Piper's dirk to the 23rd (Service) Battalion (4thTyneside Scottish) of the Northumberland Fusiliers. 11 1/2 inch single edged blade with notched back edge and a double fuller either side, engraved with the makers name, 'R.G.Lawrie. Glasgow & Edinburgh'. The black bogwood hilt carved with the typical inter-laced design, the silver ferrule and pommel cast with thistles. The pommel set with a cairngorm, the leather covered wooden sheath with four cast silver mounts, the stippled mounts cast with thistles, the top mount applied with the badge of The Tyneside Scottish on a stippled background. The top mount struck with the makers name in a cartouche, the 3rd mount with punched decoration '4th TS 7'. The '7' is probably attributed to the 7th Piper in the battalion. Matching knife and fork en-suite. Rare.
Ref 35. The Tynside Scottish Regiment
1915 - 1918
Tyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery.
The origins of the Tyneside Scottish are in the Kitchener's Army and the call to arms in the First World War. The Recruitment to the British Army during World War I saw the raising of the 'Pals' (i.e. friends) battalions.
The Tyneside Scottish Committee was formed and raised in 1914 four service Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. These were the 20th (Service) Battalion (1st Tyneside Scottish), 21st (Service) Battalion (2nd Tyneside Scottish), 22nd (Service) Battalion (3rd Tyneside Scottish) and 23rd (Service) Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish). They formed the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade, part of the 34th Division. In 1916 at the battle of the Somme they lost 2400 men (629 from the 4th Battalion) and were the worst hit regiment. They were disbanded in 1918.