This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Loos from the First World War and Dundee Football Club will be marking the event as part of the national commemorations which are to be launched in the city. The city of Dundee will host the national commemorative events over the anniversary weekend of September 25-27th and Dundee Football Club will commemorate the anniversary at the home match against Ross County on Saturday 26th September.
The Battle of Loos was one of the largest British battles of the First World War. It took place in 1915 on the Western Front, as Allied forces attempted to break through the German lines. It was one of the few battles that all Scottish infantry regiments fought in and the casualties were significant. With around 30,000 Scots serving at Loos, its effect was felt throughout the country and of the 21,000 British soldiers killed at Loos, more than 7,000 were soldiers from almost every town and village in Scotland.
The city of Dundee was particularly affected. The 4th Battalion of the Black Watch, also known as ‘Dundee’s own’, suffered huge losses at Loos, with 57% of men being killed or seriously wounded on the first day of battle.
Never before had so many Scottish soldiers been in the field at the same time.
When Dundee’s Own, the 4th Black Watch Battalion arrived in France in February 1915 the strength was 900. By the time the order came to go ‘over the top’ at Loos, its numbers had already fallen to just 423 fighting men.
Making significant advances, the British troops were confident of victory, and kicked footballs into the German trenches after going ‘over the top’ with the intention of retrieving them when they took control of the German front lines.
However they were exposed as soon as they mounted the parapet, the beleaguered 4th Battalion suffered horrific losses. 19 of the 20 officers and 230 of the 420 men who took part in the attack were killed or wounded. They had advanced too far too fast and were an easy target for machine gunners.
“Never had the German machine gunners such straightforward work to do…”
The losses had a profound effect on the city. Hardly a household was unaffected by the loss, not a family left untouched by the men’s sacrifice. Dundee’s Own – the fathers, sons, friends and workmates in the 4th – was so reduced by the Loos it later had to be amalgamated with the 5th.
It was Dundee’s darkest hour.
Each year in Dundee on September 25th the beacon at the top of the city’s war memorial on The Law shines to remember the battalion’s heroic dead and this year it will mark the start of the weekend’s commemorations of which Dundee will participate in the following day at the match against Ross County.
Our picture shows Dundee FC Managing Director John Nelms meeting with Major Ronnie Proctor Secretary of the Blackwatch Association at the top of The Law next to the city’s war memorial.
Perhaps fitting that we should be paired against one of the Highland teams on this special afternoon which will also allow us to pay tribute to the losses Ross-shire also suffered on that day within the Seaforth Highlanders regiment.
Dundee will wear a special kit for the match which includes the Black Watch Tartan and regimental badge in remembrance. More details of the kit will be released later this week.
The Club would like to invite all servicemen both former and current along to the match with Ross County.
Each person will be able to collect up to 4 tickets for free when producing identification from the forces.
These tickets are subject to availability and can be collected from the Ticket Office inside Dundee Direct at Dens Park. If you have any enquires regarding these tickets please feel free to contact to Ticket Office on 01382 889966 (Option: 1).
