments to supply their own drafts. Similarly, the Special Reserve artillery manned the ammunition columns, but there were no subsequent replacements for this pool of men. The demographic of the Special Reserve was transformed, from that of young men, to that of older men with prior military experience. Army Order 295, dated 6 August 1914, announced supplementary terms of service by which

5016-761: The Yeomanry and the Volunteer Force , designed to supplement the regular army in defending the country against invasion and insurrection, and the three auxiliary institutions were not liable for service overseas . Those militiamen who subsequently joined the Militia Reserve, a pool of individuals within the Militia, consequently accepted an overseas service liability. They were poorly organised, with inadequate equipment and training, and operated as discrete institutions integrated neither with each other nor

5168-442: The ballista , trebuchet , and battering ram . Modern versions include machine guns , anti-tank missiles , and infantry mortars . Beginning with the development the first regular military forces, close-combat regular infantry fought less as unorganised groups of individuals and more in coordinated units, maintaining a defined tactical formation during combat, for increased battlefield effectiveness; such infantry formations and

5320-778: The break out from Tobruk in November 1941. The 4th Battalion landed in France in January 1940 as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division for service with the BEF and then took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. From July 1940 to April 1943 the battalion was stationed in Gibraltar. The battalion remained in the United Kingdom for the rest of the war. The 5th Battalion landed in North Africa as part of

5472-468: The siege of Kut in Spring 1916, the fall of Baghdad in March 1917 and the Battle of Istabulat in April 1917. It transferred to Palestine in January 1918 and took part in the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918. The 1/4th (City of Dundee) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the Bareilly Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Division March 1915 for service on the Western Front and, following heavy losses at

5624-564: The 'Birdcage Defensive Line' in the hills surrounding Salonika , the stretch of line allocated to the 10th ran between the villages of Aivatli and Laina. June 1916 saw the battalion move 'up country', spending time in division reserve and manning trenches in the Vladaja Line. On 8 May 1917 the 10th Battalion took part in the Battle of Doiran . Out of 600 men engaged in this action, the 10th lost 5 officers killed and 6 wounded with 63 other ranks killed and 309 wounded. Due to losses incurred as

5776-535: The 1/7th (Fife) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front. They saw action at the Battle of the Ancre Heights in October 1916. The 8th (Service) Battalion was raised in Perth by Lord Sempill of Fintray who had previously served with the Black Watch in the Sudan . Recruiting commenced on 21 August 1914 and

5928-446: The 10th (Service) Battalion lost a total of 18 officers (8 killed/10 wounded) and 435 other ranks (122 killed/311 wounded/2 missing). The bravery of the 10th is reflected in the number of gallantry decorations awarded, this includes 2 Distinguished Service Orders , 6 Military Crosses , 3 Distinguished Conduct Medals , 3 Meritorious Service Medals and 10 Military Medals . The 1st Battalion landed in France in September 1939 as part of

6080-457: The 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division and fought at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. It also took part in the Normandy landings, while attached to the 3rd Parachute Brigade , in June 1944 and saw action at the Battle for Caen followed by the Battle of Bréville later that month. It saw combat again at the Battle of the Falaise Pocket in August 1944 and the Battle of

6232-469: The 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. In English, use of the term infantry began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French infanterie , from older Italian (also Spanish) infanteria (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin īnfāns (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets infant . The individual-soldier term infantryman

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6384-488: The 1st Battalion. On 21 August the battalion proceeded by rail to Sailly-Labourse where it supported the 14th Leicesters and 18th Welch holding the line in the Hohenzollern Sector. On 2 September 1918, the battalion was involved in a costly trench raid losing 31 men. The battalion advanced with the 16th Division until 20 October 1918 when it was assigned the task of repairing roads around Escoeuilles where it

6536-514: The 3rd Battalion, Essex Regiment, for example, had already sent 300 men to the regiment's 2nd Battalion. The huge increase in numbers led to over-crowded depots, and the 3rd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry , was so overwhelmed that it had to send many men on to other regimental depots. Special Reserve units experienced a high turnover of men in bringing their regular battalions up to strength and, once battle had been joined in France, replacing casualties. At one stage in 1914, consideration

6688-720: The 5th Regiment (Royal Highlanders of Canada). It adopted its current title, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada , prior to the Second World War, and saw action in both world wars. Infantry Infantry is a specialization of military personnel who engage in warfare combat . Infantry generally consists of light infantry , irregular infantry , heavy infantry , mountain infantry , motorized infantry , mechanized infantry , airborne infantry , air assault infantry , and naval infantry . Other types of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry , were once commonplace but fell out of favor in

6840-455: The 69 infantry regiments received a 3rd (Reserve) battalion (or, for regiments with four battalions, a 5th and 6th (Reserve) Battalion), and 23 regiments also established between them an additional 27 (Extra Reserve) battalions. These Extra Reserve Battalions, who were to deploy as a unit, for home or active service, were hindered as recruiting was generally poor. The reserve battalions were to be 550 strong, increasing to 1,500 on mobilisation with

6992-433: The 940 officers and men who went into action on 25 September, only 98 returned to their billets when the battalion was relieved by 21st Division on 26 September. The battalion lost a total of 701 men at Loos - 11 officers killed and 10 officers wounded with 360 other ranks killed or missing and 320 other ranks wounded. The 9th (Service) Battalion spent the rest of the war in the trenches of the Western Front and took part in

7144-527: The American all-purpose lightweight individual carrying equipment (ALICE). Infantrymen are defined by their primary arms – the personal weapons and body armour for their own individual use. The available technology, resources, history, and society can produce quite different weapons for each military and era, but common infantry weapons can be distinguished in a few basic categories. Infantrymen often carry secondary or back-up weapons, sometimes called

