War heroes killed in a brutal French conflict have been honoured at a poignant ceremony in Perth.
The 100th anniversary of the battle for Neuve Chapelle was remembered at the city’s Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle on Tuesday.
Schoolchildren spent the morning at the centre’s memorial garden, placing crosses to represent the 61 Black Watch men killed during the 1915 battle.
The British offensive, which lasted for two days, took place in the Artois region of France.
On the morning of March 10, the Western Front woke to the noise of 500 guns bombarding German lines of defence at the Aubers Ridge.
The British, anxious to prove to their French allies they could be an effective, independent fighting force, launched their combined UK and Indian troops against the Germans’ heavily-defended obstacles.
After extensive fighting, British troops successfully took the village of Neuve Chapelle, punching a significant two-kilometre hole in the German lines.
Yesterday, children from Balhousie Primary School took part in the Black Watch ceremony.
The Black Watch Museum secured lottery cash to fund a memorial wall as part of the country’s First World War commemorations.
The project focuses on the heritage of The Black Watch and the ramifications on the regiment of the Great War.
A spokeswoman for the centre said: “Throughout the First World War centenary, a cross will be hung on the wall for each soldier killed on that day.
“The names are read out and the crosses hung during a ceremony, held every day at 11am during the centenary period.”
Members of the public, as well as relatives of the fallen, have been encouraged to take part in the ceremonies.
Names will continue to be added until and even beyond the anniversary of Armistice Day, November 11 1918, as hundreds more soldiers of The Black Watch died after that day.
Key dates will include the Battle of Aubers Ridge on May 9 1915, which saw 388 men killed, while another 573 lost their lives at the Battle of Loos on September 25 that same year.
Further names will then be added to the memorial wall from the Attack on High Wood, part of the Battle of the Somme, in July 1916, when 156 men of The Black Watch were killed.