107907: Lewismen at War

Lewismen (and latterly women) have served in the armed forces for centuries, beginning with service to their Macleod and Mackenzie chiefs. The wars, campaigns and battles in which they have been involved include the following:

Scottish Civil War

1645 Battle of Auldearn. Of a force of 300 Lewismen, only three are said to have survived.

Jacobite Rebellion

1689 Killiecrankie
1715 Sheriffmuir
1719 Glenshiel

Lewismen were spared participation in the ’45 (Battle of Culloden, 1745) as the proprietor of Island at the time, Lord Fortrose, did not support the Jacobite cause.

Seven Years War 1756-63

140 Lewismen served in North America in the 77th Regiment, Montgomerie’s Highlanders. Only 34 returned home and 18 of them were Chelsea Pensioners, retired after injury or long service.

1778 Seaforth Highlanders, 78th Regiment of Highlanders formed. 1130 men, of which 200 were Lewismen
1781 100th Regiment of Foot – 24 Lewismen
1786 78th Regiment incorporated many of the 100th to become the 72nd Regiment (later the 1st Battalion) which served in all corners of the empire, from India and Mauritius to the West Indies, Crimea and Afghanistan.
1793 Francis Humberstone Mackenzie, Mac Coinneach Bodhar, undertook to raise 1000 men, which proved difficult.

Napoleonic Wars
Nijmegen 1794-5; Capetown 1796.
1795-6 500 Lewismen in the Army, 80 in the Navy and others press-ganged.
1800 – 400 more drafted
1804 2nd Battalion raised
1806 Campaigns in Southern Italy
1807 Egypt, El-Hamet. Many blinded by ophthalmia; instances of Blind Old Soldiers in Lewis are well known.
1811-1816 Java, Batavia.

The Royal Navy had held little appeal for Islanders during the 18th and 19th centuries but in 1859 the Royal Naval Reserve was formed, which provided a retainer and required less time away from home, and this proved more popular.

World War One
Sunday, 4 August 1914 was mobilisation. Many from the Militia were called up and sent to France to participate in appalling battles; many others from the RNR joined the Royal Naval Division.
A brigade of 1500 crossed into Holland and were interned at Groningen for the duration of the war.

All told there were 4320 Lewismen in service during WW1, about 15% percent of the Island population, which at the time stood at 29,487.
The end of the war was bitter for Lewis, as on 1 January 1919 over 200 returning seamen lost their lives just outside of Stornoway when the Iolaire foundered on the Beasts of Holm.

The loss of so many young men over the years of the war, and the long interruption to daily work, broke many of the traditions of island life: summer shielings fell out of use and fewer boats were fishing year round. Many who had served abroad returned to no land, no work and little hope, and emigration became a common solution.

World War Two
It is estimated that 4000 men and women from Lewis joined the forces, of a population of 25,000. They served in every branch of the service.