Alexander Herd Watt
8th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
Died 23rd June 1915. Aged 22
Private A. H. Watt – Gordon Hrs.
Alexander Herd Watt (No S/4856) of the 8th Bn. Gordon Highlanders, was in fact a Corporal, not a Private. He was from Huntly and his connection to the parish of Kincardine O’Neil is that he was a signalman at Torphins before the war. He was born at Nether Auchmull on 3 August 1892, son of a quarry labourer, William Watt, and his wife Helen who lived at Bridgend, Kinnoir, and later at 58 Bogie Street, Huntly.
In 1901 he was the middle child of three, having an older brother William aged 12 and four-year-old younger sister, Christina. He is probably the Alexander Watt who appears in the 1911 census as a boarder in the household of George Milne, Crofter, at Little Haddoch, employed by the Great North of Scotland Railway as a porter – maybe at the nearby station of Cairney on the Keith-Huntly line. His fellow boarder was a signalman. According to newspaper reports at the time of his death, Watt must have moved shortly after that to become signalman at Torphins, which was his place of employment for about two years before the outbreak of war.
Alexander Watt enlisted as a volunteer shortly after the outbreak of war, joining the 8th Gordons who were formed at Aberdeen in August 1914 as a part of Kitchener’s New Army. After training they landed at Boulogne on 10 May 1915. In the weeks before Corporal Watt’s death they were attached to 26th Brigade in the 9th(Scottish) Division – first of the new volunteer Divisions. The Battalion was engaged in training and route marches in hot weather around Armentières and later Rieux in preparation for proceeding to the front line. According to newpaper reports, he had been in France for only 6 weeks and at the front for a short time only, before dying of wounds on 23 June 1915 aged 23.
He is buried at Lillers Communal Cemetery, and his name also appears on the War Memorial at Huntly, the parish church at Huntly, and on the memorial plaque to railway employees at Aberdeen Joint Station.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Register of Births
Census 1901 and 1911
www.1914-1918.net/gordon.htm
The Scotsman 6 July 1915 – report of death
Aberdeen Weekly Journal 9 July 1915 – “HUNTLY GORDON KILLED Mr Wm Watt, 58 Bogie street, Huntly (late of Bridgend, Kinnoir), has received information from the War Office that his son, Corporal A. H. Watt, of 8th Batt, Gordon Highlanders, died of wounds on 23rdJune. Corporal Watt joined his regiment shortly after war broke out, and went to the front a short time ago. Prior to joining the battalion he was a signalman on the Great North of Scotland Railway for about two years, his last station being Torphins. The deceased was the second son of Mr Wm. Watt, 58 Bogie Street, Huntly, and was in the 22nd year of his age”.
National Archives – War Diary of the 8th Gordon Highlanders W)95-1767-2 p.20 [from the family history point of view there is more detail which may be of interest which it has not been thought appropriate to include here].
Aberdeen Journal 29 March 1921 – account of unveiling and dedication of memorial in Huntly Parish Church
Memorial at Aberdeen Joint Station
John Ross and Keith Fenwick – “The Great North of Scotland Railway Memorial” (Great North of Scotland Railway Association 2009).
