‘Yet while the war dead of some countries were too numerous to count, we should be mindful that ‘Scotland is small enough to know all her sons by heart’
My headline comes from the conclusions to a thorough examination of the facts published in May 2019. I missed it at the time and, I suspect out media did too. Correct me if I’m wrong on that and anything else in this piece, of course.
With the UK media saturated with frankly disturbing jingoism based on myths about WWII, it seems like good moment to present this attempt to resolve the alleged myth that Scots had given more in blood on the WWI battlefields.
On 10th August 2014, with clear political intent, the Scotsman allowed Sir Hew Strachan to confirm it as a myth:
Great War worst for Scots troops ‘a myth’
https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/great-war-worst-scots-troops-myth-1529401
In Patrick Watt’s Manpower, Myth and Memory: Analysing Scotland’s Military Contribution to the Great War in the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, on 24th May 2019 based on extensive research, a different fact emerges:
Overall, 91,800 out of the 702,410 fatalities sustained by the British Army were born in Scotland. This is a 13.07 per cent share of the British total, some 2.6 per cent higher than Scotland’s share of the British population. Even using the highest estimate of British army casualties supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (759,062 soldiers) gives a 12.09
per cent share of the British total, compared to 10.47 per cent of the British
population. The combined total of war dead for all three services – 102,500
soldiers, sailors and airmen – means that 13.78 per cent of the ‘official’ British total from 1921, or 12.32 per cent of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission total were born in Scotland. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that men born in Scotland did suffer disproportionately more deaths during the war than the other nations of the United Kingdom.
It’s a long hard read at:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Time to quote General Wolfe again:
“I should imagine that two or three independent Highland companies might be of use; they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country, and no great mischief if they fall.”
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I remember Sir Hew being interviewed at the time,obvious Yoon.
Also is Hew posh for Hugh or even Shug.
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“There was no sound reason for undertaking a massive offensive that summer except that the British generals needed to launch a major offensive somewhere….
…. No opposition was expected as the 100,000 Allied soldiers emerged from their trenches to walk across No Man’s Land….
But the bombardment had had only a limited effect and they were met with an incessant hail of machine-gun fire. The Ulstermen succeeded in penetrating as far as the German fifth line. However, their supporting divisions failed to advance, leaving the Northerners open to heavy enfilading fire. By the time they were withdrawn on July 2 they had suffered 5,500 casualties, including 2,000 killed.
……in the end the sacrifice of the men of Ulster was valiant but in vain as most of their gains were reversed. Contrary to popular myth, the 36th were not the only Irishmen to sacrifice their lives that day. The 1st Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers – part of Redmond’s Irish Brigade – were cut to pieces nearby. By November when it finally ended, it had cost a million lives on all sides.
In the wake of the 36th’s devastating losses there were attempts to link these to Protestant Ulster’s determination to remain under the Union flag. After partition the Somme quickly became an ‘identity narrative’ for Ulster loyalists with Somme parades and memorials. With 1916 becoming the main Republican narrative the nationalists who died in the Great War were forgotten by both sides.
Recent years, however, have seen a new recognition of the involvement of Irishmen of both traditions in the Great War – a rare example in Ireland of shared sacrifice. And on July 9 the Irish government will honour all Irishmen who died at the Somme at a special ceremony in Islandbridge in Dublin.”
https://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/06/30/news/the-somme—ulster-unionism-s-blood-sacrifice-584061/
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““There was no sound reason for undertaking a massive offensive that summer except that the British generals needed to launch a major offensive somewhere….”
There was no sound reason for undertaking a massive propaganda offensive that summer except that the British needed to launch a major offensive against the threat of the independence referendum in September …
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The American civil war proved beyond all doubt whatsoever that the introduction of the Catlin machine gun had changed forever the manner by which war was to be conducted and won
But what was so bloody obvious was ignored by the Eton/Oxbridge officer class, But not by German high command
Who ensured that to great effect they had sufficient nos.of machines guns nests at proper spacing all to ensure that no matter what a full frontal attack upon their trenches was a Kamikazi assault
Why the hell do we still allow such arrogant buffoons run our affairs
They are all tarred with the same brush
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“Why the hell do we still allow such arrogant buffoons run our affairs?” – because, they make sure it is very difficult for anyone not from their class to run things. They do, of course, expect ordinary punters to ‘do thei bit for the country’ and even to say nice things about them at the time, but, as soon as the crisis passes, they immediately look after their own interests and also seek to gain from the situation, such as by buying up properties owned by small businesses, bumping up rents and cutting social security.
Well over 100 years ago Rudyard Kipling wrote:
I WENT into a public ‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, ” We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ” Tommy, go away ” ;
But it’s ” Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s ” Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play.
It continues in this vein for several verses
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Thanks Alasdair, had forgotten about “Tommy”. Not sure if the last line is wholly correct, unfortunately, “an Tommy is no bloomin fool —-you bet that Tommy sees.”
It was Kipling that started me off reading at a very early age, “Little elephant boy” if I remember right.
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May i add to my previous post but this time on WW2 and in the Far East
My father had 6 brothers and when one of them died and at the funeral, His brother Phil would not go into the Chappel to carry in/ out his own brothers coffin
And at the reception after,he was badgered as to why
Giving up and in the working mans social club where the reception was held
He took to the stage and took hold of the microphone and here is more or less his words were
I have never ever spoke of these matters
And this shall be the 1st and last that i ever do
But before he spoke he turned around to face the Union Jack hanging on the wall
And spat upon it,turned around to the mike and said No Son of mine shall ever ever fight under that flag
Why because i was RSM in a Scottish regiment @ the fall of Singapore and was dispatched to the front line in charge of a artillery battery against the rapidly advancing Japanese
We fought till no ammunition left
All whilst the English officers and their families had abandoned us in their flight to board home ward bound ships
I was almost had a Jap sword thrust into me,upon which a Jap officer knocked my assailant to the ground then spoke to me
In good English saying
I have observed the way you have bravely fought and i salute you but all i can do is mark you and your brave mens papers in the hope you are treated fairly
Phil eventually ended up as a POW on the Burma railway and the horrors that unfolded
He said he was one of the few survivors due to 2 reasons
1.The influence of the Jap.officer at his surrender
2.He observed daily a British Army Chaplain pray to his God for help
Them one day whist praying he collapsed and died
Which led to Phil that night waking bolt upright that the only way to survive this hell
Was all done to oneself and that their is no God and that is why I never went into the Chappel today
I shall speak no more of these matters
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It’s a pity you don’t mention that the previous myth was that 25% or more of enlisted Scots had died in the First World War. That myth was certainly promoted with ‘political intent’ and it’s what Hew Strachan was challenging.
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Slightly off topic but still on the military. Last year we were campaigning and I got speaking with an indy supporter. When the conversation came round to different sectors of support I mentioned that whilst I have a few military and recent exmilitary friends who support independence, I appreciate the difficulty for military personel to overcome the training “for queen and country” and that an independent Scotland will need it’s own military. I didn’t expect his encouraging reply, “I have more, possibly 40-50% more than enough independence supporting military officers ready for the next day.”
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I had my 16th birthday in Germany serving in the 2nd battalion Scots Guards I served for 6years did roya l duties Buckingham palace Tower of London Bank of England etc.,but I was always a Scottish nationalist and still am I am now 81years old and still long for my country’s freedom
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