Morningstar Mill, Black Watch and Lance-Cpl. Fred Fisher and his Victoria Cross

black watchMorningstar Mill remembers the Black Watch. This token is hammered into one of wooden flour elevator shafts in Wilson Morningstar’s mill. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada was formed in 1862 as the 5th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles and is the oldest highland regiment in Canada. During WW1, the 5th Regiment was placed on active service for local protective duty, and the 13th, 42nd and 73rd Battalions fought as part of the infantry brigades in France and Flanders.

black watch 1Fred Fisher was born in St. Catharines on August 3, 1894. He enlisted with Black Watch’s 5th Regiment – 13th Battalion, ten days after his 20th birthday, and just before he was supposed to return to his applied science studies at McGill University. Fred earned the Victoria Cross for his valour when he and his machine gun unit helped Canadian soldiers retreat to safety at a battle at Ypres. He died later in that battle, on April 23, 1915. To read more about Lance-Cpl Fred Fisher and his Victoria Cross, please visit  CBC article on Black Watch Victoria Cross

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