Where can I find out about the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders during the Great War?

**KennethSime** · 6th November 20, 08:38 PM

I always knew my great-great uncle served in WW1 and died in Belgium, but that's about it.

Well, FindMyPast recently made all of their military records free, and I found a record of him quite quickly. His date of death was 09/09/1917, and he's listed as a Private in the 1st/7th Battalion, Princess Louise's Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

I wonder if anyone could point me to any resources which might lead to more information about what his battalion may have been doing on or around September 9th. I don't know of any major actions around that time.

I also wonder if there're any resources for knowing some basic stuff like, what were their uniforms like? Did they wear kilts? If so, for daily use or just dress?

Finally, I wonder if there are any more advanced resources one might look to for finding out stuff like when did he enlist, what other actions may he have been apart of, etc.

Thanks in advance for any direction you can provide.

**figheadair** · 7th November 20, 01:10 AM

Lots of information online. This is from https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk...d-highlanders/

1/7th Battalion Territorial Force
04.08.1914 Stationed at Stirling as part of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade of the Highland Division.
Aug 1914 Moved to Bedford.
Dec 1914 Mobilised for war landed in France leaving the Highland Division.
06.01.1915 Transferred to the 10th Brigade of the 4th Division and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
1914
The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of Messines 1914.
1915
The Second Battle of Ypres.
27.05.1915 Amalgamated with the 1/9th Battalion.
20.07.1915 Resumed its identity.
01.03.1916 Transferred to the 154th Brigade of the 51st Division;
1916
The attacks on High Wood, The Battle of the Ancre.
1917
The First Battle of the Scarpe, The Second Battle of the Scarpe, The capture and defence of Roeux, The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Menin Road Ridge, The tank attack, The capture of Bourlon Wood, The German counter attacks,
1918
The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Battle of the Tardenois, The Battle of the Scarpe, The pursuit to the Selle, The Battle of the Selle.
11.11.1918 Ended the war north of Cambrai, France.

**figheadair** · 7th November 20, 01:13 AM

http://www.ww1photos.com/ASHighlanders.html

https://wartimememoriesproject.com/w...t.php?pid=1470

**imrichmond** · 7th November 20, 01:18 PM

In November, 1917, my maternal grandfather, then a soldier in the King's Royal Rifles, was severely wounded by shrapnel from a shell burst while he was repairing the barbed wire defences in front of the British trench. A couple of A & S Highlanders crawled out amid the shelling and brought him back to the safety of the trench before he could bleed to death. He always had a soft spot for the A & S Highlanders after that. It may have been one reason for his ready affection for my father, who joined the A & S Highlanders in 1940, a couple of years before he met my mother. I still have the A & S H Other Ranks leather sporran that was issued to my father in 1940. Alas, his kilt was lost when the family immigrated to Canada in the early 1950s.

**KennethSime** · 8th November 20, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by imrichmond

In November, 1917, my maternal grandfather, then a soldier in the King's Royal Rifles, was severely wounded by shrapnel from a shell burst while he was repairing the barbed wire defences in front of the British trench. A couple of A & S Highlanders crawled out amid the shelling and brought him back to the safety of the trench before he could bleed to death. He always had a soft spot for the A & S Highlanders after that. It may have been one reason for his ready affection for my father, who joined the A & S Highlanders in 1940, a couple of years before he met my mother. I still have the A & S H Other Ranks leather sporran that was issued to my father in 1940. Alas, his kilt was lost when the family immigrated to Canada in the early 1950s.

My great great uncle (mentioned above) should have been in the Black Watch, instead of the A&S, as he was from Dundee - at least according to the folks at Stirling Castle when my grandmother visited. I'm not sure what that has to do with it, personally. According to his military record, he "died of wounds" at the age of 23, a member of the A&S Highlanders. I've had a number of family members serve over the years, but (thankfully) no others in recent memory that died in combat. I've been thinking about him, my great-grandfather's older brother, with Veteran's Day around the corner. I think I'd like a Black Watch kilt in his honor.

**OC Richard** · 11th November 20, 04:06 PM

Another resource about WWI units is The Great War forum.

A quick search found this discussion

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/...d-highlanders/

About the appearance of the 1/7 Argylls, from the photos I'm seeing they appear to wear the ordinary A&SH uniform.

I looked through a number of the photos linked to above, and I'm seeing what appear to be the ordinary A&SH cap badges and collar badges, Glengarry dicing, etc.

Supposing that the 7th looked much like the Regular battalions, here are some photos giving an idea of their appearance.

The tidied-up uniform. On active service the sporran would be been replaced by an apron or even a gas-mask bag, the spats replaced by puttees, and the full P08 webbing equipment worn.

Here are Highlanders in combat kit

I did find this badge online. I'm not seeing WWI photos of members of the 7th Argylls wearing it, so it is probably a pre-1908 badge.

**blackwatch70** · 12th November 20, 01:59 AM

try to find this book. Look like a great resource in question.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...land-542001900

**KennethSime** · 12th November 20, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Another resource about WWI units is The Great War forum....

Richard, I thank you kindly. I had done some googling around, and had seen the Great War Forum, but didn't turn up anything like the pictures you found. This is precisely what I was looking for.

Best,
Kenneth

**AbernethyCameron** · 13th November 20, 12:47 AM

You might find the article at this link interesting:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16c8..._bp8J07rRE2EfI

**KennethSime** · 13th November 20, 09:45 AM

Thank you all for your help with this. It's not much, but I was able to find the War Diary for the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, including the relevant date of death. This might be as close as I get, though I haven't consulted the museum at Stirling Castle yet.

In Canal Bank at 6:15pm. Battalion moved off from Canal Bank to relieve 9th R.S. in front line. Owing to a raid carried out by the Division on our right & heavy shelling, relief was delayed. "A" Con. were on right, C•6•B, and D, "C" Con. on Left, V•30•C and C•6•D, B Con in support, C•5•A and "D" Con in reserve, at C•4•D, C•10a, and C•10•b. Casualties 5 or killed 11 or wounded ARB.

Edit: images removed because of sizing issues. Images can be found here.