Territorial Force Efficiency Medal Awarded to Sergeant William Scott – 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders T.F.
Territorial Force Efficiency Medal (597 SJT: W. SCOTT. 6/SEA: HDRS)
PLEASE NOTE I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO POST THIS MEDAL UNTIL THE 10TH APRIL
William Scott, second son of Robert Scott (a Farm Servant) & Jessie Scott (nee Morrison) was born in Keith, Banffshire (now located in Moray), Scotland on the 19th December 1876. He was a blacksmith and lived at Upper Dallachy in Moray, Scotland where he also had a blacksmith’s shop.
William enlisted in the 3rd (Morayshire) Volunteer Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders on the 20th January 1899. The 3rd (Morayshire) V.B., Seaforths was formed in 1887 by the redesignation of the 1st Elgin Rifle Volunteers. During the Second Boer War the battalion sent 193 volunteers to serve with the 2nd Seaforths and other units but Private Scott does not appear to have served overseas during the conflict. In 1908 the battalion became the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders Territorial Force.
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army created in 1908. Recruits to the Territorial Force had to be aged between 17 and 35. They enlisted for a four-year term which could be extended by an obligatory year in times of crisis. Members could terminate their enlistment on three months' notice and payment of a fine. Recruits were required to attend a minimum of 40 drill periods in their first year and 20 per year thereafter. All members were required to attend between eight and fifteen days of annual camp. Private Scott attended all of the 6th Seaforth’s pre-war annual training camps which were Burghead 1909, Aviemore 1910, Tain 1911, Burghead 1912, Dornoch 1913 and Kingussie 1914. He rose in rank from Private to Corporal in April 1913 and then to Sergeant in March 1914.
Sergeant Scott is noted in the Aberdeen Press and Journal for Friday 8th May 1914 as being instrumental in the raising of the Bogmoor Section, E Company, 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders T.F. which was 30 strong. Very impressive as Bogmoor is a very small village near Fochabers in Moray, Scotland. Many of these men would go on to fight in the First World War and some sadly would be killed in actions such as the Battle of Arras and the German Spring Offensive. Territorials only served overseas if they volunteered so we will never know how many of the original members of the Bogmoor section saw action. The original article from the Fochabers section of the Aberdeen Press and Journal reads as follows:
“TERRITORIALS – The recently formed Bogmoor section of the E Company (Fochabers) 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (T.F.), mustered in the open air for the first time on Wednesday evening in the grounds of the Bellie Public School, Bogmoor. The section – 30 strong – was under the command of Captain Asher, Forres, the commanding officer of the company, and Lieut, Legge, Fochabers. Headed by a pipe band the section then marched to Spey Bay and neighbourhood. Great credit is due to Drill-Instructor Grieg for the smart and efficient manner in which the section performed its various movements, and also to Sergeant William Scott, Upper Dallachy, who, in a very great measure, has been instrumental in bringing the Bogmoor section up to its present strength.”
In July 1914 Sergeant Scott was awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal for 12 years service with the T.F. with his time in the Volunteer Force counting towards that as well. 12 annual training camps also had to have been attended for the medal to be awarded which is possibly why Sergeant Scott received his after 14 years service. A total of 49,526 Territorial Force Efficiency Medals were awarded between 1908 and 1921 with the majority being post World War One as war service counted as double towards the award. 899 of those awarded were a bar to the medal for a further 12 years service and 64 were second bar.
Following Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on the 4th August 1914, Sergeant William Scott was mobilised for active wartime service the next day. The 6th Seaforths landed in France on the 1st May 1915, however Sergeant Scott remained at home having been declared medically unfit for active service as he was suffering from pleura disease in his lungs. He was not medically discharged and remained serving with A Coy. in the 2/6th Battalion which was the second line battalion providing reinforcements for the 1/6th Battalion which was in France. Sergeant Scott was most likely in a training role within the battalion as experienced NCOs would have been in short supply.
Sergeant Scott never did see service overseas and was discharged at Elgin on the 26th April 1916 aged 40, having completed 7 years service with the 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (T.F.) which totalled 16 years service. Not going overseas could be for a number of reasons like his age or he may have never volunteered for overseas service but most likely due to his ill health just before the battalion left for France. William Scott died of influenza aged 56 on the 29th December 1932 and has no known grave. The Territorial Force Efficiency Medal is his full entitlement.