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Synopsis
During the First World War, The Cameron Highlanders was expanded to thirteen battalions, of which nine were in battle. The 1st, 2nd, 4th (TF), 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 11th Battalions all fought on the Western Front. Ten representative battle honours were chosen to be displayed on the King's colour, amongst them Neuve Chapelle and Loos, where the 4th Battalion suffered terrible losses. Note the (TF) after their designation – these were territorials, not professional soldiers, yet they did nothing to undermine the honour and the fearsome reputation of the Highland divisions.
Using unpublished diaries, letters and memoirs together with original photographs and newspaper accounts, this book focuses on the stories of the men of the 4th Camerons who went so eagerly to war in August 1914. It charts the progress of these ‘Saturday night soldiers’ through their training in Bedford with the Highland Division to their participation through all the major battles of 1915 and their disbandment in February 1916. What makes this book unique is the close focus on a single battalion, something that makes the narrative so much more immediate than sweeping strategic descriptions at army or even divisional level.
PATRICK WATT was born in Inverness, Scotland and grew up in the seaside town of Nairn. He moved to Edinburgh in 2000 working in the National Archives of Scotland, which prepared him for the extensive research work required for this book.
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