Book description
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 Using unpublished diaries, letters and memoirs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.
