Royal Scots

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Royal Scot (disambiguation).

Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)
Cap badge
Active1633–2006
Country Kingdom of Scotland (1633–1678)
 Kingdom of England (1678–1707)
 Kingdom of Great Britain (c.1707–c.1800)
 Kingdom of Ireland (c. 1775)[1]
 United Kingdom (1801–2006)
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
RoleLine infantry
Part ofScottish Division
Garrison/HQEdinburgh
Nickname(s)Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard
PatronHRH Mary, Princess Royal (1918)
HRH Anne, Princess Royal (1983)
Motto(s)Nemo me impune lacessit
Latin: "Nobody harms me with impunity"
MarchQuick March: Dumbarton's Drums
Slow March: Garb of Old Gaul
EngagementsSee Battle honours list
Insignia
Tactical recognition flash
Royal Scots regimental badge

The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I. The regiment existed continuously until 2006, when it amalgamated with the King's Own Scottish Borderers to become the Royal Scots Borderers, which merged with the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), the Black Watch, the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

History

17th century

Thirty Years War

In April 1633,

Gustavus Adolphus.[2] It absorbed other Scottish units in the Swedish army, as well as those already with the French and by 1635 totalled around 8,000 men.[3]

Sir John was killed in 1636 and succeeded as Colonel by his brother George, then, after his death in 1637,

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, who remained in Scotland and had little contact with the regiment, other than supplying recruits.[4] In 1653, he assigned the Colonelcy to his younger half-brother, George Douglas, later Earl of Dumbarton.[5]

The Dutch raid on the Medway in 1667; the regiment was based nearby at the Chatham naval base

In 1660,

Venner's Rising, an attempted coup by Fifth Monarchists.[6] The revolt was quickly crushed and it returned to France, since the recently elected Cavalier Parliament quickly disbanded the New Model Army but refused to fund replacements.[7] It remained in France until 1679, apart from a period during the 1664-67 Second Anglo-Dutch War when it was based at the naval dockyard of Chatham. The diarist Pepys met George Douglas in Rochester and recorded that "Here in the streets, I did hear the Scotch march beat by the drums before the soldiers, which is very odde."[8] In 1667, the regiment was accused of looting after the Raid on the Medway and ordered back to France; while awaiting transport, over 700 of the 1,500 men deserted.[9]

During the 1672-74 Third Anglo-Dutch War, Douglas's was part of the British Brigade that fought with the French, commanded by the Duke of Monmouth.[10] It served in the Rhineland throughout the Franco-Dutch War, even after the Anglo-Dutch war ended in February 1674; it became the Régiment de Dumbarton in 1675, after George Douglas was made Earl of Dumbarton.[11] The 1678 Treaties of Nijmegen required the repatriation of all Scots and English units from France; reluctant to lose veteran troops, this was made as hard as possible. Dumbarton's was posted to the Dauphiné in Southern France before being disbanded and its men prevented from travelling for 30 days thereafter; many chose to remain, while those who arrived in England did so without money or possessions.[12]

Tangier ca 1670; the regiment was part of the Tangier Garrison, 1680–1684

The regiment was listed on the English military establishment as the First Foot or Royal Scots, a temporary measure during the Exclusion Crisis of 1679–1681. Four of its twenty-one companies joined the Tangier Garrison in April 1680, with another twelve in September.[13] It was awarded a battle honour for 'Tangier' in 1908, but the colony and its garrison was evacuated in 1684. A war diary for 1680 was kept by its commander, Sir James Halkett, allegedly one of the first examples to survive.[14]

On its return, the unit was renamed His Majesty's Royal Regiment of Foot in June 1684.[15] When James II succeeded Charles in 1685, the regiment fought at the decisive Battle of Sedgemoor that ended the June Monmouth Rebellion; a second battalion was raised in March 1686 and posted to Scotland.[16]

It was the only unit where the majority remained loyal to James during the November 1688 Glorious Revolution; Dumbarton followed him into exile and one of William's subordinates, Frederick Schomberg, was appointed Colonel.[17] While awaiting transport from Ipswich to Flanders, it mutinied on 15 March 1689, a combination of not being paid and dislike at being commanded by a foreigner. However, the mutineers were treated with leniency and later agreed to the move.[18]

At the start of the 1688–1697

Treaty of Ryswick ended the war in 1697, it was transferred to Ireland.[20]

18th century

Soldier of the Royal Regiment of foot, 1742

During the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment served under Marlborough at Schellenberg, Blenheim, Ramillies and Oudenarde.[21] At Malplaquet in 1709, its members included William Hiseland, an 89-year-old reputed to be the last serving veteran of the First English Civil War.[22]

Both battalions spent 1715 to 1742 in Ireland, but after this were normally separated.

