​Military Background

In September 1915, Alastair went with his regiment to France.  At the beginning of 1916 he was recommended for a commission and passed in the HQ Cadet School in France.  In June 1916 he obtained his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Black Watch.  He was actively engaged in the Battle of the Somme and was wounded and invalided home in August 1916.

 

Alastair returned to France in January 1917 and was back in action on 9 April at the Battle of Arras, where he rendered distinguished service.  He was in action again on 23 April, when at 04.45 the assault was launched to capture the village of Guemappe and the enemy positions east of it, up to and including the village of Vis-en-Artois.  The Divisions involved included the 15th, 50th and 29th.

 

The 44th Brigade was disposed as follows:  8th Seaforths were detailed to capture and consolidate Guemappe, sending one Company round the north of the village to block its exits;  the 7th Camerons, followed by the 9th Black Watch, were to leave their assembly trenches 20 minutes after zero, push past the northern end of Guemappe and, when clear of it, extend to the right as far as the river Cojeul, and capture the trenches from the river to Cavalry Farm.

 

At zero hour the morning was darker than usual and owing to this the 7th Camerons inclined rather too much to their left, leaving a gap between their right and the left of the Seaforths.  For some reason the 9th Black Watch left their trenches some minutes too soon, with the result that, knowing nothing of the loss of direction of the Camerons, they filled the gap between that Battalion and the Seaforths, and before it had proceeded far, the centre of the 44th Brigade attack consisted of mixed parties of Black Watch, Seaforths and Camerons.

 

Almost as soon as the attack started, the enemy put down a heavy and accurate artillery and machine gun barrage along the whole front and brought enfilade fire on the 44th Brigade from high ground south of the river Cojeul, causing severe casualties.  The advance was checked by the barrage and a desperate fight for fire superiority ensued.

 

At 07.30 the enemy holding Guemappe showed signs of giving way.  This was because the 7th Camerons and a party of about 70 men, chiefly 9th Black Watch, Alastair Watson's group, led by Captain Morrison, had been able to work round the north of the village and threaten to outflank it.  By 09.30 the 50th Division had advanced and cleared the enemy from the high ground south of the river Cojeul and shortly after the 8th Seaforths were able to advance right through Guemappe and the 44th Brigade line went right through the village.

 

For some time after this no definite news was received from the front line - all units were mixed up.  Visual signalling was not possible due to the dust and smoke from exploding shells.  At about 10.00 parties of the Black Watch, with Seaforths and Camerons  held a line running from the Cojeul northwards, just east of Guemappe and along Dragoon Lane.  Other parties of the Black Watch were in Guemappe in Hammer Trench and on the Guemappe to Les Fosses farm road.  A German counter-attack took place and the Black Watch and Seaforths were compelled to retreat to the west of the village.

 

Shortly after midday, another enemy counter-attack appeared imminent.  The Brigadier General arranged for an artillery barrage on the western and northern faces of Guemappe, across Hammer Trench and up to Dragoon Lane.  Unfortunately the artillery did not know that the whole line had not been withdrawn, with the result that Captain Morrison's party of Black watch suffered severely until withdrawn according to orders, and it was there that 2nd Lieutenant Watson was killed instantaneously by a bursting shell.

 

Alastair's brother, Harry Steel Watson, was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and survived the war.