The Black Watch Window dominates the whole sanctuary of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul. It was unveiled by former Canadian Corps Commander General Sir Arthur Currie on 13 November 1921. Before the 1918 Armistice, there were plans for a massive memorial window to honour the staggering losses during the Great War of the church's two founding congregations as well as the unimaginable casualties of the church's Regiment, the Royal Highlanders of Canada, now known as The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. By 26 October 1920, an application for a memorial window from Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel R.L.H. Ewing, DSO, MC, of the 42nd Battalion. The draft wording for the window was approved on 16 January 1921. It was designed and created by James Ballantine II.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bartlett McLennan was the only commanding officers of the Royal Highlanders of Canada killed in action during the First World War. His oldest brother, Senator John Stewart McLennan, had lost his only son Hugh at the Second Battle of Ypres and together with his sisters, Alice and Isabella, graciously undertook the financing for the memorial. When the family learned that the men wanted to include a Star of David in the window to honour a young Jewish officer Lieutenant Myer T. Cohen, MC, who was under Bartlett's command, the design was altered.
In September 1917, Myer led a patrol of five into no-man's land where they captured or killed nine enemy soldiers without suffering any casualties. Cohen. In a raid on the enemy trenches in October, 1917, he captured three of the enemy as prisoners, making a further raid and capturing three more. This was during a period when the allied forces were most anxious to obtain prisoners for the purpose of getting information about them and the feat was accomplished without casualties. For this daring act he was awarded the Military Cross, British War Medal and Victory Medal. On 3 November 1917, Lieutenant Cohen was ordered to storm a strong enemy position at Passchendaele. At the head of his men he reached the objective, but with no reinforcements available all were killed.
The window comprises a middle section of three lights, flanked by single lights, and reticulated tracery. At the center rises a dramatic figure of the Celtic Christ with outstretched arms, surrounded by emanating rays of golden light. Four figures are grouped below him. The outer left light depicts a Crusader in medieval armour with a shield and sword, beneath are the scriptural emblems of the Cross and Crown of Thorns. Next to him stands the scriptural figure of David with the head of Goliath. The Star of David, visible behind the shoulder of David, commemorates Lieutenant Cohen. St. Andrew, patron Saint of Scotland, stands to the right of Christ; and on the far right is a private of the Royal Highlanders of Canada in full battle dress, carrying the Union Jack, beneath is the regimental badge. The background and tracery is filled with naturalistic depictions of ivy and purple thistles.
Five brass plaques with the names of the 868 officers and men, fatal casualties of the 42nd Battalion, are located in panels directly beneath the window. When the church moved to its new location in 1931, the window was placed about 29 feet from the floor and the plaques could not be read in mounted below the window and the memorial plaques were moved to the west wall of the chancel about the choirs stalls.
The Black Watch of Canada (Royal Highland Regiment) has a long association with The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul. Their presence honours the many members of the congregation who have given their lives in our defence. Their names are inscribed on the church walls and their Colours hang in the sanctuary to represent their sacrifice in defending the peace we cherish and our freedom to worship in liberty.
St. Paul's Church was founded in 1832 in Old Montreal. The congregation moved to next to where the Queen Elizabeth Hotel now stands and in 1918 united with St. Andrew's Church. When the church was expropriated for the Canadian National Railway Company's Central Station in 1929, a new site was found on the Mackay estate on Redpath and Sherbrooke. The building was completed in 1932 and incorporated all the original stained glass windows. It is the Regimental church of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. In 1930, St. Paul's Church, on expropriation, was dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt in St. Laurent where it stands today.
