A Long Watch
Company Sergeant Major James Gibson The Black Watch and Special Constabulary
The Man James Gibson lived in Scotland and enlisted into the 1/7th (Fife) Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) Territorial Force before the start of World War I. His service number was 668, later changed to 290038. As a ‘pre-war’ soldier he was rapidly mobilised following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, and the 1/7th Battalion together with the 1/6th (Perthshire) landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front. James medal index card shows him landing in France on 2nd May 1915. They saw action at the Battle of the Ancre Heights in October 1916. James was promoted through the ranks to Company Sergeant Major, and awarded the 1914-15 Star as a Sergeant, the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals as Warrant Officer Class II and the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal as Company Sergeant Major, the latter awarded sometime after 1917 as it bears the later service number which was changed in 1917. James was disembodied on 28th March 1919. In about 1927 James joined the Special Constabulary. He was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal ten years later in approximately 1937 and continued serving for the entire duration of World War II, earning two unusually dated long service clasps in 1942 and 1945, War service counting treble time. He was also awarded the Defence Medal.
The Story The group of medals awarded to James Gibson were acquired, after some deliberation, from Andrew Davies at the Stratford Upon Avon Medal Fair on Sunday 27th October 2019. They were of interest because of the double long service combination of the Territorial Force Efficiency and Special Constabulary Long Service Medals. The latter having two additional dated clasps, with an unusual year combination 1942 and 1945. As expected there were so many James Gibsons within Ancestry.UK it was not possible, apart from the medal index and rolls to find any additional information on him. However James was in the Black Watch during World War I, which considering their history is an interesting fact in itself. An example of how a person who served his country in a volunteer capacity for so long, and during two world wars, can easily be forgotten if no paperwork or photographs are kept with the medals for posterity. That said, James’ name is a least now recorded alongside his awards to recognise his valiant efforts.
Click on above picture to read about the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Medal Details:
- 1915-15 Star: 886. SJT.J.GIBSON R.HIGHRS
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 886. W.O. CL.2.J.GIBSON. R.HIGHRS
- Victory Medal: 886. W.O. CL.2.J.GIBSON. R.HIGHRS
- Territorial Force Efficiency Medal: 290038 C.S.MJR.J.GIBSON. 7/R.HIGHRS.
- Special Constabulary Long Service Medal: JAMES GIBSON
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This page last updated 31 Oct 19