Puerto Bello in 1743, the 2nd helped suppress the Jacobite rising of 1745, before being posted to Ireland once again.[24]

In the army reforms of 1751, the unit was ranked as the most senior infantry line regiment and titled the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot.[25] On the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756, the 2nd Battalion moved to Nova Scotia in 1757, fighting at Louisburg, Guadeloupe and Havana, then returning home in 1764.[24]

Until

St. Kitts in January 1782 but was later exchanged.[23]

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

The 1st Battalion had returned to the West Indies as a garrison in 1790, and served there until 1797,[21] with a brief period of combat in the Haitian Revolution.[23] The West Indies were hotbeds of disease, and the battalion lost more than half its strength to disease in this period.[3] It was reformed from militia volunteers in Ireland in 1798: This year saw a major rebellion erupt in Ireland after years of simmering tension. The Lothian Fencibles fought with distinction at the Battle of Vinegar Hill, one of the more important engagements of the rebellion. Subsequently, the regiment gained a new regimental song:

Ye croppies of Wexford, I'd have ye be wise
and go not to meddle with Mid-Lothian Boys
For the Mid-Lothian Boys they vow and declare
They'll crop off your head as well as your hair
derry, down, down.
Remember at Ross and at Vinegar Hill
How your heads flew about like chaff in a mill
For the Mid-Lothian Boys when a croppy they see
they blow out his daylights and tip him cut three
derry, down, down.[26]

After the rebellion was over in Ireland they were used in minor raids on the coast of Spain in 1800.

Siege of Toulon (1793) and the capture of Corsica (1794),[24] returning briefly to Northern Europe for the Battle of Egmont op Zee in the 1799 Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, before fighting in the 1801 Egyptian campaign at the Battle of Aboukir and the Battle of Alexandria.[21]

Both battalions were subsequently dispatched to the West Indies, the 1st from 1801 to 1812, and the 2nd from 1803 to 1806. The 1st occupied Saint Thomas in 1801, fought at the capture of Saint Lucia, as well as of Demerara and Essequibo in 1803, and the capture of Guadeloupe in 1810. The 2nd then moved to India, where it would remain until 1826, whilst the 1st was sent to Quebec with the outbreak of the War of 1812.[21] It fought in the battles of Sackett's Harbor and Buffalo & Black Rock, as well as the capture of Fort Niagara (1813), the battles of Longwoods, Chippawa, and Lundy's Lane, along with the Siege of Fort Erie and the battle of Cook's Mills (1814).[27] In February 1812, the regiment was retitled as the 1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots), the first official appearance of the popular name.[25]

The capture of San Sebastián, diorama in the Royal Scots Regimental Museum

Two new battalions were raised in late 1804, at

Battle of Nive (1813),[30] before advancing into France in 1814. It was sent to Belgium during the Hundred Days, and fought in Picton's Division (the 5th) at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). After two years in the Army of Occupation, it was disbanded at Canterbury in 1817.[29]

The 4th was deployed to the Baltic in 1813, being involved with the recapture of Stralsund, and fought in the Netherlands in 1814, where it was captured and exchanged. It was then dispatched to Canada as part of the War of 1812, where it served as a garrison. It was withdrawn to England with the end of the fighting and disbanded at Dover in 1816.[31]

19th century

Regimental colours, 1847

The 1st battalion was sent to Ireland after the end of the Napoleonic wars, and stationed there from 1816 until 1825, when it was moved to the West Indies, where it remained until 1835. The 2nd battalion, however, had a more active time; based in India, it was involved in the

Rebellions of 1837.[21] The regiment fought at the Battle of Saint-Denis (1837), but was running low on ammunition as the British officers had underestimated the amount of insurgents, and with the enemy beginning to flank, Colonel Charles Gore gave the order to withdraw.[32] A move to the West Indies in 1843 was complicated by half the regiment being shipwrecked and delayed several months, but was successful, and the regiment finally returned to Scotland in 1846.[24]