7296-768: The Boer War could not be incorporated into the Territorial Forces because the Act did not cover Ireland or the Dominions. These were transferred to the Special Reserve. It had been intended to convert the Royal Garrison Artillery Militia units into Royal Field Artillery brigades of the Special Reserve, but this was abandoned and the units disbanded in 1909. Instead the Special Reserve artillerymen would form Brigade Ammunition Columns for

7448-792: The British Prime Minister Harold Wilson to send the Black Watch to Vietnam , a request that was refused. The Black Watch served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles as part of Operation Banner . The regiment was frequently a major target of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). A lance corporal serving with the regiment was shot by

7600-584: The British-controlled Multi-National Division (South East) , to replace forces temporarily redeployed for the Second Battle of Fallujah . Despite objections in Parliament , the deployment went ahead. Based at Camp Dogwood, located between Fallujah and Karbala , in an area later dubbed the " Triangle of Death ", the Black Watch came under sustained insurgent attack from mortars and rockets. On 29 October, during

7752-455: The Bulge in January 1945. The 6th Battalion landed in France in January 1940 as part of the 154th Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division for service with the BEF. The battalion exchanged places with the 1st Battalion and became part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division and then took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. It moved to North Africa in the spring of 1943 for service in

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7904-739: The Colston Hotel. In the New Year, makeshift uniforms were finally replaced by the coveted kilt and sporran. March 1915 saw the 77th Infantry Brigade move to Sutton Veny to engage in brigade and divisional manoeuvres with the 26th Division . Training was completed by the end of July 1915 and during August three days 'farewell' leave was granted to officers and men. On 10 September 1915 embarkation orders were received and on 17 September an advance party of 5 officers and 109 other ranks left for France, arriving at Longueau on 20 September before marching 20 miles to Bougainville to arrange billets for

8056-542: The Commanding Officer of 8th Battalion, consented to transfer one of his three regular officers to 9th Battalion to act as Adjutant. At company level almost all of the officers were newly commissioned Second Lieutenants with no prior military experience. The same was true of the non-commissioned officers, with the exception of the RSM, two former Colour Sergeants and a few old and bold ex soldiers, all NCO's were new to

8208-452: The Expeditionary Force, and ambiguous statements he made later suggested that Special Reserve battalions might also serve overseas. Reservists were volunteers at least 17 years old who committed to a six-year term of service, six months full time basic training on enlistment and three to four weeks training annually. Officers were recruited from a newly created Special Reserve of Officers, though Haldane also hoped that another of his innovations,

8360-423: The Highlanders, preventing depredations, bringing criminals to justice, and hindering rebels and attainted persons from inhabiting that part of the kingdom." Francis Hindes Groome states in his Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1901) that the watch was "embodied in a field [in Aberfeldy ] in 1739". The force was known in Gaelic as Am Freiceadan Dubh, "the dark" or "black watch". This epithet may have come from

8512-401: The Militia to the Expeditionary Force, allocate a further 56,000 as a reserve for it and transfer the remainder into the Territorial Force was met with opposition by militia representatives. Their intransigence forced Haldane to abolish the Militia altogether and create the Special Reserve as a separate institution to the Territorial Force, both of which were established on 1 April 1908. There

8664-412: The NATO troops in Afghanistan, named Operation Panther's Claw , by deploying into and attacking a Taliban stronghold located near Bābājī (باباجی ), north of Lashkar Gah . The operation commenced on 19 June just before midnight. After a number of combat engagements with the insurgents, the soldiers of the battalion secured three main crossing points: the Lui Mandey Wadi crossing, the Nahr-e-Burgha canal and

8816-492: The Regular RFA brigades on the outbreak of war. Some 35,000 former militiamen, representing about 60 per cent of the Militia, transferred into the Special Reserve. A further 20,000 new recruits were enlisted, though 6,100 of them joined the army before completing their initial six months' training and some 2,000 were quickly rejected on medical grounds. Many that did pass the medical were nevertheless in poor shape physically. The reserve failed to attract sufficient recruits, and it

8968-438: The Reichswald in February 1945 and the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. The 2nd Battalion was serving in Palestine from where it was sent to East Africa in August 1940 and saw action during the Italian conquest of British Somaliland . It was sent to Crete , as part of the 14th Brigade in the 8th Division , and took part in the Battle of Heraklion in May 1941. It moved to North Africa in October 1941 and took part in

9120-471: The SS Michigan in late September 1902, arriving at Southampton in late October, when they were posted to Edinburgh. The 2nd Battalion was posted to South Africa in October 1899, following the outbreak of the Second Boer War. The battalion suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Magersfontein in December 1899. After the end of the war, about 730 officers and men left Point Natal for British India on SS Ionian in October 1902, where after arrival in Bombay it

9272-408: The Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. It also took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944, the Battle for Caen later that month and the Battle of the Falaise Pocket in August 1944. It later saw action at the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945. The 7th Battalion was also one of the first battalions to cross the river Rhine during Operation Plunder on the 23 March 1945. The 2nd Battalion

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9424-450: The Shamalan canal. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, Commanding Officer of The Black Watch battalion, was reported saying that this operation established a firm foothold in what was the last remaining Taliban area controlled in the southern Helmand Province . The location of the Taliban force in the area had allowed it to conduct attacks on the A01 highway, a major national route connecting Kandahar and Herat . During 22 June, troops of

