Remembrance 2024 - TS Jesmond URC

 Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery Association act remembrance at Jesmond United Reformed Church the Colour of the 23rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (4th Battalion Tyneside Scottish) was laid up after the First World War.

TS RAA Jesmond URC

And a few beers afterwards.

TS RAA The Carriage Jesmond 

St Patricks Day 2024 Tyneside Irish Commemoration

 Commemoration of the Tyneside Irish Brigade at Eldon Square War Memorial on St Patricks Day.

Tyneside Irish Commemoration  IJ

Tyneside Irish Commemoration
Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Last Post

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Two Minutes Silence

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Piper Lament

======0======

Tyneside Scottish St Andrews Commemoration 2023

 

St Andrews Day Commemoration
 101 RA Hon Col  / CO  / RSM / IJ / Tony G

St Andrews Day Commemoration

St Andrews Day Commemoration

------o------

St Andrews Day Tyneside Scottish RAA
Tyneside Irish Centre

Remembrance 2023 - TS Jesmond URC

 Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery Association act remembrance at Jesmond United Reformed Church the Colour of the 23rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (4th Battalion Tyneside Scottish) was laid up after the First World War.

Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery Association
Jesmond United Reformed Church

National Arboretum - 49th (West Riding) Division Memorial

 

National Memorial Arboretum
49th (West Riding) Division Memorial

The 49th (West Riding) Division was a Territorial Army formation which mobilised at the beginning of World War Two. 

It undertook home defence duties before two of it's three Brigades were sent to Norway. The operation in Norway failed, and the two brigades returned to the UK in May 1940.  The Division was re-constituted with 146 Brigade and 147 Brigade, and sent to Iceland in May / June 1940. It was joined in October 1940 by 70 Brigade which consisted of the 10th and 11th Battalions Durham Light Infantry, plus 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch). 

49th Division Iceland

49 Division Iceland
Tyneside Scottish Pipe Band

The 49th Division adopted a Polar Bear standing on an ice flow as the divisional insignia.

49(West Riding) Division Polar Bear

At the end of 1941  Divisional units began handing over the responsibility for the defence of Iceland to the US Marines, By April 1942, all units had returned to the UK. The 49th was reconstituted in South Wales and began to prepare for the invasion of Europe. 

The appointment of a new GOC in May 1943 saw the adoption of a more aggressive Polar Bear as the divisional insignia. 

49 (West Riding) Division Polar Bear

On 6th June 1944 Allied Forces landed in Normandy, the start of the liberation of Europe. The 49th Division was a follow on Division which began arriving on Gold Beach on 12th June 1944. They would undertake operations as part of the capture of Caen and breakout from the Normandy Bridgehead. 

49 (West Riding) Division
Normandy 1944

The Divisions first major operation was OPERTION MARTLET. The 49th were tasked with the capture of the Rauray Spur in order to protect the right flank of OPERATION EPSOM which was intended to seize Caen.

Operation Martlet began on 25th June. The 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish were initially in reserve.  Once committed to the battle they fought actions around Tessel Wood  and Brettevillette  before digging in south of the village of Rauray to prepare for a German Counter attack.

On 1st July 1944 the 49th Division successfully blocked German SS Panzer troops from breaking through the British line. The 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish would win the battle honour ' Defence of Rauray'.

The 49th Division Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum features a Polar Bear, the divisional insignia. 

49th (West Riding) Division Memorial Polar Bear

The memorial records the battle areas where it the division fought. This includes Tessel Wood and Rauray where the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish were engaged. 

49th (West Riding) Division Memorial
Battle Areas - Tessel Wood and Rauray

The memorial features the units that fought with the Division, the 70th Brigade panel showing the 10th and 11th Battalions Durham Light Infantry and the The 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch). 

49th (West Riding) Division Memorial
70th and 56th Brigade 

49th (West Riding) Division Memorial
1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch)

As a result of the losses in Normandy the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) was placed in suspended animation and it's personnel posted to other battalions of the Black Watch. The 70th Brigade was disbanded in October 1944 and replaced by the 56th Brigade. The Division advanced through North West Europe, their last major engagement was in April 1945 in the battles to liberate Arnhem.