Both battalions saw active service in the

Alma and Inkerman (1854), and both fighting in the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55),[21] where the regiment's first VC was won.[33] After the war, the 1st battalion moved to Ceylon in 1857[23] and thence to India, returning home in 1870, whilst the 2nd battalion moved to Hong Kong, and saw action in the Second Opium War, fighting at the capture of the Taku Forts (1858) and Pekin (1860), and returning home in 1861.[21]

In 1881, following comprehensive reforms following the Crimean war (

Linlithgowshire (West Lothian), and Berwickshire (later transferred to the King's Own Scottish Borderers on 1 May 1887). In addition to the two regular battalions and depot, the regiment now took control of the various militia and infantry (rifle) volunteers based in the above counties.[35] This left the regiment with the following structure:[36]

In 1881, the 1st was in the West Indies; it moved to South Africa in 1884, when it saw action in the

Poona until late 1902 when it moved to Kamptee.[37]

In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming the

Special Reserve;[38] the regiment now had one Reserve and seven Territorial battalions.[39] The 1st moved back to India in 1909, relieving the 2nd, which moved back to the UK; they remained stationed there until 1914.[21]

First World War (1914–1919)

At the outbreak of the First World War, the 1st was in India, and returned to the UK in November; the 2nd was immediately deployed with the

labour battalion was formed.[47] In total, the Royal Scots raised some thirty-five battalions of infantry and over 100,000 men during the course of the First World War, of which fifteen battalions saw active service. 11,000 soldiers serving in the regiment were killed, and over 40,000 wounded.[3] Among other decorations and honours, the regiment won six Victoria Crosses.[48]

A sergeant of 'D' Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Scots, using a trench periscope to observe German trenches near Kemmel in January 1915

The 1st, on returning from India, was placed in the

3rd Division, one of the first units of the British Expeditionary Force to be sent to France. It first saw action in the Battle of Mons, and thence at almost all of the major actions on the Western Front, before returning to Scotland in 1919.[49]

The

cadre in March 1919, and returned home to disband in May.[49]

The

Battle of Gallipoli, then to France via Egypt, and saw action on the first day on the Somme. The 1/6th had mobilised at the same time and been dispatched to Egypt in 1915 for the Western Frontier Force; it too was withdrawn to France for the Somme. The two heavily depleted battalions were amalgamated in July 1916, and spent the remainder of war on the Western Front as the 5/6th. After the war, it remained in Belgium until January 1919 when it moved into Germany, and was reduced to a cadre in October 1919 and sent home to be disbanded.[49]

The 1/8th mobilised at

pioneers, and disbanded in March 1919 at Haddington[49] The 1/9th mobilised at Edinburgh in August 1914, and moved to France in February 1915 with the 27th Division; when this moved to Salonika in November they remained in France, transferring to the 5th Division, and then to Third Army reserve. They were assigned to the 51st (Highland) Division in March 1916, with whom they fought for two years, then to the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division and 15th (Scottish) Division in 1918.[50]

A raiding party of 11th Royal Scots preparing for action in July 1918

The 11th, 12th and 13th were raised in August 1914 in Edinburgh, with the 11th and 12th allocated to 9th (Scottish) Division and the 13th to 15th (Scottish) Division, and moved to France in mid-1915. They first saw action at the Battle of Loos, where the 11th was almost wiped out,[51] and spent the remainder of the war on the Western Front. The 11th and 12th moved to Germany after the armistice; the 12th was reduced to a cadre in April 1919 and disbanded in the UK in June, whilst the 11th was reduced to a cadre and disbanded at Cologne in November. The 13th remained in Belgium, being reduced to a cadre in March 1919 and disbanded in the UK in June.[49]

The 15th was raised in September 1914, the 16th (which came to be known as McCrae's Battalion) in December 1914, and the 17th in February 1915, in Edinburgh. The 15th and 16th were assigned to the 34th Division and the 17th to the 35th Division, moved to France in early 1916, and first saw action at the first day on the Somme; all three spent the remainder of the war on the Western Front. The 15th and 16th were reduced to cadres in May 1918 and disbanded in August; the 17th was based in Belgium after the armistice, and provided internal security in France and Belgium in early 1919, before being reduced to a cadre in April and disbanded shortly afterward.[49]