9576-404: The Special Reserve as long as certain conditions were met. They were not permitted to serve beyond the age of 42. They were exempted from basic training, but would attend the annual camp. In 1910, Haldane established the Veteran Reserve, renamed later to National Reserve . It was recruited from former pre-Territorial Force auxiliaries, time-expired territorials and ex-regular soldiers. Faced with

9728-420: The Special Reserve of officers. After the war, the Special Reserve was only some 9,000 strong, and a committee chaired by General Alexander Hamilton-Gordon concluded in July 1919 that it should be abolished. By the end of the year it had effectively ceased to exist. The routine nature of its wartime duties meant that it received little attention in most post-war regimental histories. When the Territorial Force

9880-455: The Swiss, English, Aragonese and German, to men-at-arms who went into battle as well-armoured as knights, the latter of which at times also fought on foot. The creation of standing armies —permanently assembled for war or defence—saw increase in training and experience. The increased use of firearms and the need for drill to handle them efficiently. The introduction of national and mass armies saw an establishment of minimum requirements and

10032-459: The Training Reserve. It is noted that none of the 3rd (Reserve) battalions served overseas as a complete unit during the conflict. In 1916, after conscription had been introduced a number of Special Reserve battalions (all 'Extra Reserve') were selected for service on the Western Front. The few casualties among Special Reservist units at home were a result of air raids – the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion , Manchester Regiment , lost 31 men during

10184-453: The United Kingdom. The oldest of these, the English Militia , traced its origins to the military obligations of the Anglo-Saxon period, and its formal existence can be dated back to the first militia statutes of 1558. Originally recruited by various means of compulsion, the British Militia had become a voluntary institution by the late 19th century, and over 950,000 men had served in its ranks between 1882 and 1904. The Militia was, alongside

10336-406: The age threshold to 35, with former non-commissioned officers, regardless of age, being posted to the New Army units. The order changed the age limit for ex-soldiers to enlist in the Special Reserve, being raised to 45 for ORs and 50 for certain NCOs. Despite the conflict of interest - on the one hand, the New Army battalions needed to be recruited and trained, on the other the regular battalions in

10488-443: The arms they used developed together, starting with the spear and the shield. A spear has decent attack abilities with the additional advantage keeping opponents at distance; this advantage can be increased by using longer spears, but this could allow the opponent to side-step the point of the spear and close for hand-to-hand combat where the longer spear is near useless. This can be avoided when each spearman stays side by side with

10640-410: The army and promoted to acting rank on the recommendation of their company commander. September to November was spent training at Albuhera Barracks in Aldershot, where on 26 September the battalion paraded for the first time as a complete unit in front of the King, Queen and Lord Kitchener as part of the 44th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division . It is notable that on this first formal parade all of

10792-455: The army to intervene in a major foreign conflict and of the auxiliaries, which were perceived to have performed poorly during the war, to support it. The reform efforts of the conservative Secretaries of State for War , William St John Brodrick and H. O. Arnold-Forster , foundered in the face of opposition from auxiliary interests in the government, but their successor, the liberal Richard Haldane fared better with his efforts. He improved

10944-597: The army's capability to fight in a major foreign conflict by creating a six-division Expeditionary Force, and the auxiliary forces were re-organised into the better trained, equipped and integrated Territorial Force . His reforms did not, however, escape vested interests unscathed, and he was forced to make some fundamental compromises before he could be sure of successfully passing the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 in Parliament. His plan to assign 31,000 of

11096-520: The army, and five battalions were deployed as garrison troops on Malta, St. Helena and in Egypt. Some 20,000 men of the Volunteer Force were transferred voluntarily into the army reserve and sent to South Africa, and the yeomanry provided the nucleus of the separate Imperial Yeomanry in which over 34,000 volunteered. The experience in South Africa prompted further debate about the abilities of

11248-648: The arrival of Army Reservists not immediately required by the Expeditionary Force. Each infantry regiment was to have ‘a Reserve battalion composed of Special Reservists’ primarily, its purpose was not to go to war as a unit, but to provide drafts to the regular battalions. It was also Haldane's intention that the Extra Reserve battalions would be available for garrison duties in the Mediterranean or line of communications duties in support of

11400-520: The backbone of the new unit. The enlisted men came mainly from the cities, farms and collieries of Fife and Forfarshire . 16 January 1915 saw the 26th Infantry Brigade move from Aldershot to Hampshire with the 8th Battalion billeted at Alton. On 22 January 1915 Lord Kitchener inspected the battalion, along with the rest of the 9th (Scottish) Division during downpour of rain on Laffan's Plain (now Farnborough Airport ). The battalion marched to Oxney Farm Camp near Bordon on 21 March 1915 to undertake

11552-637: The battalion also "found 1.3 tonnes of poppy seed and a number of improvised explosive devices and anti-personnel mines before they could be laid." Analysis by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation revealed the haul to be of mung beans , not poppy seed. Following the Army 2020 Refine , the battalion was to remain at Fort George until 2023 where it was to move to another barracks in Scotland . This would later be changed in 2021 with

11704-403: The battalion lost 140 officers (46 killed/88 wounded/6 missing) and 2,899 other ranks (645 killed/2,029 wounded/225 missing). The bravery of the 9th is reflected in the number of gallantry decorations awarded, this includes 3 Distinguished Service Orders , 28 Military Crosses , 7 Distinguished Conduct Medals , 2 Meritorious Service Medals and 65 Military Medals . The 10th (Service) Battalion

11856-637: The battalion lost three men killed and seven wounded. On 25 September 1915, the battalion took a leading role in the opening actions of the Battle of Loos . During three hard days of fighting at Loos, the battalion lost 19 officers and 492 other ranks either killed or wounded. This included the Commanding Officer Lt Col Lord Sempill , the Second in Command Major J. G. Collins, three of the four Company Commanders and

