Royal Highland Regiment Medal Roll 1801-1911 - Detailed Regimental

In this review of Royal Highland Regiment.the Black Watch, Formerly 42nd and 73rd Foot. Medal Roll.1801-1911, the bottom line is clear: this volume is essential for historians, medal researchers and family historians who need primary-style nominal lists across a century of campaigns. The reviewer appreciates that it compiles officer and soldier entries for both the 42nd and 73rd Foot prior to 1881 and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Black Watch thereafter, making it a rare single reference that traces entitlement to medals and clasp details from Waterloo through S Africa 1899-1902.

Key Features

• Comprehensive nominal rolls: Provides named lists of officers and men present at campaigns, which saves time when verifying service or medal entitlement.
• Campaign coverage: Covers major 19th-century conflicts including Waterloo, the Peninsula, Crimea and the Indian Mutiny, useful for campaign-level research.
• Clasp entitlement shown: Where clasps were awarded the book shows entitlement to particular clasps, clarifying which actions earned additional recognition.
• Remarks and comments: A remarks column gives further details such as deaths, casualties and discharges that add context to each entry.
• Continuity across reorganisations: Lists are presented under 42nd and 73rd Foot before 1881 and under 1st and 2nd Battalions after, allowing continuous tracking of personnel across regimental changes.

Who It's For

This volume is best for professional and amateur military historians, medallist researchers and genealogists seeking primary-style nominal lists that explicitly show medal and clasp entitlements. It is also valuable to curators and archivists who need a single reference covering the Black Watch lineage across the 19th century.

Researchers who need unit diaries, detailed battle narratives or full service records should look elsewhere; this work focuses on nominal rolls and medal information rather than exhaustive operational history or personal service papers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Consolidates names for two regiments and their later battalions, making cross-period searches straightforward.
• Shows clasp entitlements, which is helpful for accurate medal attribution and display context.
• Includes remarks on individuals that often note casualties, discharges or death, adding research value beyond names and ranks.

Cons

• Not a substitute for full service records or detailed battle narratives, so further archival work is often required.

Specifications

Title	Royal Highland Regiment.the Black Watch, Formerly 42nd and 73rd Foot. Medal Roll.1801-1911
Author	Captain John Stewart Bsc(hons) PhD
Coverage period	1801-1911
Units listed	42nd Foot, 73rd Foot, 1st and 2nd Battalions Black Watch
Campaigns included	Waterloo, Peninsula, Kaffir Wars, Crimea, Indian Mutiny, Gold Coast, Egypt, Suakin, Sudan, S Africa 1899-1902
Includes	Nominal rolls, clasp entitlements, remarks/comments on individuals

Our Verdict

This Medal Roll is excellent value for historians and genealogists who need a single, focused reference listing names and medal entitlements for the Black Watch lineage from 1801 to 1911. While it does not replace full service dossiers or narrative battle histories, its nominal lists and clasp details make it a practical starting point for medal attribution and personnel research.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book list individual clasp entitlements?
Yes. Where clasps were awarded the book indicates entitlement to particular clasps alongside the nominal entry.

Are both pre-1881 regiments and post-1881 battalions included?
Yes. The lists appear under 42nd and 73rd Foot prior to 1881, and under the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Black Watch after 1881.

Is this a source for full service records?
No. It provides nominal rolls and remarks but is not a replacement for complete service papers or detailed operational histories.