A few years ago I compiled this list of Scottish regiments I had seen in films and television programmes. It has been a while since I updated it so recent appearances of Scottish troops on large or small screen may not have not been noted. If anyone can add any more, or correct any mistakes please leave a comment here or on our facebook page.
Note that most entries are for highland regiments. As far as I know, no KOSB or HLI soldiers have featured in a film.
Real Regiments
Scots Guards
TV Film ‘Tumbledown’ – Robert Lawrence’s story based on his own book about his time with the Scots Guards before and during the Falklands Conflict.
TV Drama ‘The Camomile Lawn’ – Character Hector is in Scots Gds in WW2. Service Dress tunic on screen is of Grenadiers but his wife refers to the three button spacing of his tunic in another scene.
Film ‘Paratrooper’ – Harry Andrews’s Para RSM is ex-Scots Guards.
Royal Scots Greys
Film ‘Waterloo’ – Charge of the Union Brigade. See also Gordons
Royal Scots Fusiliers
TV Series - Poirot special. Chronologically the first story but not first one made. See also unknowns
Black Watch
Film ‘The Sand Pebbles’ – Extras in scenes in Shanghai Bund
TV Series ‘Strathblair’ – Son is a Black Watch Major
TV Series ‘Monarch of the Glen’ – Flashback special where one character is a Boer War period Black Watch officer.
Film ‘Gunga Din’ – Easy to identify British soldiers for the US movie goers
Film ‘Soldiers Three’ – Easy to identify British soldiers for the US movie goers
Film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Black Watch on march behind Allenby in one scene
TV series ‘Northern Exposure’ – The former astronaut’s father or grandfather was an ex- Black Watch piper. His kilt and pipes are found in his loft.
Seaforth Highlanders
TV Series - Evelyn Waugh autobiographical comedy / drama – One of the officers wears a Seaforth glengarry
Film ‘Tobruk’ - Nigel Green’s colonel is a Seaforth.
Film ‘Appointment with Venus’ – David Niven as Seaforth Commando
TV Series - Blood Red Roses – Crippled father is a Seaforth. Fought in N.Africa, Italy N.W. Europe and Norway in the script. No Seaforths in Norway.
74th Highlanders
Film 'The Rare Breed'- James Stewart Western about breeding cattle. Brian Keith is a rival rancher and Scottish ex-soldier who turns up in 74th Full Dress to impress Maureen O'Hara. Keith’s ridiculous accent is more than matched by the fiery thatch of ginger facial hair he sports. (Rip Torn recreates this ridiculous combination of hair and tortured accent as a drunken Scottish sailor in Goldie Hawn / Kurt Russell comedy ‘Swept Away’)
Gordon Highlanders
TV Series ‘The Monoc’led Mutineer’ – Involved in rioting in town.
Film ‘Waterloo’ – Several scenes. See also Scots Greys
Film ‘Zeppelin’ – Michael York as a half-German, half-Scots Gordon
Film ‘The Heroes of the Krait’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.
Film ‘The Highest Honour’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.
TV Series ‘The Heroes’ Gordons officer leading Operation Rimau against Japs – all captured, tortured and beheaded.
Film ‘The Drum’ – Volunteers from regiment help Political Officer Roger Livesey on North West Frontier during the 1930’s
Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
TV Film ‘Kim’ – Deserter is a Cameron
Film ‘Whisky Galore’ – Island in Inverness-shire. Home Guard in Camerons uniform
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Film ‘Too Late the Hero’ South-East Asia 1941/42
Film ‘To End All Wars’ – Several key characters are Argylls
Film ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ – 93rd Highlanders
Film ‘The Captive Heart’ – Blind Gordon Jackson is an Argyll. See also unknown regiment section.
Recent TV Film ‘The Thirty Nine Steps’ – Set in 1914. Wrong sporrans.
The Highland Regiment
TV Sitcom ‘Dad’s Army'
Canadian Scots
Film ‘The Devil’s Brigade’ – Canadian contingent led by Pipe Band. Several Canadian Scots regiments represented.
Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
Film ‘Paratrooper’ Alan Ladd joins Paras via Seaforths of Canada. Also Harry Andrews is an ex-Scots Guards RSM
Unknown regiments
Poirot special – In military hospital red tartan kilt. Canadians? See also RSF
Film ‘The Captive Heart’ – Reformed 51st Div personnel used as extras playing captured 51st Div. men using real POW camp in Germany for film set. See also Argylls
Film ‘The Man who Would be King’ Sean Connery and Michael Caine laughing about one of the pipers in their old regiment during their campaign in Afghanistan. Could be 72nd or 92nd Highlanders?
Confused Soldiers
Sean Connery in 'Murder on the Orient Express' is a Royal Scot in one scene and a Scots Guard in another
Richard Todd is referred to as a Cameronian and but dressed as a Cameron Highlander in the ‘Hasty Heart’. Both regiments had battalions in Burma where it is set.