12008-485: The battalion move with the rest of the 44th Brigade to Parkhouse Camp in the Salisbury Plain Training Area to conduct brigade manoeuvres. The King inspected the 15th Division a second time on 21 June 1915 and was greatly impressed at the progress made in such a short space of time. On 4 July 1915, the battalion received embarkation orders for France, the machine gun and transport sections led

12160-587: The battalion received orders to march to Salouël which was reached at midnight after seven hour's march in torrential rain. The following morning the 77th Infantry Brigade marched on to Villers-Bretonneux and were inspected on the road by the XII Corps Commander Lt-Gen Sir Henry Fuller Maitland Wilson who congratulated the 10th battalion on its march discipline and fine appearance. The battalion spent five days training at Villers-Bretonneux where

12312-595: The battalion to relocate to Leuchars in 2029 instead. Following the refine, the battalion was equipped with the Foxhound light mechanised vehicle . The battalion was also moved under the command of the 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland . In the later part of 2023 the Battalion, subordinated to 11th Security Forces Assistance Brigade in Aldershot . The battalion was reduced to 301 personnel in line with

12464-593: The battalion, some with previous Regular or Territorial military experience but the majority had none. November saw the battalion move to Bristol where the men practised trench digging in Ashton Park. The men were comfortably quartered in several public buildings, A and C companies occupied Colston Hall , B the Victoria Gallery and D the Coliseum (a large ice skating rink); the officers were billeted at

12616-480: The battalion. The bulk of the battalion soon followed, leaving Folkestone at 6pm on 20 September aboard the SS La Marguerite and arriving at Boulogne around midnight. The rest of the night was spent under canvas at Ostrahove Camp, the next morning the battalion boarded trains to Sallux before marching the final fifteen miles to rendezvous with the advance party at Bougainville . On 23 September 1915,

12768-453: The cadre returned to Aldershot where they spent two months raising and training a new unit which became 2/9th (Service) Battalion assigned to the 47th Brigade , 16th (Irish) Division . The 2/9th left Aldershot on 30 July 1918 sailing from Folkestone to Boulogne and reaching billets at Hodecq the following day. The next eighteen days were spent training before 2/9th entered the battle area at Noeux-les-Mines on 19 August 1918 where it relieved

12920-411: The carrying burden is spread across several infantrymen. In all, this can reach 25–45 kg (60–100 lb) for each soldier on the march. Such heavy infantry burdens have changed little over centuries of warfare; in the late Roman Republic, legionaries were nicknamed " Marius' mules " as their main activity seemed to be carrying the weight of their legion around on their backs, a practice that predates

13072-463: The distinction between mechanised infantry and armour forces has blurred. The first military forces in history were infantry. In antiquity , infantry were armed with early melee weapons such as a spear , axe , or sword , or an early ranged weapon like a javelin , sling , or bow , with a few infantrymen being expected to use both a melee and a ranged weapon. With the development of gunpowder , infantry began converting to primarily firearms . By

13224-509: The division wore civilian clothes as uniforms had yet to be issued, it was not until the middle of October that the men were all dressed alike and kilts did not arrive until 20 January 1915 by which time the battalion had taken up billets in the village of Liss in Hampshire. On 23 February 1915, the battalion moved to Chiseldon Camp and commenced musketry training on 1 March, at this point only 25 service rifles were available. 12 May 1915 saw

13376-682: The draft-finding role to the 3rd (Reserve) battalions. After the outbreak of war there was a proposal to form the eight 4th battalions and four 5th battalions into a complete Irish Division, which was supported by the Nationalist leader John Redmond , who lobbied the War Office on the subject. However, the Irish Extra Reserve battalions became draft-finding units, duplicating the work of the 3rd battalions. They steadily declined in numbers as volunteering dropped off and conscription

13528-582: The early hours of 11 May, from here they heard the distant rumble of the guns at Ypres for the first time. The battalion entered the trenches for the first time on 4 July 1915, relieving the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in the front line East of Festubert , they were relieved in turn on 7 July 1915 by 10th (Service) Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry . In this short four day introduction to trench warfare,

13680-455: The enemy to prepare for the main forces' battlefield attack, protecting them from flanking manoeuvers , and then afterwards either pursuing the fleeing enemy or covering their army's retreat. After the fall of Rome, the quality of heavy infantry declined, and warfare was dominated by heavy cavalry , such as knights , forming small elite units for decisive shock combat , supported by peasant infantry militias and assorted light infantry from

13832-442: The eponymous Gaius Marius . When combat is expected, infantry typically switch to "packing light", meaning reducing their equipment to weapons, ammunition, and other basic essentials, and leaving other items deemed unnecessary with their transport or baggage train , at camp or rally point, in temporary hidden caches, or even (in emergencies) simply discarding the items. Additional specialised equipment may be required, depending on

13984-400: The existence of any organised military, likely started essentially as loose groups without any organisation or formation. But this changed sometime before recorded history ; the first ancient empires (2500–1500 BC) are shown to have some soldiers with standardised military equipment, and the training and discipline required for battlefield formations and manoeuvres: regular infantry . Though

14136-434: The expected duration of time operating away from their unit's base, plus any special mission-specific equipment. One of the most valuable pieces of gear is the entrenching tool —basically a folding spade —which can be employed not only to dig important defences, but also in a variety of other daily tasks, and even sometimes as a weapon. Infantry typically have shared equipment on top of this, like tents or heavy weapons, where

