Lmst

I never thought I'd be celebrating a German #historical #fantasy novel, but #SchwarzeWacht / #BlackWatch (?) by #RichardSchwartz offers an exciting plot, nice characters & an atmospheric narrative – without any childish silliness. It wipes the floor with #Abercrombie's #TheDevils – so far! #booksky

The former bonded warehouse for Red Hackle Whisky on Otago Street in Glasgow. Self-styled as 'Scotland's Best Whisky' Red Hackle was established in 1920 by Charles Hepburn and Herbert Ross, two former soldiers and it was named after the distinctive red feather worn by members of the Black Watch. You can just about still make out the words Red Hackle on the faded advertisement for the whisky on the building's gable end.

#glasgow #architecture #whisky #redhackle #ghostsign #blackwatch

A large, brick-built former whisky warehouse with a ghost sign on its gable end.

The Black Watch on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, c.1910s - Valentine's Postcard

https://www.ebid.net/uk/for-sale/the-black-watch-on-the-royal-mile-edinburgh-c-1910s-valentine-s-postcard-221264438.htm

#Edinburgh #BlackWatch #Postcard #Postcards

Printed sepia postcard showing a view of the Black Watch marching past the Netherbow on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd, Dundee & London, Valentine's Series, No 68101, photo registered in 1911, c.1910s.
Postally unused.
Good condition, with slight corner bumps.

This photo from the IWM collections of the Black Watch celebrating the New Year in 1917 at Henencourt, France, was taken by Lt John Warwick Brooke (1886-1929) who served as an official military photographer. #iwm #firstworldwar #wwi #newyear #blackwatch

Today is Indigenous Veterans Day, and I want to honour my Inuk/Mi'kmaw father, Chesley Powell. He was a peacekeeper in the 60s and very early 70s. He was exposed to all sorts of awful chemicals (PCBs and Agent Orange) which caused skin issues for him and likely caused the joint issues my sister, her daughter, and I were born with.

He was a private with the Black Watch and served in Cyprus, Israel, Jamaica, as well as in Canada during the FLQ Crisis.

He wasn't born in Canada but in Newfoundland when it was still a British colony. He ended up as the honour guard for Queen Elizabeth and her mother, probably because he looked very good in uniform. He was a very handsome man in his youth and made for primo arm candy.

Fun trivia: at one point, someone had the bright idea to change the way the Black Watch presented arms to the Queen. Previously, they all kneeled on both knees. On the occasion of the ill-thought-out change, they instead knelt on one knee with the other up. Considering they were all in kilts and were in full regimental mode, the Queen saw a lot of soldier junk swinging free. Dad was in the front row and totally flashed the Queen.

She didn't lose her composure but decreed that the Black Watch should go back to their previous method of presenting arms.
#IndigenousVeteransDay #Indigenous #PeaceKeeper #warrior #Veteran #military #QueenElizabeth #BlackWatch

Am Freiceadan Dubh

Ìomhaich chuimhneachadh an Dùn Èideann.
The Black Watch. Memorial statue in Edinburgh.

#FotoMontag #PhotoMonday #Gaelic #Gàidhlig #Edinburgh #BlackWatch

Black Watch statue with Gaelic text in Edinburgh

Balhousie Castle near Perth’s North Inch, home to the superb Black Watch Museum telling the story of Scotland’s oldest Highland regiment and of the soldiers who served in it. Balhousie Castle has origins dating back to the 1100s More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/perth/blackwatchmuseum/index.html

#Scotland #Perth #BalhousieCastle #Castle #BlackWatch #Perthshire #UndiscoveredScotland

Balhousie Castle near Perth’s North Inch. The image shows a path leading across a lawn to a large stone castle which has three storeys plus and attic and large windows. The tower house is in the upper right of the frame and it has a large much more modern extension on the left. The sky is mainly blue.

Oh wow. It’s even worse than I thought.

“In 2004, the widow of a retired general who had commanded the Black Watch regiment at Gagetown rekindled public interest in Agent Orange. She revealed that when awarding her husband a disability pension, the government had admitted to using Agent Orange. This acknowledgement kicked off new interest and investigations by various journalists. The flurry of attention then lead the government to begin its own investigation. By late November 2005, 300 of the 800 troops of the Black Watch stationed at CFB Gagetown — and believed to have been exposed to Agent Orange — had already died.”

