Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) | |
---|---|
Active | 1 July 1881 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Line infantry |
Role | Light Infantry Company / SCPD |
Size | One reinforced company |
Garrison/HQ | RHQ – Stirling Castle[1] Company – Redford Barracks |
Nickname(s) | Thin Red Line |
Motto(s) | Ne Obliviscaris, Sans Peur |
March |
|
Mascot(s) | A Balaklava (25 October 1854) |
Commanders | |
Ceremonial chief | King Charles III |
Insignia | |
Tactical Recognition Flash |
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) is a light infantry company (designated as Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland) and was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006.
The regiment was created under the Childers Reforms in 1881, as the Princess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders), by the amalgamation of the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot and 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, amended the following year to reverse the order of the "Argyll" and "Sutherland" sub-titles.[2] The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was expanded to fifteen battalions during the First World War (1914–1918) and nine during the Second World War (1939–1945). The 1st Battalion served in the 1st Commonwealth Division in the Korean War and gained a high public profile for its role in Aden during 1967.
As part of the restructuring of the British Army's infantry in 2006, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) and the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) into the seven-battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland. Following a further round of defence cuts announced in July 2012, the 5th Battalion was reduced to a single light infantry company called Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders).
History
Formation
It was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the
At the Childers Reforms amalgamation, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders already had a well-earned reputation for valour in the face of the enemy, most notably the 93rd (later 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) during the Crimean War. Here, the 93rd earned the sobriquet of "The Fighting Highlanders" and carried with it the status of having been the original "Thin Red Line". This title was bestowed following the action of the 93rd at Balaklava on 25 October 1854 in which this single battalion alone stood between the undefended British Army base at Balaklava and four squadrons of charging Russian cavalry.[4] The 93rd, under the command of Sir Colin Campbell, not only held steady, but for the first time in the history of the British Army, broke a large cavalry charge using musket fire alone, without having been formed into a square.[5]
This action was witnessed by the Times correspondent William Howard Russell, who reported that nothing stood between the Russian cavalry and the defenceless British base but the "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel of the 93rd" a description immediately paraphrased and passed into folklore as "The Thin Red Line".[6] Later referred to by Kipling in his evocative poem "Tommy", the saying came to epitomise everything the British Army stood for. This feat of arms is still recognised by the plain red and white dicing worn on the cap band of the A and SH Glengarry bonnets.[7]
Second Boer War
The 1st Battalion arrived in the
In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the
First World War
Regular Army
The 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 81st Brigade in the 27th Division in December 1914 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 2nd Battalion landed at
Territorial Force
The 1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion landed at Cape Helles as part of the 157th Brigade in the 52nd (Lowland) Division in June 1915; the battalion was evacuated to Egypt in January 1916 and then landed at Marseille in April 1918 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the 152nd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915; the battalion moved to Italy in November 1917 but returned to France in April 1918.[11]
The 1/7th Battalion landed in France as part of the 10th Brigade in the 4th Division in December 1914 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the 152nd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/9th (The Dumbartonshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the 81st Brigade in the 27th Division in February 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
New Armies
The 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur Mer as part of the 27th Brigade in the 9th (Scottish) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 11th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 45th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division in July 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 12th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 77th Brigade in the 26th Division in September 1915 but moved to Salonika in November 1915.[11]
The 14th (Service) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 120th Brigade in the 40th Division in June 1916 for service on the Western Front.[11]
Irish War of Independence
During the Irish War of Independence, the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was sent to be stationed in Claremorris, County Mayo in 1919.[12] Though the battalion's time in Ireland was mostly uneventful, soldiers from the regiment were involved in the death of Captain Patrick "Paddy" Boland, the officer commanding of the Crossard Company, East Mayo Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). On 27 May 1921, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders shot and killed Boland while he was allegedly attempting to escape near his home in Aghamore; Boland's body was reportedly severely mutilated after his death.[13][14][15]