Made-up Regiments
Caledonian Highlanders - Film ‘Bonnie Scotland’ Laurel & Hardy. Uniform based on Black Watch and Camerons
Spofforth Highlanders - Film ‘The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer’. The Colonel of the Regiment, Julian Glover, is bribed to steal the Swiss gold reserves for Britain to avoid amalgamation. Can’t remember uniform details (Camerons?)
Third Foot and Mouth - Film ‘Carry-on Up the Khyber’ – Uniformed as Camerons
Un-named Highland Regiments
Film ‘Tunes of Glory’ - Hunting Scot tartan for the kilts. Lion rampant replaced the St Andrew of the Cameron's badge. The regiment in the book is based on Gordon Highlanders. See also the book George McDonald Fraser’s ‘The General Danced at Dawn’ which has characters very obviously based on the same real life people as Kennoway’s ‘Tunes of Glory’)
TV Series ‘The Avengers’. Episode from 1st series ‘Esprit de Corps’. Duncan MacRae. Roy Kinnear, John Thaw. 1960s Jacobites in Camerons uniform.
Film ‘The Amorous Prawn’ hard up General uses his HQ as a Country house hotel. Camerons? turn up at the end.
Film ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ – Song & Dance scene in Portobello Road. Uniform of government tartan kilt, Black Watch bonnet badge (Not hackle).
TV Pathologist Series from early 1990’s. Officer Presiding at a Court martial. QOHldrs glengarry with a thistle badge. Couldn’t identify kilt.
Film ‘You Must be Joking’ – Several military / secret service folk are set some tasks around London to assess their suitability for a mission. Lionel Jeffries as Sgt. Maj. McGregor turns up in Full Dress including feather bonnet. Argyll uniform?
Others
I have a feeling that Alexander Korda had a Highland regiment in his Sudan shots in ‘The Four Feathers’. This story has been remade several times and pretty much all of them re-used Korda’s footage so there may well be several more films with these Highlanders in them.
I’m not sure that ‘Young Winston’ has some Highlanders in the Battle of Omdurman scenes but it has been many years since I have seen that film so can’t be sure. The Seaforths and Camerons were both involved in this Campaign. In the same film Edward Woodward plays an officer in the Boer War train derailment scene. In real life Churchill was travelling with Royal Dublin Fusiliers but in the film I’m pretty sure the officer had a helmet flash of the Douglas tartan of the Cameronians.
Showing posts with label Gordon Highlanders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Highlanders. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Gordon Highlanders statue to be unveiled in Aberdeen
Aberdeen City Coucil has posted a press release on their website about an unveiling this Saturday of a memorial to the Gordon Highlanders.
The Duke of Rothesay was the last Colonel-in-Chief of the Gordons and he will unveil the statue at 11am on Saturday 15 October 2011, at the city's Castlegate.
Sculptor Mark Richards FRBS, created the over life-size sculpture which features two Gordon Higlanders, one from the early days of the regiment, and the other from its closing years before amalgamation.
Monday, 22 August 2011
When Gaddafi's Barracks Housed Highlanders
The barracks which have been at the centre of Gaddafi's rule for 40 years, Bab al-Azizia Barracks, are in the news again today as fighting rages across the Libyan city.
These were the barracks bombed by the US Air Force 25 years ago, but 65 years ago they were home to a battalion of Scotsmen.
In the immediate post-war period the former Italian colony of Libya was under British control, and amongst the British troops stationed there was the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. One of the officers of the battalion was a man who had been commissioned into the Gordons and sent to Tripoli from Burma. He would later become a famous author, screenwriter and journalist.
George MacDonald Fraser fictionalised his time with the Gordons in his "General Danced at Dawn" trilogy but he admits in the epilogue of the final book that his made-up highland regiment was the old 92nd Highlanders. He even mentions the 1986 bombing of the barracks and a feeling of sadness of what had become of his former home from 1945 - 1948.
We are witnessing momentous events in the Libyan capital today, a very 21st Century civil war. But for a piece of history, and a humorous one at that, I'd recommend MacDonald Fraser's books. They bring back a time when the most dangerous thing that happened at Bab al-Azizia, if the author would have you believe, was a drunken punch-up between squaddies when the bars emptied.
These were the barracks bombed by the US Air Force 25 years ago, but 65 years ago they were home to a battalion of Scotsmen.
In the immediate post-war period the former Italian colony of Libya was under British control, and amongst the British troops stationed there was the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. One of the officers of the battalion was a man who had been commissioned into the Gordons and sent to Tripoli from Burma. He would later become a famous author, screenwriter and journalist.
George MacDonald Fraser fictionalised his time with the Gordons in his "General Danced at Dawn" trilogy but he admits in the epilogue of the final book that his made-up highland regiment was the old 92nd Highlanders. He even mentions the 1986 bombing of the barracks and a feeling of sadness of what had become of his former home from 1945 - 1948.