The 2/10th was originally mobilised as

North Russia Campaign until June 1919, when it returned to Scotland to disband.[49] The remaining battalions all remained in the UK on Home Service, and did not see active duty. However, six saw significant periods of service in Ireland, where they served as garrison units, and were often involved in local security – armed patrols, mobile columns to 'show the flag', and the like.[52]

Inter-war period (1919–1939)

The regiment was reduced sharply in size following the Armistice; during 1919, the 3rd Battalion disbanded, as did all bar one of the Territorial battalions (the one exception being the 2/10th, which was finally disbanded in February 1920).[53]

In September 1919, the 1st Battalion again embarked for imperial service, taking up garrison duties in

Anglo-Irish War; they would remain there until January 1922.[53]

When the Territorial Force was reconstituted as the Territorial Army in 1920, all seven Territorial battalions of the regiment were reconstituted. At the beginning of 1921, the regiment was formally retitled The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment),[25] and comprised two regular battalions, one Supplementary Reserve battalion, and four battalions of the newly renamed Territorial Army, all four of which were activated during the 1921 coal strike. In January 1922, reductions in the military led to the amalgamation of the Territorial component into two battalions.[54] The three battalions not retained in 1921 were converted to support units outside the regimental structure.[55] The 4th/5th Battalion was later, in 1938, transferred to the Royal Engineers and converted into an anti-aircraft role, becoming the 4th/5th Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (52nd Searchlight Regiment). It was later transferred to the Royal Artillery in August 1940 as the 52nd (Queen's Edinburgh, Royal Scots) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery.[56]

The 1st Battalion moved from Rangoon to

1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, where it would remain for a year, until January 1939, when it became part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.[53] Some sources suggest the 1st Battalion was briefly reorganised as a machine-gun battalion during this period.[23]

With the re-armament program in the late 1930s, the Territorial component of the regiment was heavily altered; one of the two battalions was converted into an anti-aircraft role in 1938[57] whilst the other formed a duplicate 8th Battalion on 2 August[58] 1939.[53][59]

Second World War (1939–1945)

At the outbreak of the

Dunkirk evacuation.[61] After being heavily hit by armoured attacks, the battalion ceased fighting on the afternoon of 27 May.[62] The adjacent unit, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolks, had almost one hundred men taken prisoner and later shot by their captors in the Le Paradis massacre.[63] Recent research has suggested that around twenty Royal Scots suffered a similar fate.[64] The remnants of the battalion were reconstituted in Bradford in June.[53] After Dunkirk, the battalion spent nearly two years on home defence preparing for a potential German invasion of the United Kingdom. The 1st Royal Scots, along with the rest of the 2nd Division, was sent to British India in April 1942 to train for jungle warfare.[65]

Men of the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots pose with a Japanese flag taken as a souvenir after clearing the Japanese from Payan, near Shwebo, January 1945

The two Territorial Army units, the 7th/9th, which was the 7th and 9th battalions merged, and 8th Battalions, mobilised in Scotland in September; the 7th/9th was briefly deployed to France with the 155th Infantry Brigade, alongside the 4th and 5th King's Own Scottish Borderers, of the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division before the collapse of the French government, but was quickly withdrawn.[53] The regiment raised a fifth battalion in June 1940; it was created as the 50th (Holding) Battalion in June 1940 where it would 'hold' men who were medically unfit, temporarily homeless or on a course etc. but redesignated the 12th Battalion in October 1940. Also raised were the 10th and 11th (Home Defence) battalions, raised in late 1939 specifically for defensive duties in the United Kingdom. Both battalions, like most others of the same type, would have consisted mainly of older and less fit men, with previous military experience, together with younger soldiers. The 11th, however, was disbanded in 1940 and, in 1941, the 10th dropped the 'Home Defence' subtitle and was redesignated as the 30th Battalion but was disbanded in 1943.[66]

Kangaroo APCs
, December 1944

Most of 1941 passed without active duty for the regiment, and with growing concerns about the stability of the Far East, the 2nd Battalion, still based at Hong Kong, moved into defensive positions around the colony. On 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong began a few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor; after bitter fighting, the garrison surrendered on Christmas Day. The newly formed 12th Battalion was disbanded and reformed as the 2nd Battalion in May 1942.[53]

In April 1942 the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots was moved to Bombay, and then to Chittagong in December, still with

