Black Watch: The Inside Story of the Oldest Highland Regiment in the British Army

Summary

The Black Watch is one of the finest fighting forces in the world and has been engaged in virtually every worldwide conflict for the last three centuries. Named after the dark tartan of the soldiers' kilts, its unique formation - raised from loyal Scottish clans in the wake of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion - make it the oldest Highland regiment. As part of the British army, their first battle abroad was in Flanders in 1745 but the regiment soon moved to North America to fight the French, and then shared the capture of Montreal, the Windward Islands and Martinique. The American War of Independence saw the regiment once again in America, fighting horrific battles and eventually storming Fort Washington in 1776. Since then the regiment has held its own from Egypt to the Napoleonic Wars, from the Crimea to the Indian mutiny, from both World Wars to Iraq. The Black Watch is the UK's most decorated regiment, combining the proud history and tradition of an organisation that has been soldiering for over 250 years.