Gordon Highlanders
Gordon Highlanders | |
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The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB AK QSO DC | |
Insignia | |
Tartan |
The Gordon Highlanders was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed for 113 years, from 1881 until 1994, when it was amalgamated with The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). Although the 'Gordon Highlanders' had existed as the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot since 1794, the actual 'Gordon Highlanders Regiment' was formed in 1881 by amalgamation of the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot and 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot.
History
Early history
The regiment was formed on 1 July 1881 instigated under the Childers Reforms as the county regiment of: Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Shetland.[2] Although the regiment was formed by two regular regiments, it in fact controlled other units which were of the former Militia and Volunteer Force, including:[3][4]
- Regimental Headquarters & Regimental Depot at Castlehill Barracks
- 1st Battalion (Regular, former 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot)
- 2nd Battalion (Regular, former 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot)
- 3rd (Royal Aberdeenshire Highland Militia) Battalion (Militia) based at the King Street Barracks in Aberdeen
- 1st Volunteer Battalion (Volunteers, former 1st Aberdeenshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, became 1st VB in 1884), later became 4th (City of Aberdeen) Btn
- 2nd Volunteer Battalion (Volunteers, former 2nd Aberdeenshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, became 2nd VB in 1884), later became 5th (Buchan and Formartin) Btn
- 3rd (The Buchan) Volunteer Battalion (Volunteers, former 3rd Aberdeenshire Rifle Volunteer Corps)
- 4th Volunteer Battalion (Volunteers, former 4th Aberdeenshire Rifle Volunteer Corps), later became 6th (The Banff and Donside) Btn
- 5th (Deeside Highland) Volunteer Battalion (Volunteers, former 1st (Deeside Highland) Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire Rifle Volunteer Corps), later became 7th (Deeside Highland) Btn
The 1st Battalion fought at the
The 1st Battalion then took part in the
Both battalions were sent to South Africa following the outbreak of the
In 1908 the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the
First World War
Regular Army
The 1st Battalion was based in Plymouth on outbreak of war and landed at
The 2nd Battalion was in Egypt in 1914, but returned to England and landed at Zeebrugge as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division in October 1914.[13] It immediately saw action in the First Battle of Ypres. The battalion subsequently served on the Western Front until November 1917 when it moved with XIV Corps to Italy. It was subsequently involved in the final, successful, battle of the war in Italy at the Battle of Vettorio Veneto, October to November 1918.[15]
Territorial Force
The 1/4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division in February 1915 for service on the Western Front.[15] The 1/5th (Buchan and Formartin) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[15] The 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division for service on the Western Front.[15] One of the longest 1914 Christmas truces was upheld by this battalion: it lasted until the afternoon of 3 January 1915.[16] The 1/7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[15]
New Armies
The 8th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 26th Brigade in the 9th (Scottish) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[15] The 9th (Service) Battalion and the 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 44th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division in July 1915 for service on the Western Front.[15]
Garrison Battalion
The 1st Garrison Battalion, originally raised as the 12th Battalion, was formed in 1916 of soldiers unfit for front line duties.[17] It was sent to India and served with the 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division from March 1917, and was subsequently on operations during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.[18]
The folk singer and
Second World War
The 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders was a
The 2nd Battalion was based in
The 4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion served as a Machine Gun Battalion in the Battle of France and was later converted to a Royal Artillery regiment on 1 November 1941, becoming the 92nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, as part of the 9th Armoured Division, but saw no active service during the war.[23]
The 5th Battalion went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force: they were serving as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st Division during the Battle of France in 1940 when they were trapped and the majority of the division was forced to surrender at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux. The 5th Battalion was, however, reformed in the United Kingdom in August 1940 at the amalgamated 5/7 Battalion, and went on to serve with the second formation of the 51st (Highland) Division (formed by redesignation of the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division throughout the rest of the Second World War, serving in North Africa and taking part in the Normandy landings.[24]
The 6th (Banffshire) Battalion, a
The 7th (Mar and Mearns) Battalion amalgamated with the 5th Battalion, becoming the 5th/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, and served with the second formation of the 51st (Highland) Division throughout the war.[26]
The 8th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion was also converted to artillery, becoming the 100th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery. This battalion served with the
The 9th (Strathbogie, Garioch and Strathdon) Battalion (originally part of the
Post-War
After the war the Gordons saw active service in the
Victoria Cross recipients
- Edward Lawson (India, 1897)[31]
- George Findlater (India, 1897)[7]
- Matthew Meiklejohn (Second Boer War, 1899)[32]
- William Robertson (Second Boer War, 1899)[32]
- Ernest Towse (Second Boer War, 1900)[33]
- John Mackay (Second Boer War, 1900)[34]
- William Gordon (Second Boer War, 1900)[35]
- David Younger (Second Boer War, 1900)[36]
- William Kenny (France, 1914)[37]
- James Brooke (France, 1914)[38]
- George McIntosh (France, 1917)[39]
- Allan Ker (France, 1918)[40]
- George Mitchell (Italy, 1944)[41]
Honours
Battle honours
Battle honours awarded to the regiment included:[12]
- Early Wars: Mysore, South Africa 1835, Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt 1882 '84, Nile 1884–5, Chitral, Tirah, Defence of Ladysmith, Paardeberg, South Africa, 1899–1902
