The Madras College Archive

     


The Wallace Watt Cup of Madras College

The Wallace Watt Cup for Sports (boys’ games) was first awarded in 1945. It is named for William Wallace Watt, the son of James and Etoline Watt of Cupar who were part of the family business of William Watt, Seed Merchant of Cupar.

William Watt bought the Old Jail in Cupar and operated his seed business from there from 1895. William Wallace Watt was born in Cupar in 1922. James Watt's two sons, William Wallace Watt (known as Tubby) and James Watt (born in Cupar in 1923), attended Madras College, travelling to school by train every day.

William Wallace Watt entered the Madras Prep. Class from a Private school in 1931. He was a member of the 1st XV Rugby Team in 1938, when the team was victorious in all eighteen matches. [The rugby 1st XV had not had an unbeaten season since the 1910-11 one when the team only played eight matches.] He was Captain of the 1st XI Cricket Team in 1939 and Captain of the 1st XV Rugby Team in 1939-40. He was named one of the "Choice and Master Spirits" of Madras for 1939-40.
Rugby Team 1938

Choice & Master Spirits 1940		 Watt left school in 1940 and joined the RAF. He became a Pilot Officer (no. 155790) in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 29 July 1943. By January 1945 Flying Officer Watt was in RAF Squadron 101. He was a successful Captain in Operations on Tuesday 2nd, Friday 5th, Sunday 7th, Sunday 14th, and Monday 22nd January.

In February 1945, now as Flight Lieutenant Watt, he was a successful Captain in Operations on Wednesday 7th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st.

He was shot down during a raid on Pforzheim, Barden-Württemberg on Friday 23 February 1945. This was one of the most devastating bombings of World War II. About one quarter of the town's population, over 17,000 people, were killed in the air raid, and about 83% of the town's buildings were destroyed. The town was thought by the Allies to be producing precision instruments for use in the German war effort and to be a transport centre for the movement of German troops. Watt was buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery.