Editing Black Watch (section)

=====10th (Service) Battalion=====
The 10th (Service) Battalion was raised in [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]] at the beginning of September 1914 under Lt Col [[Dick baronets|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 Brigade (United Kingdom)|77th Infantry Brigade]] alongside the 10th Battalion [[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders]], 11th Battalion [[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)|Scottish Rifles]] and 8th Battalion [[Royal Scots Fusiliers]] as part of [[Kitchener's Army|Kitchener's K3 Army]]. Officers were gradually appointed to the battalion; some had previous Regular or [[Territorial Force|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 [[Bristol Beacon|Colston Hall]], B the Victoria Gallery and D the Coliseum (a large ice skating rink); the officers were billeted at the Colston Hotel. In the New Year, makeshift uniforms were finally replaced by the coveted kilt and sporran. March 1915 saw the [[77th Brigade (United Kingdom)|77th Infantry Brigade]] move to [[Sutton Veny]] to engage in brigade and divisional manoeuvres with the [[26th Division (United Kingdom)|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, Somme|Bougainville]] to arrange billets for 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-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] around midnight. The rest of the night was spent under canvas at Ostrahove Camp, and next morning the battalion boarded trains to [[Sallux]] before marching the final fifteen miles to rendezvous with the advance party at Bougainville.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |pages=205–208 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref>

[[File:10th Battalion The Black Watch.jpg|thumb|10th (Service) Battalion, Black Watch entrenching in the hills between the villages of Aivatli and Laina above the port of [[Salonika]], Greece, December 1915]]

On 23 September 1915, 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 Brigade (United Kingdom)|77th Infantry Brigade]] marched on to [[Villers-Bretonneux]] and were inspected on the road by the [[XII Corps (United Kingdom)|XII Corps]] Commander Lt-Gen [[Henry Fuller Maitland Wilson|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 the men could hear the distant rumbling of the 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 the line at [[Fontaine-lès-Cappy]], with B and C companies rotating in on 2 October with the [[Royal Irish Fusiliers]].<ref name =wau1>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |pages=208–212 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref>

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 [[Thessaloniki|Salonika]] to participate in operations on the [[Macedonian front]]. On 10 November the battalion marched to [[Longueau]] from where they boarded trains to [[Marseille]] which they reached soon after midday on 12 November. The battalion marched straight to the quay to begin boarding [[HMS Magnificent (1894)|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 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.<ref name =wau1/>

The 10th Battalion spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 constructing and manning part of 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 (1917)|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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |page=238 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref> Due to losses incurred as 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 (World War I)|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, Phocis|Itea]] on 6 July, bound for [[Taranto]]. From Italy, the battalion travelled by train to [[Abancourt, Oise|Abancourt]], finally reaching the rest camp on 14 July, and were attached to [[197th (Lancashire Fusiliers) Brigade|197th Infantry Brigade]] in the [[66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division|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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |pages=250–255 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref> During active service between 1915 and 1918 the 10th (Service) Battalion lost a total of 18 officers (8 killed/10 wounded) and 435 other ranks (122 killed/311 wounded/2 missing).<ref>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |page=261 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref> The bravery of the 10th is reflected in the number of gallantry decorations awarded, including 2 [[Distinguished Service Order]]s, 6 [[Military Cross]]es, 3 [[Distinguished Conduct Medal]]s, 3 [[Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom)|Meritorious Service Medals]] and 10 [[Military Medal]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wauchope |first=Arthur Grenfell |author-link=Arthur Grenfell Wauchope |date=1925 |title=A History of The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in The Great War, 1914-1918, Volume Three: New Army |location=Eastbourne |publisher=Antony Rowe Ltd |page=265 |isbn=978-1-84734-573-8}}</ref>