On the 7th May 1944 just after the signing of the German Surrender, troops of the 49th Division liberated Utrecht.

49th (West Riding) Division
Liberation of Utrecht May 7th 1945

Tyneside Scottish Rauray Dinner

 

Rauray Dinner

 Rauray Dinner to commemorate the Defence of Rauray, a battle honour awarded to 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) for their actions on the 1st July 1944.

Rauray Battlefield

Rauray Dinner
Battery Commanders Tyneside Scottish

Rauray Dinner
Battery Commanders / Battery Sergeant Majors TS

Rauray Dinner
Tyneside Scottish Branch Royal Artillery

TYNESIDE IRISH REMEMBRANCE

ST PATRICKS DAY

Armed Forces Veterans and Chi Onwurah MP

Tyneside Irish Remembrance Parade

Tyneside Irish Remembrance Parade
Opening Address

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Padre leads the Service

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Exhortation IJ

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Pipers Lament

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Irish Consulate Wreath

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Lord Mayor Newcastle lays Wreath

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Padre closing prayers

                        

Tyneside Irish Centre St Patrick's Day

Somme 2023 - La Boisselle

 The village of La Boisselle lies on the Albert to Bapaume road, the main axis for the Fourth Army assualt on the 1st July 1916. 

The road ran between two  valleys  which had been nicknamed  Sausage and Mash along which the primary German defences were situated. To the north of La Boisselle was the village of  Ovillers. Both villages had been heavily  fortified, supported by strong points. 

III Corps were ordered to capture the two villages and secure the high ground to the north. The 8th Division Ovillers, the 34th Division La Boisselle. 

III Corps La Boisselle and Ovillers

The 34th Division at La Boisselle would attack with the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade left, and the 101st Brigade on the right. The 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade would be echeloned behind the two assaulting brigades to attack beyond the initial divisional objectives. 

Mines had been dug under two strong points and explosives placed for detonation prior to the assault.  Y-Sap (18,000kg), Lochngar (27,000) kg and two smaller mines (3,600 kg each) in front of the ‘Glory Hole’ in front of La Boisselle.

La Boisselle

At 07:28, the mines were blown, two minutes later to the skirl of the pipes, the Tyneside Scottish left their trenches to   commence the assault. The Tyneside Irish were echeloned to the rear, of the Tyneside Scottish ready to exploit the gains of the two assaulting brigades. 

The failings of the primary bombardment became apparent. Poor co-operation between the Royal Flying Corps and the artillery meant many German guns were undetected, thus able to bring fire down on the advancing British troops. Machine guns protected in deep dugouts were deployed and swept no mans land with murderous fire. 

Brigadier Trevor Ternan, commanding the Tyneside Scottish Brigade described the scene;

“The attack had been pushed on with extraordinary heroism, but with no avail Officers and men had been literally mowed down, but in rapidly diminishing numbers they resolutely  pushed on to meet their  deaths close to the enemy wire. No-Mans-Land was reported to be heaped with dead.“

“While the enemy’s Artillery caused many casualties our losses were mainly due to the  intensity of the enemy’s machine gun fire”

The 101st Brigade where however able to capture the Lochnagar Crater,  allowing many men, including those of the Tyneside Scottish and Irish to take refuge in the large hole left by the mine explosion.

Of all the assaulting divisions on the 1st July, it was the 34th Division which sustained the heaviest casualties (6,380), as the decimated ranks of the Tyneside Scottish and Tyneside Irish would testify. They would be withdrawn form the line to regenerate.

Tyneside Scottish Casualties: 920 killed / 1,368 wounded = 2,288

Tyneside Irish Casualties: 596 killed / 1,575 wounder = 2,171

At La Boisselle a memorial seat commemorates the losses of the men from Tyneside.

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle IJ DM

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle
Remembering the Tyneside Scottish