My dad was a member of the Black Watch. I guess he’s one of the lucky survivors.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-and-agent-orange

#BlackWatch #ArmyVeteran #AgentOrange #RainbowHerbicides #poison #herbicide #Gagetown

Balhousie Castle near Perth’s North Inch, home to the superb Black Watch Museum telling the story of Scotland’s oldest Highland regiment and of the soldiers who served in it. Balhousie Castle has origins dating back to the 1100s More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/perth/blackwatchmuseum/index.html

#Scotland #Perth #BalhousieCastle #Castle #BlackWatch #Perthshire #UndiscoveredScotland

The 1st Batt. Black Watch at Farnborough railway station on the 13th of August, 1914.

A day later they landed in France, some 40% would not live to see the wars end.

#ww1 #fww #greatwar #blackwatch #scottish #highlanders #militaryhistory #farnborough #kilts

A wife, child and baby pose beside a husband on his way to war in 1914

Two photos, one above the other. Farnborough railway station and again with the 1st Bn black watch arriving at it.

“A postcard titled “Scottish Troops Crossing a Pontoon Bridge in France”.

Likely Black Watch soldiers going by the cap badge and sporrans. The appearance of sporrans suggest this was prewar, as sporrans were left at home before going abroad.

#blackwatch #fww #ww1 #france #pontoon #postcard #militaryhistory #scottish

Highland soldiers of the Great War era march across a pontoon bridge crossing a body of water

I previously posted the postcard of Sgt William Fowler posing by himself.

I wanted to show him again with this other postcard he features in. He must have been considered a very smart soldier to be the go to man for promoting the Black Watch.

This will have been taken post Boer War and pre Great War.

#fww #ww1 #blackwatch #preww1 #militaryhistory #greatwar #sgt #scottish #postcard

Soldier of the Black watch. Sgt William Fowler posing in his kilt abd feather bonnet.

Sgt William fowler standing in his regimental uniform with a young boy in front of him similarly dressed.

Staff of the 3rd (reserve) Bn The Black Watch. Sometime between the Boer War and Great War.

Message on back of postcard read. “These are the ones that put you through it.”

#fww #ww1 #hqstaff #blackwatch #royalhighlanders #postcard #kilts #medals #highlandsoldiers #soldiers #reserve

3 rows of officers and men in kilts, the front most seated.

Sgt-Mjr and later Hon. Lt-QMS William Fowler.

He was the subject a a few postcards. He was one of the few who served throughout the Great War, from beginning to its end, attached to the HQ coy.

#fww #ww1 #blackwatch #royalhighlanders #kilt #greatwar #postcard #soldier #militaryhistory #sgt

A Sergeant Major William Fowler of the Black watch wearing his kilt, 5 tassels sporran, jacket and feather bonnet. Taken shortly before the First World War.

Brass band of the 1st Battalion The Black Watch.

An undated postcard, but going by the teddy bear goat skins and Tam O’ Shanters, likely during the Great War in 1915/16.

#blackwatch #royalhighlanders #fww #ww1 #greatwar #goatskin #brassband #militaryhistory #postcard #tamoshanter #band

Great War era soldiers making up a brass band. Wearing fur lined goat skin jerkins. Sitting in a row at the front with a row standing behind.

My favourite Great War postcard.

Purported to show highlanders (one a Black Watch) prisoners after Aubers Ridge on the 9th of May, 1915.

That German soldier in the foreground looks surly.

#blackwatch #fww #ww1 #postcard #pow #prisoner #greatwar #1915 #scottish #war #militaryhistory

4 Black watch highland soldiers of the Great War being marched down a street 2 abreast with German soldiers on either side.

Bit disappointed with the #BBC coverage of the #RemembranceSunday parade. The #BlackWatch didn’t even get a mention and we only had seconds to spot & name those marching! When they used to name each group it helped people at home spot their family & friends.

I find 1914/15 the most interesting eta of the First World War to research and see images from.

Here’s two postcards, both featuring the same Black Watch soldier and small boy. The goat skin jerkin they each have a shot wearing, was introduced in the winter of 1914 to keep the soldiers warm in the harsh trench conditions.

#fww #ww1 #greatwar #blackwatch #goatskin #1914 #postcard #highlander