14288-505: The field still required reinforcements - on 17 September 1914 Kitchener made a statement in Parliament that 'Special Reserve units will be maintained at their full establishments as feeders to the Expeditionary Force.' The priority placement of recruits was to make up the strength of K1 units, then the Reserve battalions, and then the K2 units. Drafts began to be sent to the regular battalions;

14440-610: The final stages of the Tunisian Campaign and then on to the Italian Front in February 1944 where it took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino in the spring of 1944. The battalion later fought on the Gothic Line before being sent to Greece in late 1944, where it remained for the rest of the war. The 7th Battalion landed in North Africa as part of the 154th Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division and fought at

14592-565: The first to be sent as drafts, with the Special Reserve second in precedence. The Official History notes that Special Reserve drafts were despatched a month into the fighting, with the Army Reserve component having already being depleted. In support of staffing the Special Reserve battalions, War Office Instruction 117 dated 17 August 1914 demanded new recruits aged 30 years and over were posted to Reserve battalion, not to New Army. In contrast, Army Order 341 dated 30 August 1914 changed

14744-426: The following months. In mid-August 1919 the remnants of the battalion returned to England, sailing from Calais to Folkestone before marching to Shorncliffe where trains were boarded to Brocton Camp . Demobilization continued and on 15 November 1919, the battalion was reduced to Cadre strength. Following the dispersal of the remaining officers and other ranks, the Commanding Officer, Adjutant and Quartermaster returned to

14896-484: The great difficulties the Special Reserve faced in "performing the double duty of training drafts...and defending our shores". Because of the large number of pre-existing Irish Militia regiments, the Irish regular regiments had been assigned an unusually high proportion of 4th and 5th 'Extra Reserve' battalions in 1908. These units believed that they had been promised that they would serve overseas as formed units, leaving

15048-889: The individual – weapons using personal strength and force, such as larger swinging swords, axes, and clubs. These take more room and individual freedom to swing and wield, necessitating a more loose organisation. While this may allow for a fierce running attack (an initial shock advantage) the tighter formation of the heavy spear and shield infantry gave them a local manpower advantage where several might be able to fight each opponent. Thus tight formations heightened advantages of heavy arms, and gave greater local numbers in melee. To also increase their staying power, multiple rows of heavy infantrymen were added. This also increased their shock combat effect; individual opponents saw themselves literally lined-up against several heavy infantryman each, with seemingly no chance of defeating all of them. Heavy infantry developed into huge solid block formations, up to

15200-491: The inefficiencies inherent in maintaining a number of relatively small separate units, took place on 28 March 2006. The Black Watch were retained following intervention from Queen Elizabeth II . In July 2007 the battalion moved from Palace Barracks in Belfast to Fort George . On 24 June 2009, it was reported that elements of the battalion numbering about 350 troops carried out one of the largest air assault operations of

15352-538: The initial attack on Basra , and during its deployment, the unit suffered a single fatality. The following year, the Black Watch was dispatched to Iraq again, as part of 4 (Armoured) Brigade . On 12 August, a soldier from the regiment was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED). In October, the Black Watch was at the centre of political controversy after the United States Army requested British forces to be moved further north, outside of

15504-422: The introduction of special troops (first of them the engineers going back to medieval times, but also different kinds of infantry adopted to specific terrain, bicycle, motorcycle, motorised and mechanised troops) culminating with the introduction of highly trained special forces during the first and second World War. Naval infantry, commonly known as marines , are primarily a category of infantry that form part of

15656-515: The journey to their new base, a Black Watch soldier was killed in a road accident. On 4 November, three soldiers and an interpreter were killed by a car bomb at a check point , and on 8 November, another soldier was killed: the high-profile nature of the deployment caused a magnification of these events back home in Britain. Under a plan devised by Lieutenant General Alistair Irwin and approved by General Sir Mike Jackson , on 16 December 2004, it

15808-566: The line at Fontaine-lès-Cappy with B and C companies rotating in on 2 October with the Royal Irish Fusiliers . The battalion took responsibility for its first stretch of the line on 14 October when it relieved the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry around Bray with battalion HQ located in the town of Carnoy . On 5 November the battalion received orders to prepare for immediate deployment to Salonika to participate in operations on

15960-725: The lower classes. Towards the end of Middle Ages, this began to change, where more professional and better trained light infantry could be effective against knights, such as the English longbowmen in the Hundred Years' War . By the start of the Renaissance , the infantry began to return to a larger role, with Swiss pikemen and German Landsknechts filling the role of heavy infantry again, using dense formations of pikes to drive off any cavalry. Dense formations are vulnerable to ranged weapons. Technological developments allowed

16112-417: The main enemy lines, using weight of numbers to achieve a decisive victory , and were usually equipped with heavier weapons and armour to fit their role. Light infantry, such as Greek peltasts , Balearic slingers , and Roman velites , using open formations and greater manoeuvrability, took on most other combat roles: scouting , screening the army on the march, skirmishing to delay, disrupt, or weaken

16264-447: The main force of the army, these forces were usually kept small due to their cost of training and upkeep, and might be supplemented by local short-term mass-conscript forces using the older irregular infantry weapons and tactics; this remained a common practice almost up to modern times. Before the adoption of the chariot to create the first mobile fighting forces c.  2000 BC , all armies were pure infantry. Even after, with

16416-433: The means by which army battalions abroad could be reinforced by linked battalions at home. The reforms effectively ended the Militia's existence as an independent body capable of operating in independent units, and it became little more than a source of recruitment into the army, with 35 per cent of its men enlisting each year. The reorganisation did little to ease the army's manpower problems, and as early as 1879, during

