A wreath-laying service has taken place in Edinburgh today to make the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
The Act of Remembrance took place in the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle and commemorated the 454 men of the Royal Scots who were killed in Northern France on the first day of the battle 108 years ago.
At the same time as the service in the capital, one was held at the memorial cairn in Contalmaison, France, where the battle took place. That was hosted by a party from the McCrae’s Battalion Trust and they were accompanied by The Royal Scots Association’s standard party and piper.
McCrae’s Battalion was named after the Colonel who raised it in 1914 and saw players from Heart of Midlothian join up and become the first footballers to do so in the UK during the war. Other footballers, including Hibs players, also signed up and they were remembered at the service today.
Wreaths were laid by representatives of both football clubs as well as the Royal Scots and McCrae’s Battalion Trust.
The granddaughter of Private Herbert Nisbet was in attendance after he fought, and survived that battle.
His brother was killed in Contalmaison while another two siblings were also killed during the war.
And she said: “It was so important to be at the Scottish National War Memorial to remember my grandfather Herbert who served as a private soldier in McCrae’s Battalion on the First Day of The Somme 108 years ago today, along with my great uncle Cecil, who was killed on that day. We admire their courage and extreme loyalty.”
More than 11,000 of the Royal Scots were killed during World War 1 with a further 40,000 wounded.
Scottish National War Memorial Chief Executive Susan Flintoff said: “So many families in Scotland were touched in some way by the Great War and it is very fitting that The Royal Scots were remembering those in their famous Regiment who gave their lives fighting for freedom on the Western Front on the 1st of July 1916.”
Brigadier George Lowder, President of The Royal Scots Regimental Association commented: “We must never forget those young men of The Royal Scots who died on The First Day of the Somme and in the months that followed.”
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