Battle of Mandalay in 1945. It was withdrawn to India to rest and refit in April 1945, and moved to Singapore in December.[53]

The new 2nd Battalion was moved to Gibraltar in April 1943, and moved to Italy in July 1944, where it saw action in the

Suez Canal Zone in December 1945.[53]

The 7th/9th Battalion was still part of the 155th Infantry Brigade and was attached to the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, which was trained for mountain warfare and airlanding operations, but was never used in this way. In October 1944 they moved to the Netherlands, fighting in the Battle of the Scheldt as part of the First Canadian Army, where the 52nd Division served with distinction, and then participating in Operation Blackcock and the advance to the Rhine; it crossed the Rhine in March 1945 and advanced to Bremen by the end of the war.[53]

Universal Carriers and infantrymen of the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots pause during the attack by 15th (Scottish) Division on Tilburg, 27 October 1944

The 8th Battalion, Royal Scots was raised on 2 August 1939

from Paris to the Rhine, until the end of the war; it entered Belgium in September, crossed the Rhine in March 1945 and advanced to Hamburg by the end of the war.[53]

Post-war period (1945–2004)

In February 1949, the 2nd Battalion disbanded, leaving the regiment with only a single regular battalion for the first time since the 17th century.[68]

A piper of the Royal Scots in Korea after the Armistice, Christmas 1953

The 7th/9th (Highlanders) and 8th Battalions were reconstituted in the Territorial Army in 1947. Both battalions remained until 1961, when the latter was absorbed and the single battalion retitled the 8th/9th Battalion. In 1967 this was disbanded and reconstituted as two separate companies, A Company (The Royal Scots) of the 52nd Lowland Volunteers, and A Company (8th/9th Royal Scots) of The Royal Scots and Cameronians Territorials. By 1971, both companies were in the battalions of the 52nd Lowland Volunteers, and though the Royal Scots name was retained in the title the regiment no longer had a Territorial Army element.[69]

The 1st Battalion briefly saw service in the Korean War in 1953, as part of 29th Infantry Brigade; after a brief spell in Egypt, they deployed to Cyprus from June 1955 to February 1956. They then spent two years in England, two in Berlin, one in Scotland, two in Libya, and four in England. In 1964, they deployed to Aden, then back to England and a three-year spell in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine.[70]

Canongate Kirk

1970 to 1974 was spent in Britain as part of the

Allied Command Europe Mobile Force, with the battalion undertaking two four-month tours of duty in Northern Ireland. The battalion was then posted to Cyprus in early 1974. Unfortunately, Turkey invaded the island and created the "Green Line", which still partitions the island. During the action of moving service families and holidaymakers to safety from Limassol, Piper Malcolm Halliday played at the roadside becoming known as "The piper of Cyprus".[71] This had put the Regiment on a war footing and they were involved in riots attacking RAF Akrotiri and protection of the Sovereign Area Base of Episkopi. They were relieved in early 1975 returning unexpectedly to Kirknewton near Edinburgh and did a further four-month tour of Northern Ireland, where three soldiers were lost in a roadside bomb attack. They moved to Münster in mid-1976 as the Nuclear Convoy Battalion charged with the protection of 8 Regiment RCT.[70] In this role, the Battalion was equipped with Landrovers, a change from the normal equipment used by previous and subsequent NCB units, which were armoured infantry battalions. Returning to Scotland in 1979, C Company was detached as 'C Battalion' providing administrative support to the Edinburgh Tattoo. In 1980, they undertook a two-month tour in Northern Ireland, and moved there under 39th Infantry Brigade in 1981 for a two-year deployment. In 1983, they returned to Kirknewton for two years and during this time they were deployed to the Falkland Islands for four months. In 1985, they returned to Germany, deploying to the Persian Gulf in 1990 for Operation Desert Storm.[70]

In 1994, the battalion gained a company of

Operation Telic for six months, returning to Iraq again in January 2006.[70]

Restructuring of the Infantry (2004–2006)

Until 2004, the Royal Scots had been one of five line infantry regiments never to be amalgamated in its entire history, a claim shared by The Green Howards, The Cheshire Regiment, The Royal Welch Fusiliers and The King's Own Scottish Borderers. When five Scottish regiments were amalgamated to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006, the Royal Scots Battalion and the King's Own Scottish Borderers Battalion initially maintained their identities as separate battalions.[72]