16568-409: The men could hear the distant rumbling of guns, this was artillery supporting the Battle of Loos for which 10th Battalion was held in reserve. On 29 September 1915, the battalion left for Proyart and the companies entered the front line trenches for the first time for forty-eight hours of instruction with the resident units. A and D companies joined 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in

16720-487: The mid 17th century began replacement of the pike with the infantry square replacing the pike square. To maximise their firepower, musketeer infantry were trained to fight in wide lines facing the enemy, creating line infantry . These fulfilled the central battlefield role of earlier heavy infantry, using ranged weapons instead of melee weapons. To support these lines, smaller infantry formations using dispersed skirmish lines were created, called light infantry, fulfilling

16872-595: The mission or to the particular terrain or environment, including satchel charges , demolition tools, mines , or barbed wire , carried by the infantry or attached specialists. Historically, infantry have suffered high casualty rates from disease , exposure, exhaustion and privation — often in excess of the casualties suffered from enemy attacks. Better infantry equipment to support their health, energy, and protect from environmental factors greatly reduces these rates of loss, and increase their level of effective action. Health, energy, and morale are greatly influenced by how

17024-631: The naval forces of states and perform roles on land and at sea, including amphibious operations , as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations. Air force infantry and base defense forces are used primarily for ground-based defense of air bases and other air force facilities. They also have a number of other, specialist roles. These include, among others, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence and training other airmen in basic ground defense tactics. Infentory Special Reserve (militia) The Special Reserve

17176-400: The others in close formation, each covering the ones next to him, presenting a solid wall of spears to the enemy that they cannot get around. Similarly, a shield has decent defence abilities, but is literally hit-or-miss; an attack from an unexpected angle can bypass it completely. Larger shields can cover more, but are also heavier and less manoeuvrable, making unexpected attacks even more of

17328-557: The pool of ex-soldiers that were available by autumn 1914. Whilst it was still possible to enlist in the Special Reserve, it was preferred that recruits would enlist under Regular terms of service, for the duration of the war, as announced by Army Order 470 on 7 November 1914. The introduction of conscription, by the Military Service Act of 27 January 1916, effectively ended recruitment of other ranks under Special Reserve terms of service. Around 30,000 were commissioned into

17480-458: The raising of large numbers of light infantry units armed with ranged weapons, without the years of training expected for traditional high-skilled archers and slingers. This started slowly, first with crossbowmen , then hand cannoneers and arquebusiers , each with increasing effectiveness, marking the beginning of early modern warfare , when firearms rendered the use of heavy infantry obsolete. The introduction of musketeers using bayonets in

17632-648: The ranks were filled by 3 September 1914. The 8th was the senior battalion in the 26th Infantry Brigade , which in turn was the leading brigade of the 9th (Scottish) Division , the first division of Lord Kitchener's New Army . As such, the 8th (Service) Battalion can claim to be the vanguard of the "First Hundred Thousand" men in Kitchener's K1 Army. The battalion officially formed at Albuera Barracks in August 1914 before moving to Maida Barracks in September 1914. A core cadre of experienced regular and ex-regular officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers formed

17784-599: The red hackle on the Tam o'Shanter . The following are notable individuals who served with the regiment: The following Black Watch servicemen were awarded the Victoria Cross : 1. awarded 1909 for services of 42nd Regiment. 2. awarded 1914 for services of 42nd Regiment. 3. awarded 1910 for service of 42nd Regiment. 4. awarded 1951 for service of 42nd Regiment. 5. awarded 1889 for service of 73rd Regiment. 6. awarded 1882 for service of 73rd Regiment. Colonels of

17936-632: The regiment were: The battalion has the following alliances: Before and after the Second World War, the Australian Militia, later renamed the Citizen Military Forces (CMF), included the 30th Battalion, New South Wales Scottish Regiment . This unit was affiliated with the Black Watch. Canada (from 1862) has its own Black Watch, being raised as the 5th Battalion of the Canadian Militia, being renamed by 1914 as

18088-653: The regimental band which had been on tour in the USA were invited to participate in the funeral procession. Between the White House and the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle they performed The Brown Haired Maiden , The Badge of Scotland , The 51st Highland Division , and The Barren Rocks of Aden. The Black Watch had won such renown that in December 1964 during an Anglo-American summit, President Lyndon Johnson asked

18240-409: The regular army. To make the small, professional British Army better able to cope with the increasing commitments of defending the empire , a series of reforms were begun by Edward Cardwell in 1871 and completed by Hugh Childers in 1881. They were designed to foster the integration of auxiliary and professional by linking militia and volunteer battalions with regular army regiments, and provide

18392-622: The regular infantry. The possibility of enlisting in the army under Regular terms of service were facilitated under paragraph 38, one precondition was that the recruit 'fulfils the necessary physical requirements.' A similar contrast was the replacement of several weeks of preliminary training with six months of full time training upon enlisting in the Special Reserve. In addition, three Imperial Yeomanry regiments (the North Irish Horse , South Irish Horse and King Edward's Horse (The King's Overseas Dominions Regiment) ) created after

18544-465: The rest camp on 14 July and were attached to 197th Infantry Brigade in the 66th Division . On 20 September the battalion was informed that they were to be disbanded with orders received on 29 September to send one complete company to each of the 1st, 6th and 14th Black Watch Battalions to replace losses. On 15 October the disbandment of the 10th (Service) Battalion was reported as complete to 197th Infantry Brigade . During active service between 1915-1918