Second World War
The 1st Battalion fought in the
The 2nd Battalion fought valiantly against the
During the withdrawal of the
The Argylls had lost 800 men due to continuous action as rear guards (especially at the Battle of Slim River). When the remaining Argylls arrived in Singapore in December 1941, the battalion was reinforced with some Royal Marines who had survived the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse. The merger was held at Tyersall Park, and the battalion was informally renamed "Plymouth Argylls". (This was in reference to the Argylls' affiliation with Plymouth Argyle F.C. and to the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marines, which all the Marines were from.[20]
The battalion surrendered with the rest of the army in Singapore in February 1942. Many Argylls died in captivity as
In May 1942, the 15th Battalion, raised during the war, was redesignated as the new 2nd Battalion. This battalion joined the 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade and became a part of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, a formation that would gain an excellent reputation, in 1943. With the division, the battalion fought in the Battle for Caen, seeing its first action in Operation Epsom, as part of Operation Overlord. The division ended the war on the Elbe River.[23]
The 5th battalion landed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in September 1939. They took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940 and then, after converting to become the 91st Anti-Tank Regiment and seeing action at the Normandy landings in June 1944, they fought through North-West Europe to the River Elbe.[24]
The 6th Battalion landed in France as corps troops for I Corps with the British Expeditionary Force in September 1939. They took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940 and then, after converting to become the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery saw action in the Tunisia campaign, in the Allied landings in Sicily and in the Allied landings in Italy.[25]
The 7th Battalion was a
The 8th Battalion was also a Territorial Army (TA) unit serving with the 7th Battalion in the 154th (Highland) Infantry Brigade. The brigade was part of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. The 154th Brigade managed to be evacuated to England after the 51st (Highland) Division was forced to surrender on 12 June 1940.
The 9th Battalion, also a Territorial unit, was converted to artillery as the 54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery comprising three batteries from the former Companies: 160 (Dumbarton), 161 (Alexandria) and 162 (Helensburgh).[31] Former B Company (Kirkintilloch) and D Company (Clydebank) formed the nucleus of the second-line regiment, the 58th LAA, comprising 172,173 and 174 Batteries.[32][33] Armed with
After the War
Between 1945 and 1948, the 1st Battalion saw service in
In 1948, the 2nd Battalion was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion. The battalion was one of the first British units to serve in the
In 1970, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, as the junior regiment of the Scottish Division, faced disbandment as part of a general downsizing of the army. A "Save the Argylls" campaign involving the petitioning of Parliament resulted in a compromise under which a single regular company retained the title and colours of the regiment. "Balaclava Company" continued as an independent unit from 20 January 1971 until the regiment was restored to full battalion size on 17 January 1972.[43] Between 1972 and 1974 detachments from the regiment regularly served in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles.[43] In January 2004 the regiment was deployed to the Iraq War.[44]
On 28 March 2006, as part of the
On 5 July 2012, a further series of measures to reduce the total size of the British Army were announced by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. These included the reduction of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS) to a single company (Balaklava Company) for public (ceremonial) duties in Scotland.
When the company is mounting royal guard/guard duties they are divided into two platoons; Pony Platoon (ceremonial) and Security Platoon. When not mounting guard, the company is divided into No. 1 and No. 2 platoons for regular deployment. Following the Army 2020 Refine, the company moved to Redford Barracks where they remain as part of the 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland.[49]
Regimental museum
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum is the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, their antecedent regiments, and successor battalions. Located in Stirling Castle, the museum building was built in the 1490s, and known as the "King's House" or "King's Old Building", thought to have been the private residence of King James IV.[50] Entrance to the museum is included in the price of the castle entrance ticket. The museum is almost entirely maintained through public donations; the modest grant from the Ministry of Defence has been withdrawn.[51] It is governed by a charitable trust: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum Trust.[52]
The museum closed for refurbishment in August 2018.[53] It re-opened again, following completion of a programme of works funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and costing £4 million, in June 2021.[54]
Battle honours
The regiment's battle honours include:[10]
- South Africa 1879, Modder River, Paardeberg, South Africa 1899–1902.
- The Great War – Mons, Le Cateau, Palestine 1917–18.
- The Second World War– Somme 1940, Odon, Tourmauville Bridge, Caen, Esquay, Mont Pincon, Quarry Hill, Estry, Falaise, Dives Crossing, Aart, Lower Maas, Meijel, Venlo Pocket, Ourthe, Rhineland, Reichswald, Rhine, Uelzen, Artlenburg, Malaya 1941–42.
- Korean War – Pakchon, Korea 1950–51.
Victoria Cross recipients
- Lance Corporal Indian Mutiny
- Captain W.G.D Stewart, 16 November 1857, Indian Mutiny
- Private P. Grant, 16 November 1857, Indian Mutiny
- Private (later Sergeant) D. MacKay, 16 November 1857, Indian Mutiny
- Colour-Sergeant J. Munro, 16 November 1857, Indian Mutiny
- Sergeant J. Paton, 16 November 1857, Indian Mutiny
- Lieutenant (later Major-General) W. McBean, 11 March 1858, Indian Mutiny
- Capt J.A. Liddell 31 July 1915 Belgium
- Lieut J.R.N. Graham 22 April 1917 Mesopotamia
- 2nd Lieut A. Henderson MC 23 April 1917 France
- 2nd Lieut J.C. Buchan 21 March 1918 France
- Lieut D.L. MacIntyre 24–27 Aug 1918 France
- Lieut W.D. Bissett 25 October 1918 France
- Lieut Col Wadi Akarit
- Major J.T. McKellar Anderson, DSO, TD 23 April 1943 Longstop Hill
- Major K. Muir 23 September 1950 Korea
Colonels-in-chief
- 1914–: HRH Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, CI, GCVO, GBE, RRC
- 1947– 2006: HM Queen Elizabeth II
Regimental colonels
Colonels of the regiment were:[10]
- 1881–1888 (1st Battalion): Gen. James Robertson Craufurd (ex 91st Foot)
- 1881–1888: (2nd Battalion): Gen. Hon. Sir 93rd Foot)
- 1888–1895: Gen. George Erskine
- 1895–1904: Gen. Sir John Alexander Ewart, KCB
- 1904–1905: Lt-Gen. Sir Frederick William Traill Burroughs, KCB
- 1905–1907: Lt-Gen. John Sprot
- 1907–1915: Maj-Gen. John Edward Boyes, CB
- 1915–1937: Maj-Gen. Sir Alexander Wilson, KCB
- 1937–1945: Maj-Gen. Gervase Thorpe, CB, CMG, DSO
- 1945–1958: Gen. Sir Gordon Holmes Alexander MacMillan of MacMillan, KCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO, MC
- 1958–1972: Maj-Gen. Frederick Clarence Campbell Graham, CB, DSO, DL
- 1972–1982: Lt-Gen. Sir Alexander Crawford Simpson Boswell, KCB, CBE
- 1982–1992: Gen. Sir Charles Patrick Ralph Palmer, KBE
- 1992–2000: Maj-Gen. David Phillips Thomson, CB, CBE, MC
- 2000–2006: Lt-Gen. Sir Andrew John Noble Graham, Bt, CB, CBE (to Royal Regiment of Scotland)
- 2006: Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Scots, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, The Black Watch and The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Affiliations
Units that have formed affiliations with the regiment include:[10]
- Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada(Princess Louise's)
- The Calgary Highlanders
- Canada – Cape Breton Highlanders
- Australia – The Royal Queensland Regiment
- Australia – The Royal New South Wales Regiment
- Pakistan – 1st Battalion (Scinde), The Frontier Force Regiment
- Royal Navy – HMS Argyll
- United Kingdom – Balaklava Company, West Lowland Battalion ACF
See also
- Notable members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Notes
- ^ These were the 3rd Battalion and 4th Battalion (both Special Reserve), with the 5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion at Finnart Street in Greenock (since demolished), the 6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion at High Street in Paisley, the 7th Battalion at Princes Street in Stirling, the 8th (Argyllshire) Battalion at Queen Street in Dunoon (since demolished) and the 9th (Dunbartonshire) Battalion at Hartfield House in Dumbarton (all Territorial Force)
References
- ^ "Thin Red Line print heading to Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' Stirling HQ". The Courier. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Imperial War Museum". Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "Regimental Dress". The Argylls. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ISBN 9781250002525.