However almost immediately the Ministry of Defence moved to amalgamate the two battalions. This was not a new idea: the origins of the combined entity, Royal Scots Borderers, dates from the 1990 Options for Change review, when it was initially announced that the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers would amalgamate. That amalgamation was subsequently rescinded.[73] The Royal Scots Battalion and King's Own Scottish Borderers Battalion duly amalgamated on 1 August 2006 – upon their amalgamation, the new battalion took the name Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.[74]

The remaining Territorial element of the Royal Scots, a rifle company of 52nd Lowland Regiment, was likewise amalgamated, becoming A (Royal Scots Borderers) Company of 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.[75]

Regimental museum

The Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) and the Royal Regiment of Scotland is located in Edinburgh Castle. Operating as an independent museum, the exhibits include dioramas, uniforms, medals, weapons, drums, ceremonial regalia and silver. Displays focus on the regiment's activities since its founding in 1633 up to contemporary Army life.[76]

Alliances

Battle honours

Battle honours listed on the regimental memorial, Edinburgh

The regiment's battle honours were as follows:[66]

  • Tangier 1680, Namur 1695, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Louisburg, Havannah, Egmont-op-Zee, Egypt,
    South Africa 1899–1902
  • World War I (33 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau,
    Palestine 1917–18
    , Archangel 1918-19
  • World War II: Dyle, Defence of Escaut,
    Burma 1943–45
  • Wadi Al Batin,
    Gulf 1991

Colonels-in-Chief

The Colonels-in-Chief of the regiment were:[78]

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were:[78]

His Majesty's Royal Regiment of Foot (1684)
1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot (1751)
1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots) (1812)
The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (1881)
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (1921)

Victoria Cross

Victoria Crosses awarded to the regiment are:

  • Private
    First World War
    (26 September 1915)
  • Captain
    Roland Edward Elcock
    , First World War (15 October 1918)
  • Lieutenant David Stuart McGregor, First World War (22 October 1918)
  • Private Hugh McIver, First World War (23 August 1918)
  • Private Joseph Prosser, Crimean War (16 June 1855)
  • Captain
    Henry Reynolds
    , First World War (20 September 1917)
  • Private Henry Howey Robson, First World War (14 December 1914)

Nicknames

The regiment is known by the nickname Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard which apparently was the result of a 17th-century boasting contest with the French Régiment de Picardie regarding the respective seniority of each regiment.[98][circular reference]

Picardie, the senior French infantry regiment, was formed in 1562, whereas the Scots had been raised in 1625 as Hepburn's Regiment and only entered French service in 1635 but, it is said, claimed a lineage from Scots in French service dating back to the C13th.[99] Versions of this tradition vary but the story turns on the existence of either one regiment or the other dating back to service under Pontius Pilate at the time of Christ's crucifixion. The most common version tells of the name 'Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard' being tossed by the French as a jibe against the Scots. They replied that if their regiment had been on guard the night of the Crucifixion, the Sepulchre would not have been empty the next morning.[100]

The 2nd Battalion was sardonically referred to as The First to Foot It during the Battle of Hong Kong.[101]

Football

2nd Battalion football team, 1894

The

1899–1900 season, while deployed in Victoria Barracks, Belfast.[102][103]

The 2nd Battalion team won several competitions in the 1890s, including the Surrey Cup, Malta Cup, Secunderabad Cup, Harris Cup, and Bombay Rovers Cup.[104]

Uniform

White

toorie and black-cock feather.[105] This continued as the regimental full dress uniform until 1939, although worn only to a limited extent after 1914. The No. 1 Dress worn during the final decades of the regiment's separate existence consisted of a dark blue bonnet with regimental dicing, dark blue doublet, and Hunting Stewart tartan trews.[106]