18696-1041: The same multiple roles as earlier light infantry. Their arms were no lighter than line infantry; they were distinguished by their skirmish formation and flexible tactics. The modern rifleman infantry became the primary force for taking and holding ground on battlefields as an element of combined arms . As firepower continued to increase, use of infantry lines diminished, until all infantry became light infantry in practice. Modern classifications of infantry have since expanded to reflect modern equipment and tactics, such as motorised infantry , mechanised or armoured infantry , mountain infantry , marine infantry , and airborne infantry . Beyond main arms and armour, an infantryman's "military kit" generally includes combat boots , battledress or combat uniform , camping gear , heavy weather gear, survival gear , secondary weapons and ammunition , weapon service and repair kits, health and hygiene items, mess kit , rations , filled water canteen , and all other consumables each infantryman needs for

18848-723: The soldier is fed, so militaries issue standardised field rations that provide palatable meals and enough calories to keep a soldier well-fed and combat-ready. Communications gear has become a necessity, as it allows effective command of infantry units over greater distances, and communication with artillery and other support units. Modern infantry can have GPS , encrypted individual communications equipment, surveillance and night vision equipment, advanced intelligence and other high-tech mission-unique aids. Armies have sought to improve and standardise infantry gear to reduce fatigue for extended carrying, increase freedom of movement, accessibility, and compatibility with other carried gear, such as

19000-786: The streets with the salute taken by the Prime Minister Jinnah . The regiment won honours after the Second Battle of the Hook in November 1952 during the Korean War . The regiment helped to suppress the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya in 1953 and to suppress the actions of EOKA during intercommunal violence in Cyprus in the late 1950s. During the state funeral of John F. Kennedy in November 1963, nine bagpipers from

19152-464: The time of Napoleonic warfare , infantry, cavalry and artillery formed a basic triad of ground forces, though infantry usually remained the most numerous. With armoured warfare , armoured fighting vehicles have replaced the horses of cavalry, and airpower has added a new dimension to ground combat, but infantry remains pivotal to all modern combined arms operations. The first warriors, adopting hunting weapons or improvised melee weapons, before

19304-445: The time of the musket, the dominance of firepower shifted militaries away from any close combat, and use of armour decreased, until infantry typically went without wearing any armour. Helmets were added back during World War I as artillery began to dominate the battlefield, to protect against their fragmentation and other blast effects beyond a direct hit. Modern developments in bullet-proof composite materials like kevlar have started

19456-531: The tribal host assembled from farmers and hunters with only passing acquaintance with warfare and masses of lightly armed and ill-trained militia put up as a last ditch effort. Kushite king Taharqa enjoyed military success in the Near East as a result of his efforts to strengthen the army through daily training in long-distance running. In medieval times the foot soldiers varied from peasant levies to semi-permanent companies of mercenaries, foremost among them

19608-472: The twin roles of draft finding for regular units, and home defence. In August 1914, the line infantry could call upon 80,688 men of the Army Reserve , in addition to the Special Reserve. The Special Reserve with only 47,893 men against an establishment of 63,170, was a quarter below strength. Nearly one in five were under 19 years of age, thus ineligible for active service. The Army Reserve soldiers were

19760-439: The uniform plaids of dark tartan with which the companies were provided. Other theories have been put forward; for instance, that the name referred to the "black hearts" of the pro-government militia who had sided with the "enemies of true Highland spirit", or that it came from their original duty in policing the Highlands, namely preventing "blackmail" (Highlanders demanding extortion payments to spare cattle herds). The regiment

19912-495: The university-based Officers' Training Corps (OTC), would be a source of reserve officers. They were required to undergo twelve months of basic training, later reduced to six, and then attend an annual camp and other training schemes as required. In contrast with the soldier serving in the militia, those who served under Special Reserve terms of service had an obligation to serve overseas, as stipulated in paragraph 54. The standards of medical fitness were lower than for recruits to

20064-584: The war'. By September 1914, the Special Reserve had provided 35,000 replacements and was becoming so short of trained men that its ability to perform its home defence functions was in doubt. The problem was exacerbated by the loss of many of its instructors to the New Army. In the first year of the war, the 3rd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders , supplied over 3,800 officers and men in drafts to its regular battalions, and similar efforts were made by almost every reserve battalion. Field Marshal Sir John French , Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces , acknowledged

20216-601: The way and departed Parkhouse Camp on 7 July sailing on the  SS  Mount Temple that night from Southampton to Le Havre. The bulk of the battalion left Parkhouse Camp early on 8 July sailing on the SS Invicta from Folkestone and arriving in Boulogne that same evening. The 9th (Service) Battalion first entered the trenches on 2 August 1915 when it relieved 23rd/24th Battalions of the London Regiment in

20368-541: The weapon speciality; examples of infantry units that retained such names are the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Grenadier Guards . Dragoons were created as mounted infantry , with horses for travel between battles; they were still considered infantry since they dismounted before combat. However, if light cavalry was lacking in an army, any available dragoons might be assigned their duties; this practice increased over time, and dragoons eventually received all

20520-452: The weapons and training as both infantry and cavalry, and could be classified as both. Conversely, starting about the mid-19th century, regular cavalry have been forced to spend more of their time dismounted in combat due to the ever-increasing effectiveness of enemy infantry firearms. Thus most cavalry transitioned to mounted infantry. As with grenadiers, the dragoon and cavalry designations can be retained long after their horses, such as in

20672-493: Was North of Corsica , passing Elba , South through the Straits of Messina , along the coast of Sicily and on to Alexandria which was reached on 18 November 1915. At Alexandria, the men disembarked and spent the night at Maritza Camp before re-embarking on HMS Magnificent and sailing for Salonika which was reached on 24 November 1915. The 10th Battalion spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 constructing and manning part of