- The Great War: Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914 '18, Aisne 1914, La Bassée 1914, Messines 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '15 '17, Langemarck 1914, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Neuve Chapelle, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Hooge 1915, Loos, Somme 1916, 18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Le Transloy, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917 '18, Vimy 1917, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Bullecourt, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcapelle. Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Béthune, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Tardenois, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–18
- The Second World War: Withdrawal to Escaut, Ypres-Comines Canal, Dunkirk 1940, Somme 1940, St. Valery-en-Caux, Odon, La Vie Crossing, Lower Maas, Venlo Pocket, Rhineland, Reichswald, Cleve, Goch, Rhine, North-West Europe 1940, '44–45, El Alamein, Advance on Tripoli, Mareth, Medjez Plain, North Africa 1942–43, Landing in Sicily, Sferro, Sicily 1943, Anzio, Rome, Italy 1944–45
Sporting honours
Winner of the
Colonels-in-Chief
Colonels in Chief were as follows:[12]
- 1898–:F.M. King Edward VII
- 1937–: F.M. Henry William Frederick Albert, Duke of Gloucester, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO
- 1977–: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB, AK, QSO, ADC
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the regiment were:[12]
- 1881–1890: (1st Battalion): Gen. John Thomas Hill (ex 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot)
- 1881–1884 (2nd Battalion): Gen. 92nd Gordon Highlanders)
- 1884–1895 (2nd Battalion only to 1890): Gen. Sir John Alexander Ewart, KCB
- 1895–1897: Lt-Gen. Charles Edward Parke Gordon, CB
- 1897–1912: F.M. Sir George Stuart White, VC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO
- 1912–1914: Gen. Sir Charles Whittingham Horsley Douglas, GCB
- 1914–1939: Gen. Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, GCB, GCMG, DSO, TD
- 1939–1948: Maj-Gen. Sir James Lauderdale Gilbert Burnett, Bt, CB, CMG, DSO
- 1948–1958: Col. William James Graham, MC
- 1958–1965: Brig. James Roderick Sinclair, 19th Earl of Caithness, CVO, CBE, DSO
- 1965 (May–September) vacant
- 1965–1978: Lt-Gen. Sir George C. Gordon Lennox, KBE, CB, CVO, DSO
- 1978–1986: Lt-Gen. Sir John Richard Alexander Macmillan, KCB, CBE
- 1986–1994: Lt-Gen. Sir Peter Walter Graham, KCB, CBE
- 1994: amalgamated with The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)
Alliances
Alliances were:[12]
- Canada – The 48th Highlanders of Canada
- The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
- Australia – 5th Battalion, The Victorian Scottish Regiment
- Australia – 5th and 6th Battalions, The Royal Victoria Regiment
- Australia – 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment
- The Cape Town Highlanders
Notes
- ^ Meaning abiding, steadfast, an adjectival use of the Middle Scots present participle of bide Archived 2012-01-17 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "The Gordon Highlanders [UK]". 28 October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ "No. 24992". The London Gazette. 1 July 1881. pp. 3300–3301.
- ^ Frederick, pp. 102–5.
- ^ "History of the Gordon Highlanders". Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Death of Piper Kidd". The Argus. 21 May 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ a b "No. 26968". The London Gazette. 20 May 1898. p. 3165.
- ^ a b "Gordon Highlanders". Anglo-Boer War. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning Home". The Times. No. 36890. London. 4 October 1902. p. 10.
- ^ "Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 31 March 1908. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ These were the 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve), with the 4th (The City of Aberdeen) Battalion at Guild Street in Aberdeen, the 5th (Buchan and Formartin) Battalion in Kirk Street in Peterhead (since demolished), the 6th (The Banff and Donside) Battalion at Union Street in Keith and the 7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion at Kinneskie Road in Banchory (all Territorial Force)
- ^ a b c d e f "Gordon Highlanders". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Falls, Cyril (1958). The Gordon Highlanders in the First World War 1914-1919. Aberdeen University Press. pp. 1–15.
- ^ Peacock, A.J. "A Serious Misfortune. The 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders in August 1914". Gunfire (22): 19–20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Gordon Highlanders". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-4088-4335-2.
- ^ "Gordon Highlanders". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "2nd (Rawalpindi) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "Portsoy's Haal festival remembers folk legend Jimmy MacBeath". The Scotsman. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Miles, Wilfrid (1961). The Life of a Regiment Volume 5: 1919-1945. Aberdeen University Press. p. 125.
- ^ "2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "4th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "5th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "6th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "8th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Miles (1961). p. 29.
{{cite book}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ Miles, Wilfred (1961). Life of a Regiment Volume 5: 1919-1945. Aberdeen University Press. pp. 385–406.
- ^ "Gordon Highlanders Museum". Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "The Victoria Cross". The Gordon Highlanders Museum. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b "No. 27212". The London Gazette. 20 July 1900. p. 4509.
- ^ "No. 27208". The London Gazette. 6 July 1900. p. 4196.
- ^ "No. 27219". The London Gazette. 10 August 1900. p. 4944.
- ^ "No. 27233". The London Gazette. 28 September 1900. p. 5966.
- ^ "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5085.
- ^ "No. 29074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1916. p. 1699.
- ^ "No. 29074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1916. p. 1700.
- ^ "No. 30272". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1917. p. 9260.
- ^ "No. 31536". The London Gazette. 2 September 1919. p. 11205.
- ^ "No. 36646". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 August 1944. pp. 3695–3696.
- ISBN 978-0199583119.
References
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978, Volume I, 1984: Microform Academic Publishers, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939-1945. Sutton Publishing (1992), ISBN 0-7509-1403-3.
- Trevor Royle, The Gordon Highlanders, A Concise History. Mainstream Publishing Company (2007). ISBN 9781845962708.
External links
- Media related to Gordon Highlanders at Wikimedia Commons
- Gordon Highlanders Museum
- History of the Regiment
- "Cock o' the North" on YouTube
- Gordon Highlanders Online Meeting place for Gordon Highlanders
- GORDON HIGHLANDERS (1899) (archive film from the National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE)