Tracing Your Black Watch Military Ancestors

For over 250 years The Black Watch has served the nation in peace and war. From the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745 to the Battle for Iraq in 2003, soldiers from the regiment have served in all the major Theatres of War and Operations the British Army has faced. For many years the officers and soldiers have been drawn mainly from Angus, Fife and Perthshire, and all have worn the iconic Red Hackle with pride.

Recognising the increasing interest in tracing regimental family history, The Black Watch Museum has joined forces with Angus Council to launch a new range of services for people whose ancestors were Black Watch soldiers.

Ancestral Research Service

Regimental ancestry is a very specialised field, but it can be extremely rewarding for the family historian given the wealth of records and archival material at our disposal. Some records, such as war diaries which give details of 'actions' in the field on a daily basis, can only be accessed by staff at The Black Watch Museum, but other sources such as local newspapers are readily available to members of the public. Local newspapers in particular are a fantastic source of colour for regimental historians, with many even carrying excerpts from letters by local soldiers written from the front line. These provide a very personal account of what life was like for soldiers on a day to day basis'.

To help you trace your regimental ancestry, the Museum has launched a new Ancestral Research Service. Nine Angus-based Black Watch veterans have been trained to carry out regimental research for people whose ancestors fought in the regiment in the First World War. The veterans can research a wealth of regimental archives on your behalf, as well as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Scottish National War Memorial, local newspaper casualty lists, Notices of Wounding, Lists of Medal Awards, local Rolls of Honour and entries from Battalion war diaries.

On completion of their research, you will be presented with a full personal archive relating to your military ancestor, including copies of relevant records, diary excerpts, newspaper cuttings and photographs, which will be yours to keep as a personal memento. Where possible the veterans will also provide you with suggestions for places to visit associated with your military ancestor.

Click here for Ancestral Research Service fees.

For more information on the Ancestral Research Service please contact The Black Watch Museum, Tel +44 (0) 131 310 8530, Email: rhq@theblackwatch.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Methodology Pack

If you'd prefer to carry out your own research but aren't sure how to go about it, the Museum has now also developed a 'methodology pack' which will provide you with a simple but effective step by step guide to the whole process, including examples of the types of records which are available and details of how and where to access them.

The pack is available on CD [£9.50] or hard copy [£8.00]

To obtain a copy of the pack please contact The Black Watch Museum, Tel +44 (0) 131 310 8530, Email: rhq@theblackwatch.co.uk