20824-598: Was announced that the Black Watch was to join with five other Scottish regiments – the Royal Scots , the King's Own Scottish Borderers , the Royal Highland Fusiliers , The Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders – to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland , a single regiment consisting of five regular and two territorial battalions. The measure, which reflected recruiting difficulties and

20976-578: Was consistently 16–18 per cent short of its 80,300 establishment. Because of the long training requirement, those it did attract tended to be the unemployed and the young, in many cases too young, with boys as young as 15 being accepted. The problem was particularly acute in the officer corps; only 283 of the 18,000 men who had by 1912 graduated from the OTC had joined, leaving the Special Reserve some 50 per cent short in subalterns . From March 1911, former Regular soldiers, up to 36 years of age, could enlist into

21128-421: Was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot to form two battalions of the newly named Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). The 42nd became the 1st Battalion, and the 73rd became the 2nd Battalion. The 1st Battalion saw action at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during

21280-489: Was deployed to India in 1945 and arrived at Cherat Cantonment, thirty-four miles from Peshawar , on 15 August 1947, when India and Pakistan became independent. In February 1946, the Black Watch was deployed to suppress the Royal Indian Navy mutiny at Karachi . On 26 February 1948 the battalion became the last British Army unit to leave Pakistan, boarding a transport ship at Karachi , after a formal parade through

21432-472: Was given to reinforcing the Central Force , the mobile element of Britain's home defence force, with three Special Reserve divisions, but the idea was quickly dropped because of the transient population of the Special Reserve battalions at any given time. On the outbreak of war the three regiments of Special Reserve Horse were broken up to provide divisional cavalry squadrons for infantry divisions on

21584-608: Was never imposed in Ireland. In May 1918 many were absorbed into their regiment's 3rd battalions. In 1915, Special Reserve units began assisting in the training of Volunteer Training Corps battalions; the Suffolk Volunteers, for example, received training from the instructors of the 3rd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment , and the Huddersfield Volunteers were attached to the Special Reserve battalion of

21736-570: Was not coined until 1837. In modern usage, foot soldiers of any era are now considered infantry and infantrymen. From the mid-18th century until 1881, the British Army named its infantry as numbered regiments "of Foot" to distinguish them from cavalry and dragoon regiments (see List of Regiments of Foot ). Infantry equipped with special weapons were often named after that weapon, such as grenadiers for their grenades , or fusiliers for their fusils . These names can persist long after

21888-399: Was not common), similar to modern sections (squads) , companies , and regiments . The training of the infantry has differed drastically over time and from place to place. The cost of maintaining an army in fighting order and the seasonal nature of warfare precluded large permanent armies. The antiquity saw everything from the well-trained and motivated citizen armies of Greece and Rome,

22040-443: Was opposition from Militia colonels, who would have preferred that the battalions deployed as a body, overseas, rather than drafts of personnel dispersed to line battalions, as had happened in the Boer War. The infantry of the Special Reserve were integrated into the regular army's regimental system. Of the existing 124 Militia battalions 23 were disbanded. Of those remaining, 74 become Reserve Battalions and 27 Extra Reserve. Each of

22192-501: Was organised into battalions , providing the third for each of the regular army's 64 two-battalion infantry regiments and a fifth and sixth for the five four-battalion infantry regiments. In addition to providing replacements to the regular army, the Special Reserve was deployed on home defence duties guarding the coast and key installations during the First World War . The routine nature of its duties meant that scant attention

22344-543: Was paid to it in regimental histories. After the war, the Special Reserve was abolished and the Militia was resurrected in 1921 to take on its former role. No effort was made to restart recruitment, and in 1924 the new Militia's functions were absorbed into the Supplementary Reserve . Traditional mistrust of a standing army resulted in a strong tradition of part-time military institutions in England and later

22496-564: Was raised from an initial draft of 200 men sent from Perth to join the 8th (Service) Battalion at Aldershot on 6 September 1914. As the 8th Battalion was already fully manned permission was granted to form a second unit from the drafts reaching the 8th Battalion between 6 September and 9 September, forming part of Kitchener's K2 Army. This became the 9th (Service) Battalion under the command of Major T.O. Lloyd, an ex-regular Black Watch officer who had retired from 1st Battalion in 1909. The new battalion lacked experienced officers and Lord Sempill ,

22648-552: Was raised in Perth at the beginning of September 1914 under Lt Col Sir William Stewart Dick-Cunyngham, 8th Baronet of Lambrughton . By 20 September 1914 a core body of 400 men had volunteered and were sent South to train at Shrewton in the Salisbury Plain Training Area where the 10th was to form part of the 77th Infantry Brigade alongside the 10th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders , 11th Battalion Scottish Rifles and 8th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers as part of Kitchener's K3 Army . Officers were gradually appointed to

22800-514: Was reconstituted as the Territorial Army in 1921, the Special Reserve was also renamed, becoming the Militia. Its units retained the same role, acting as regiments' third battalions in the provision of a reserve for the regular battalions, but no effort was made to recruit into it, other than in Northern Ireland where they provided the only auxiliary force. Militia battalions existed on paper until they were disbanded in April 1953. In 1924

22952-786: Was stationed in Sialkot in Umballa in Punjab . In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve ; the regiment now had one Reserve and five Territorial battalions. The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 1st Brigade in the 1st Division in August 1914 for service on the Western Front . It saw action during

23104-406: Was when the armistice was declared on 11 November 1918. Following the armistice, the battalion started the process of demobilization and found itself at Fretin by 27 November 1918 where it remained until Spring 1919 when it was reduced to cadre strength and moved to Pont-a-Marcq. The cadre returned to Scotland in July 1919 where the 2/9th was finally disbanded. During active service between 1915-1918

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