”Too many never returned. They remain in some corner of a foreign field that is forever England”- Prince William, today.
By Professor John Robertson
In May 2020, after reading new research on Scotland’s share of UK war dead, I was able to write this:
‘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:
http://repository.nms.ac.uk/2327
I’m going to dispute the arithmetic.
At total of 702 410 UK Army fatalities.
With 8% of the UK population, all things being equal, Scotland might have been expected to suffer 8% of the 702 410 or 56 192 but had 91 800, 63% more!
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
See Niall Ferguson ‘The Pity of War’ 1998 page 299. Total killed in World War I as percentage of total mobilised: Scotland 26.4 Britain and Ireland 11.8. Total killed as a percentage of males 15-49: Scotland 10.9 Britain and Ireland 6.3.
And we recall, coincidentally, that in the 1750’s General Wolfe recommended to the London Government the recruitment of Highlanders because it was “no great mischief if they fall.”
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I found this from The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand…https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/34139/military-deaths-as-percentage-of-manpower-in-the-first-world-war
VOTE SNP KEEP THE UNIONISTS OUT OF SCOTTISH DEMOCRACY!!!
JB
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What about this hogwash from the bbc 2018?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46124327
Begs the question…..why IS it so difficult to get an accurate number of Scottish war deaths from WW1?
“A! fredome is a noble thing!
Fredome mays man to haiff liking.
Fredome all solace to man giffis, He levys at es that frely levys.
[Ah! Freedom is a noble thing!
Freedom allows man to have happiness.
Freedom gives great solace to man;
He who lives freely lives at ease.]
From The Brus, John Barbour
The Brave Scots from WW1 deserve better commemoration
JB
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Moving on from the disproportionate loss of Scottish soldiers lives in the First World War to what is being commemorated now, never forget they sacrificed the 51st Highland Regiment who were ordered to reinforce the French positions to hold back the whole German Army in order for the BRITISH troops to evacuate Dunkirk.
What Churchill called “Our finest hour”.
I must also submit that there was also a small contingent from the Gloucestershire Regiment who were also sacrificed.
Written in reverse as to how BBC Scotland would report it.
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WW2. Russian dead 26million. France 1/2 million. Britain 1/2 million. Germany 8million. 75% of the German army.
1WW caused by rivalries between Royalty. British royalty. The ‘divine right to rule’. Intermarriage of Victoria children. Russian Tsar invaded Germany. Finished the Germany & Russian monarchy. Universal Suffrage 1928.
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the British Establishment love a good Rememberance ceremony, getting on the fancy dress an all they medals, all polished up by someone else.
and yet when I went for a pint with my auld man and his drinking cronies who were there, they NEVER mentioned the war, never.
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