See also

References

  1. ^ 1st Battalion was carried on the Irish Establishment at the time of the American Revolution. See The Organization of the British Army in the American Revolution, Illustrative Appendices to Chapter I
  2. ^ Offen, Lee. "Dumbarton's Regiment". Historyreconsidered.net. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e History of the Regiment
  4. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7869. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  5. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7886. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  6. ^ "Venner's Uprising 1661". BCW Project. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  7. ^ Childs 2014, p. 10.
  8. ^ Diary of Samuel Pepys, 30 June 1667
  9. ^ Childs 1984, pp. 384–397.
  10. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24879. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  11. ^ Glozier 2004, Scottish soldiers in France in the reign of the Sun King, p. 2
  12. ^ Childs 2014, pp. 20–21.
  13. ^ Cannon, p. 55-58.
  14. ^ McCance 1922, pp. 1–24.
  15. ^ Cannon, p. 59.
  16. ^ Offen, Lee. "Dumbarton's Regiment". Historyreconsidered.net. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  17. ^ Cannon, p. 67.
  18. ^ Manning 2006, pp. 368–369.
  19. ^ Cannon, p. 80.
  20. ^ Cannon, p. 76.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Paterson, vol I. Chronology, [page needed]
  22. ^ William White, ed., Notes and Queries, vol. 114 (Oxford University Press, 1906), p. 82
  23. ^ a b c d e f g Regiments.org, 1st Battalion page
  24. ^ a b c d e Regiments.org, 2nd Battalion page
  25. ^ a b c Regiments.org list of titles
  26. ^ Bartlett and Jeffery, A Military History of Ireland, Chapter 12 pg 284
  27. ^ Regiments.org, The American War (War of 1812) page
  28. ^ Burnham
  29. ^ a b Regiments.org, 3rd Battalion page
  30. ^ Regiments.org, Peninsular War 1808–1814 page
  31. ^ Regiments.org, 4th Battalion page
  32. ^ "Canada: A People's History Rebellion and Reform". IMDb. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  33. ^ History of the Regiment. It was awarded to Private Joseph Prosser.
  34. ^ "Proposals for Regimental Mergers, 1881 [UK]". 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  35. ^ Mills, T. F. "The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)". Land Forces of Britain, The Empire, and Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 24 December 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  36. ^ Frederick, pp. 298–301
  37. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence - The Army in India". The Times. No. 36896. London. 11 October 1902. p. 12.
  38. ^ "Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 31 March 1908. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  39. ^ These were the 3rd Battalion (Special Reserve), with the 4th and 5th (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) Battalions at Forrest Hill in Edinburgh, the 6th Battalion at Gilmore Place in Edinburgh, the 7th Battalion at Dalmeny Street in Leith, the 8th Battalion at Nungate in Haddington (since demolished), the 9th (Highlanders) Battalion at East Claremont Street in Edinburgh and the 10th (Cyclist) Battalion at the High Street in Linlithgow (since demolished) (all Territorial Force). See Scottish Military History Society lineage pages
  40. ^ Paterson, Vol I, p.242
  41. ^ Paterson, Vol I, p.245
  42. ^ Paterson, Vol I, p.243. The 6th was the one exception for second-line battalions; it did not raise a second battalion until 1915, whilst the 8th had already raised its third-line battalion in 1914
  43. McCrae's
    (or McRae's) Battalion. The 14th was later redesignated as the 54th Training Reserve Battalion
  44. ^ a b Paterson, Vol I, p.243
  45. ^ Paterson, Vol I, Appendix 5. The Territorial units were the second-line 2/6th, plus the third-line 3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th, 3/7th and 3/9th, battalions; the New Army units were the 17th, also known as Rosebery's Bantams, the 18th Reserve (later transferred as the 77th Training Reserve Battalion), and the 1st Garrison battalions
  46. ^ Paterson, Vol I, Appendix 5. The new units were the 4th (Reserve) and 5th/6th battalions
  47. ^ Ewing, Appendix III. This was the 19th Battalion, later transferred to the Labour Corps as 1st and 2nd Labour Companies of 10th Labour Group
  48. H Reynolds of the 12th, and Private R Dunsire of the 13th. A seventh VC was won by Lance-Corporal W Angus, a member of the Highland Light Infantry
    , whilst serving with the 8th Royal Scots
  49. ^ a b c d e f g h Paterson, Vol I, Appendix 5.
  50. ^ a b The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) in 1914–1918
  51. ^ The 11th ran into a wire entanglement and was caught in crossfire. The commanding officer was killed, along with a sizeable proportion of the battalion Baker, Chris. "The Battle of Loos". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  52. 51st (Service) Bn Highland Light Infantry
    ) was sent to Germany as an occupation unit, but not until after the armistice had been signed, whilst the 4th (Reserve) Bn spent February 1919 protecting key points in Glasgow against strike riots
