Trace a Soldier

Please find some suggested resources below to help you trace a soldier.

1760-1913

Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers’ Service Documents (WO97). These service records are for soldiers only, not officers. Original records are held at The National Archives, London. Digitised copies are now online at Find My Past.

There are few records for the 42nd & 73rd Regiments prior to 1800. There are no records for those who served in the French-Indian or Revolutionary Wars in North America.

First World War

Original records are held at The National Archives with digitised copies now online at Ancestry.

Please note that the War Office record stores were bombed during the Second World War and only 40% survived. Medal rolls (and index cards extracted from the rolls) for this period are also useful and can be found on Ancestry and The National Archives websites.

1920s onwards

These records are held by the Ministry of Defence or The National Archives. Requests can be submitted to obtain a copy of service records for deceased personnel.

Books | General Black Watch history

The Black Watch, Eric & Andro Linklater
The Black Watch: The Inside Story, John Parker
The Highlands Furies: The Black Watch 1739-1899, Victoria Schofield
The Black Watch: Fighting in the Front Line 1899-2006, Victoria Schofield

Books | Early History

Sketches, David Stewart of Garth. Available online as a pdf here.

Books | First World War

A History of The Black Watch in the Great War, ed. A G Wauchope

Books | Second World War

The Black Watch and the King’s Enemies, Bernard Fergusson

The Gazette

Notices can be searched online at The Gazette. These include recipients of military honours and awards.

Prisoners of War

The Red Cross websites may offer details for those captured during the First World War and Second World War.

Roll of Honour

The Roll of Honour for the First World War to 2006 is held at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. You can search for casualties on their website.

War Graves and Memorials

For the First and Second World Wars, these can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.