Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - The Black Watch

My grandfather Albert Edward Martell was a member of this famous battalion - the Black Watch of Scotland. Originally formed in the 1700's - the regiment was named because of the very dark tartan cloth they wore, and that their initial mission was to protect the Scottish highlands. The latin phrase above translates from the original Scottish as "No one harms me with impunity" and up until 1940 the regiment wore kilts into battle - earning them the nickname from German soldiers in WWI as the "The old ladies from hell". To other regiments, they are known as the Black Jocks.

Ian Fleming (yes the James Bond Ian Fleming) was a member of the Black Watch, and served at the same time as my grandfather did. The Black Watch fought in every major engagement of both WWI and WWII and Korea, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have served alongside American troops with much distinction.

In fact the "battle colours" that have been awarded to the regiment are so numerous (339) that they cannot be displayed properly anymore in parades, and  only 36 are presented at any one time. Battle colours are pennants that name the specific battles a regiment has fought in and are treated with such respect that it is the sworn duty of one of the regiment members to destroy the colors if they ever risk falling into enemy hands, even if it means losing his own life.

The Black Watch had a tradition of "fighting to the death" rather than risk battle loss or capture. The "fight to the death" saying is often used tritely today, but the Black Watch meant it, and still means it. In the WWII battle of Verrieres Ridge, 325 regiment members fought against Waffen SS tank units, and only 10 members made it back to friendly lines. In the Battle of Hoogerheide, all 4 regimental commanders were killed, as Black Watch officers lead from the front lines. One company of  90 men had only 4 survivors after the battle, having fought conitnuously for 72 hours without reinforcement. German dead from the battle were estimated to be between 600 and 1,000.

Today - the unit in Britain has been combined into other units, but the members still wear the "red hackle" with pride. If you have a moment or two check out http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/ or the really great book on the subject - "Canada's Black Watch" by Paul Hutchinson.