  53. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Paterson, Vol II. Chronology
  54. ^ Paterson, Vol II, p.10. The four territorial battalions originally retained were the 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th; they were amalgamated into the 4th/5th (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) and the 7th/9th (Highlanders)
  55. ^ The 6th and 8th battalions became batteries of 57th (Lowland) Medium Brigade of the Royal Garrison Artillery; the 10th (Cyclist) Battalion briefly became the 1st (Linlithgow) Light Bridging Company, Royal Engineers, and was then absorbed as A Company into 4th/5th (Queen's Edinburgh) Battalion.
  56. ^ "52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division" (PDF). British Military History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  57. ^ The 4th/5th (Queen's Edinburgh) Battalion, newly titled as 52nd Searchlight Regiment, and the cadre of the old 10th (Cyclists) Battalion forming the 14th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. Both were transferred into the Royal Artillery.
  58. ^ "8th Battalion, The Royal Scots [UK]". Archived from the original on 10 March 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  59. ^ The 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion duplicated to form the 8th (Lothians and Peebleshire) Battalion
  60. ^ Aldershot Command, 3 September 1939 Archived 3 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  61. ^ Major Jimmy Howe's Experience with 1st Battalion The Royal Scots holding the Dunkirk Perimeter at Le Paradis Archived 20 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  62. ^ The War in France and Flanders 1939–40 Archived 9 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Major L.F. Ellis
  63. ^ "Private Pooley's Revenge". Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  64. ^ Book reveals Nazi massacre of 21 Royal Scots. Edinburgh Evening News, 11 June 2007. Online copy Archived 2 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  65. ^ Brander, p. 87
  66. ^ a b "The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) [UK]". Archived from the original on 9 January 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  67. ^ "8th Battalion, The Royal Scots [UK]". Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  68. ^ "2nd Battalion Royal Scots". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  69. ^ "Lineage of Scottish Territorial Infantry Battalions 1947–1967". Scottishmilitaryarticles.org.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  70. ^ a b c d "Royal Scots". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  71. ^ Henn, p. 519
  72. ^ "Royal Regiment of Scotland". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  73. ISBN 9781780572505
    .
  74. ^ "Why the Royal Scots can no longer hold the line". The Telegraph. 10 October 2004. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  75. ^ "Lowland Volunteers". British army units 1945 on. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  76. ^ "Museum of the Royal Scots and the Royal Regiment of Scotland". The Royal Scots. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  77. ^ The Sphinx badge superscribed "Egypt".
  78. ^ a b "The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 27 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  79. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13005. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  80. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13003. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  81. ^ Cannon, p. 267.
  82. ^ Cannon, p. 268.
  83. ^ Cannon, Richard (1846). Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI of Subsequent Services to 1846 (2012 ed.). Forgotten Books. p. 80.
  84. ^ Cannon, p. 271.
  85. ^ Cannon, p. 272.
  86. ^ "No. 7614". The London Gazette. 28 June 1737. p. 2.a.
  87. ^ a b Cannon, p. 273.
  88. ^ Cannon, p. 274.
  89. ^ Cannon, p. 275.
  90. ^ Cannon, p. 279.
  91. ^ Cannon, p. 280.
  92. ^ Cannon, p. 286.
  93. ^ Cannon, p. 289.
  94. ^ "No. 52261". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1990. p. 14188.
  95. ^ "No. 54192". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 October 1995. p. 14330.
  96. ^ "No. 57712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 2006. p. 9646.
  97. ^ "No. 58264". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 March 2007. p. 3235.
  98. ^ fr:Régiment de Picardie
  99. ^ Memoirs and adventures of Sir John Hepburn By James Grant, 1851 (p.236)
  100. ^ "Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND :: pontius pilates bodyguard".
  101. ^ Whiting, Poor Bloody Infantry
  102. ^ "Northern Ireland - Final League Tables 1890-1998". RSSSF.
  103. ^ "1st Bn, The Royal Scots: Deployments". Archived from the original on 3 January 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  104. ^ "The World of Sport". The Sketch. VIII (104): 641. 23 January 1895. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via Google Books.
  105. ^
    ISBN 978-0-86350-031-2
    .
  106. ^ Frank Wilson, p. 90, "Regiments at a Glance", Blackie & Son Ltd, London 1958

Sources

External links

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