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Three generations honour fallen Black Watch soldier

Ruaridh and Rhiannon Proctor honour Private George Reid at Balhousie Castle's memorial wall.
Ruaridh and Rhiannon Proctor honour Private George Reid at Balhousie Castle's memorial wall.

The life of a Black Watch soldier who died on the first Hogmanay of the First World War has been commemorated by three generations of his family.

A century after the death of Private George Reid, his great-niece Sonia Proctor placed a cross on the memorial wall at the regimental museum in Perth.

Pte Reid died from wounds sustained in action against the Germans at Givenchy and was one of eight brothers to have served in the conflict, three in The Black Watch.

Mrs Proctor, accompanied by her daughter Fiona and granddaughter Rhiannon, made the dedication to a Black Watch lament played by her grandson, Ruaraidh.

Mrs Proctor’s husband Ronnie, secretary of The Black Watch Association, educates schoolchildren about the war in his role as honorary curator of The Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle.

Major Proctor said his grandfather served in the war at the same time as the Reids, a Kirriemuir family with strong ties to The Black Watch.

Pte Reid went to Flanders in October 1914 and arrived during the British Expeditionary Force’s retreat from the Aisne front.

“They were very quickly put into the lines,” said Major Proctor.

“Sonia’s granddad was in the Kirriemuir company of the 5th (Territorial) Battalion Black Watch, who were the first ones to deploy, arriving in October as well.

“George had been involved after the first battle of Ypres and he died of his wounds on Hogmanay. When Sonia’s granddad tried to find his brother, he had already died.”

At the time, no one could have known how important Ypres would become during the war.

The Belgian town had access to the coast and was ideal for maintaining British Army supply lines.

The memorial wall project has been made possible through funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for Scotland, The Black Watch Association and the support of the Lady Haig Poppy Factory and the Guildry Incorporation of Perth.