- ^ "History of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". Warlinks. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ Greenwood, ch. 8.
- ^ "The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Stirling Castle". Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ "Imperial Units – Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)". www.angloboerwar.com. Anglo Boer War website. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 31 March 1908. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". Regiments. Archived from the original on 9 January 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ISBN 9781781172063.
- ISBN 9781848891364.
- ^ "Interesting Extracts - Brief Personal notes on Parochial and other passing events" by Michael F Waldron, Knox Street, Ballyhaunis, 7 February 1953; re-printed in Annagh Parish Magazine, 2007–09.
- ^ "1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "19 Indian Brigade". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Jeffreys, p. 16.
- ^ Thompson (2005), p. 251.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyll Royal Marines – Fall of Singapore". Royal Marines History. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Jeffreys, p. 17.
- ^ Levine, p. 200.
- ^ "5th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "6th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b "7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "No. 36045". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1943. p. 2623.
- ^ "Secret Camp Histories Stalag IXC Muhlhausen". Pegasus Archive. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "8th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "No. 36071". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 June 1943. pp. 2937–2938.
- ^ Royle (2011) p. 36.
- ^ a b "58 LAA Regiment". Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ a b "58th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in the Second World War 1939–1945". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Barker (1950), pp. 3–30.
- ^ Royle (2011) p. 38.
- ^ Barker (1950), pp. 34–35, 50, 56.
- ^ Barker (1950), pp. 62, 73, 86, 96.
- HMSO. pp. 153, 161, 163 – via HyperWar Foundation and iBiblio.
- ^ "11th (GB) Armoured Division battle order – 1944 – Battle of Normandy". 3 December 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ "Exhibition: Palestine: a forgotten conflict?". Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Rueter, A. A. P. (25 September 1950). "U.S. Planes Bomb British Units by Mistake". The Canberra Times.
- ^ "The Argylls in Aden: reocupation of the Crater". The Argylls. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Argylls fight hand to hand in Iraq". The Scotsman. 16 May 2004. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ "Delivering Security in a Changing World" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ^ "The Royal Regiment of Scotland". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders downgraded in MoD cuts plan". BBC News. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ "Queen visits Howe Barracks in Canterbury ahead of closure". BBC News. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ "Royal Regiment of Scotland". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ Historic Scotland Archived 20 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' Regimental Museum
- ^ The Thin Red Line – Regimental Magazine of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Vol. 71, No. 1.
- ^ "Welcome to the museum". Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum". Facebook. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Castle military museum opens doors again after £4 million refurbishment". Daily Record. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
Sources
- Frederick, J. B. M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Volume I. ISBN 1851170073.
- Barker, F. R. P. (1950). History of the 9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 54th Light A.A. Regiment 1939–45. Thomas Nelson and Sons. OCLC 493113190.
- Jeffreys, Alan (2003). British Infantrymen in the Far East 1941–1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841764485.
- Levine, Alan (2007). D-Day to Berlin: The Northwest Europe Campaign, 1944–45. Stackpole. ISBN 9780811733861.
- Royle, Trevor (2011). The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: A Concise History. Random House. ISBN 9781780572444.
- Thompson, P. (2005). The Battle for Singapore; The True Story of the Greatest Catastrophe of World War Two. Piatkus Books. ISBN 9780749950996.
Further reading
- ISBN 9780750956857.
External links
- 7th battalion, the great war Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- 5 SCOTS (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) – British Army website
- The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum
- Argylls 1945 to 1971
- Argylls 1972 to present day
- Soldier's view of service with the Argylls
- 93rd Sutherland Highlanders Living History Association