A Heartbreaking Experience - The Black Watch at Magersfontein, 1899 The Highland Subaltern 2022-12-04 | This video is an account of the Battle of Magersfontein, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, by an officer of The Black Watch, Christian Malise Hore-Ruthven. This battle was one of the greatest catastrophes in Scottish military history, and Hore-Ruthven's account illustrates the sheer extent of the mental and physical suffering endured by the Highland Brigade.This video is part of a collaboration with @adventuresinhistoryland5501 @AtunSheiFilms @ChristheRedcoat @BrandonF @TheFarOffStation @theministryforhistory @TheShogunate and@TheFallofRome , with nine new videos highlighting the central concept that war is hell. Check out their videos here:youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbGwg11hQxtnPCEzoUoK96DWrPWz7a1zh
WW1 British Officer Selection & Training, c.1914 The Highland Subaltern 2024-05-26 | In this video, I cover the ways in which a potential officer could obtain a commission in the British regular army before the outbreak of the First World War, the factors which impacted the selection process, and a brief overview of the type of training he received. Select Bibliography:Regulations under which Commissions in the Army may be Obtained by University Candidates, (London, HMSO, 1906).Regulations under which Commissions in the Regular Forces may be Obtained by Officers of the Militia and Imperial Yeomanry, (London: HMSO, 1904). Regulations Respecting Admission to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and for First Appointments therefrom to the Army, (London: HMSO, 1904). R.F. Legge, The Officers' Training Corps Examiner for Certificate "A", (Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1909). R.M. Milne, Mathematical Papers for Admission into the Royal Military Academy and the Royal Military College for the Years 1905-1912, (London: MacMillan, 1913).
WW1 Black Watch Soldiers Uniform - 1914 The Highland Subaltern 2022-10-23 | In this video we look at the uniform and equipment of a private of the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch, at the outbreak of war in 1914.
WW1 Officers Valise and Contents The Highland Subaltern 2022-06-17 | In this video we take a look at the equipment carried by First World War British officers in their valises as part of their 35lbs baggage allowance, according to the 1914 Field Service Pocket Book.
WW1 Officers Food The Highland Subaltern 2022-03-28 | In this video, we take a look at the food eaten by British officers during the First World War. Was it better than the soldier's food? Watch the video to find out!Photo Credits: Imperial War Museum and Fortnum and Mason Archive.
The 1914 Christmas Truce - Edward Hulses Story The Highland Subaltern 2021-12-22 | The 1914 Christmas Truce is one of the most well known, and perhaps most misunderstood, events of the First World War. In this video, we hear a first-hand account from Captain Sir Edward Hulse, 2nd Scots Guards, of what really happened in December 1914.Images: Imperial War Museum
Black Watch Corner - 1st Battle of Ypres, 1914 The Highland Subaltern 2021-11-11 | In this video we take a look at the events leading up to the 11th of November 1914, and the famous action at Nonne Bosschen.
1914 Black Watch Officers Mess Dress - WW1 Uniform and Equipment Part 2 The Highland Subaltern 2021-09-08 | In this video we take a look at the dancing and mess dress uniforms of a Black Watch officer in the Edwardian era.
WW1 Officers Uniform and Equipment Part 1 - Active Service Kit The Highland Subaltern 2021-07-30 | Where did officers get their kit? What did they need? And, perhaps most importantly, how much did it cost?In this video, we look at the basic kit an officer in 1914 had to provide himself with after commissioning, and various extra items which proved popular amongst subalterns at the front. Using advertisements and price lists from the period, we can calculate the total cost of these privately purchased items, and see how necessary a private income was for officers in the Edwardian era.
The Angels of Mons - Myth or Reality? The Highland Subaltern 2021-06-10 | In this video, we take a look at the story of the Angels of Mons, from fictional tales to the very real impact of war.
WW1 Officer Rank Structure (1914 Infantry Battalion) The Highland Subaltern 2021-04-10 | In this video, we take a look at the different roles and responsibilities of regular infantry officers in 1914, and their place within the battalion.Sources:Field Service Manual (Infantry Battalion), 1914Infantry Training, 1914Field Service Regulations, 1909"The Military Education of Junior Officers in the Edwardian Army", by Andrew Duncan"Stemming the Tide, Officers and Leadership in the British Expeditionary Force, 1914", by Spencer Jones
Kilts in the Snow? How Highland Soldiers Survived Winter in the Trenches The Highland Subaltern 2021-02-12 | In this video I answer a common question; did Scottish soldiers wear the kilt in winter and how did they keep warm? As you may have noticed, I was pretty cold just standing in front of the camera!Bibliography:"Clothing Regulations 1914""Letters from Flanders", by Alexander Gillespie"A History of the Black Watch in the Great War, 1914-1918", by Arthur Wauchope
A Short History of Christmas in WW1 The Highland Subaltern 2020-12-22 | Merry Christmas!In this video, we take a short look at how Christmas was celebrated during the war, at the front and at home, some soldiers couldn't take part in the 1914 Christmas Truce, and what they did instead.
A WW1 Soldiers Uniform and Equipment - 2nd Battalion Royal Scots The Highland Subaltern 2020-11-11 | In this video we take a look at the uniform and equipment of a private of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) in 1914.Bibliography:Field Service Pocket Book (1914)Regulations for the Clothing of the Army, Part 1 (1914)
WW1 Whistle Signals The Highland Subaltern 2020-09-20 | We're all familiar with the "trench whistle" which signalled thousands of men to go "over the top" during the Great War, but what did the whistle signals actually sound like?In this video, we look at the system of whistle signals introduced in 1905, and the reasons for it's adoption.
Infantry Recruit Training in 1914 The Highland Subaltern 2020-08-19 | In this video, we look at the syllabus of recruit training which every soldier of the British Infantry went through. It was no doubt a demanding and drawn out process, but it produced some of the fittest and most efficient soldiers in the world!If you like this video and want to see more like it, please subscribe and give it a thumbs up!Select Bibliography:"Infantry Training, 1914""Manual of Physical Training, 1908" (1914)"Training and Manoeuvre Regulations, 1913""Manual of Ceremonial, 1912"
Tactics of 1914 - Fighting Cavalry The Highland Subaltern 2020-08-01 | By 1914 it was increasingly accepted by both the British and German armies that the days of mass cavalry charges were at their ebb, and protection and reconnaissance became the principle duties of mounted troops. However, even in this more limited role, they were still a formidable presence on the battlefield. So, how did the British Infantry defend themselves against cavalry? If you like this video, give it a thumbs up and subscribe!Select bibliography:Field Service Regulations Part 1 (1914)Manual of Infantry Training (1914)Manual of Infantry Training (1905)Official War Diary - 1st Bn. Black Watch"The Black Watch - A Record in Action", Joe Cassells
Night Operations in WW1 The Highland Subaltern 2020-07-17 | Even before the days of trench raids, the British Army was well trained in night operations. In this video, we look at night marches, advances and assaults, and how they were experienced by the soldiers themselves.If you like this video, please give it a like and subscribe!Select Bibliography:Field Service Regulations (1909) Part 1Manual of Infantry Training (1914)Field Service Pocket Book (1914)The First Hundred Thousand (1916)Training and Manoeuvre Regulations (1913)The Official War Diary of the 15th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
Cooking in WW1 - Preserved Meat Stew The Highland Subaltern 2020-07-07 | During the First World War British soldiers often had to cook for themselves in the field. In this video we look at one of the recipes the army provided for it's men in the 1914 Field Service Pocket Book; preserved meat stew.(Apologies for the terrible cooking skills, turns out it's very difficult to operate a camera and deal with fire simultaneously, this is just to show the basic steps outlined in the period manuals.)
Tactics of 1914 - The Fighting Retreat The Highland Subaltern 2020-07-03 | For the British Army, the First World War began with a retreat, but how was a fighting withdrawl actually carried out?
Barbed Wire & Booby Traps - WW1 Field Engineering The Highland Subaltern 2020-06-24 | Barbed wire was a defining feature of the First World War. So how was it used? And how did the British Expeditionary Force prevent it from being cut?In this video, we construct a short section of wire entanglement according to the 1911 Manual of Field Engineering to find out!
WW1 Semaphore Signalling The Highland Subaltern 2020-06-16 | In this video, we look at one of the main methods of communication used by the British Army in the field during the Great War, the semaphore alphabet.This is the period correct version as laid out in the 1914 Field Service Pocket Book.
A WW1 Officers Uniform & Kit - 1st Battalion The Black Watch The Highland Subaltern 2020-06-10 | The Uniform and Equipment worn by a Highland Officer at the outbreak of the First World War was complex, but surprisingly practical. In this video, we look at the kit of a junior officer of the 1st Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), from the underwear to the cap badge!N.B. There are a lot of battalion specific aspects of kit shown here, this was not what every Scottish officer wore.
How the WW1 Officers Sword Was Used The Highland Subaltern 2020-06-03 | In this video, I look at the manual of infantry sword exercise 1895, and how the principles were applied in years dominated by the rifle and bayonet.
Tactics of 1914 - Defensive Positions The Highland Subaltern 2020-05-28 | What came before the trenches? How did the British Expeditionary Force prepare to fight when the enemy assumed the offensive? In this video we look at how defences were constructed before the advent of trench warfare, and just how advanced the tactical thinking behind them was.Watch out for Part 2, where we will look at the defensive action itself!
Great War Kit - The Officers Universal Pattern Greatcoat The Highland Subaltern 2020-05-16 | A look at the British Officer's Universal Pattern Greatcoat, and how it was used in the field.With thanks to Toby Brayley - check out his excellent facebook group here:facebook.com/groups/1885482761668080
Tactics of 1914 - Fighting in Close Country The Highland Subaltern 2020-05-05 | The British Expeditionary Force developed a wide variety of tactics in preparation for the possibility of war in Europe, but how did they actually work?In this video we look at methods for fighting in close country, and for the assault on a wood.
WW1 Hand Signals for Skirmishing - 1914 The Highland Subaltern 2020-04-29 | As an appendix to the video on the advance and assault in extended order, this video demonstrates the various hand and weapon signals used by commanders and scouts in the field.
Tactics of 1914 - The Advance and Assault in Extended Order The Highland Subaltern 2020-04-27 | The British Expeditionary Force is regarded as one of the best armies to take to the field at the outbreak of the Great War, but how did it actually fight, and how did the men in the firing line experience modern warfare?In this video, we look at the advance by fire, and the assault with the bayonet, in order to understand exactly how an attack was conducted in this period.