We are witnessing momentous events in the Libyan capital today, a very 21st Century civil war. But for a piece of history, and a humorous one at that, I'd recommend MacDonald Fraser's books. They bring back a time when the most dangerous thing that happened at Bab al-Azizia, if the author would have you believe, was a drunken punch-up between squaddies when the bars emptied.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Image of the Day - 31st July 2011
Today's image is one that I've had stored on my hard drive for some time now, and I thought I should make use of it.
It depicts a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders- this picture is in the possession of a friend of mine and I believe it depicts a man in the 10th Battalion.
There are several things I like about this picture. First of all, it's a very good image of a man and his kit. My main reason for liking it is the other soldiers looking out from the window with a mixture of looks ranging from curiosity to outright boredom. I'd love to be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Click on the image for a larger version.
It depicts a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders- this picture is in the possession of a friend of mine and I believe it depicts a man in the 10th Battalion.
There are several things I like about this picture. First of all, it's a very good image of a man and his kit. My main reason for liking it is the other soldiers looking out from the window with a mixture of looks ranging from curiosity to outright boredom. I'd love to be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Click on the image for a larger version.
Friday, 1 July 2011
The Childers Reforms - On this day on Scottish military history - 1881
1st July 1881 was the date when the Childers Reforms of the British Army were implemented. On that date the old numbered regiments of the army officially disappeared, and many new paired regiments first appeared on the Army List.
The first twenty five regiments of foot already had two battalions so there was very little change for them. For the 26th Foot and the regiments numbered above that then a new name was needed and old traditions and uniform distinctions had to be agreed on. For Highland regiments there was an added twist to this amalgamation because the uniform for each regiment was so distinctive and in many ways so different.
In some cases the pairing led to one battalion completely taking over the identity of the other. The 92nd Highlanders were the junior partner in the amalgamation with the 75th Stirlingshire Regiment but it was the 75th who took on the uniform and name of the Gordon Highlanders. In fact in all cases where kilted regiment amalgamated with a trewed regiment, the new regiment ended up wearing the kilt.
In 1881 there were ten Highland regiments on the army establishment but only five wore kilts. The rest wore trews. The 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th and 91st Highlanders had originally been raised as highland regiments in kilts, but in 1809 they had been clothed as line infantry. They had only been allowed to assume a highland identity after hard battles with Horse Guards in London but it was in kilts not trews in which they were clothed.
The 1st Royal Scots, 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers, 26th Cameronians, and 90th Perthshire Light Infantry were all Scottish regiments too, but until 1881 wore the standard line infantry uniform used by English, Welsh and Irish regiments. In 1881 that all changed. Scottish regiments from Lowland to Highland adopted diced bands, tartan and doublets.
Over the years stories have surfaced of the unhappy unions, and the fights over traditions and uniforms. In the Highland Light Infantry the 1st Battalion continued to call itself the 71st, and the 2nd Bn continued to call itself the 74th and each continued to use traditions and uniform distinctions peculiar to their old regiments.
This is understandable given the forced union between many regiments. However that shouldn't have been the case. Since 1873 the infantry regiments of Scotland had been operating a linked depot scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms. Each pair of regiments shared a depot in one location which had counties assigned to it for recruiting. Then while one regiment was abroad on overseas imperial duties its linked regiment at home in the UK (including Ireland) would train the new recruits and send drafts of reinforcements when needed. The system worked well and the pairings seemed to suit both parties.
Here are the links and the depots used Between 1873 and 1881 by the Scottish regiments
1st Royal Scots - (2 battalion regiment) at Glencorse
21st Royal Scots Fusiliers - (2 battalion regiment) at Ayr
26th Cameronians and 74th Highlanders at Hamilton
42nd Black Watch and 79th Cameron Highlanders at Perth
71st Highland Light Infantry and 78th Ross-shire Buffs at Inverness
72nd and 91st Argyllshire Highlanders at Stirling
73rd Highlanders and 90th Perthshire Light Infantry at Hamilton
92nd Gordon Highlanders and 93rd Sutherland Highlanders at Aberdeen
The 25th Foot and 75th Foot were not considered Scottish regiments at this point. The 25th was a two battalion regiment at York, and the 75th was linked with the 39th Foot at Dorchester in Dorset.
When Hugh Childers came to reform the regiments it should just have been a case of forming these already linked and similar regiments together into new regiments. That was a sound plan until the proposals were laid before Queen Victoria for her royal assent.
The problem was the proposed amalgamation between the 42nd Black Watch and the 79th Highlanders. The 79th were actually the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. They were her own highland regiment and she was certainly not amused at the prospect of them becoming 2nd Battalion Black Watch.
At the eleventh hour the proposed amalgamations were thrown into disarray and hurriedly redrawn to accommodate the wishes of the Queen-Empress.
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were not to be amalgamated, and for the next sixteen years were to be the only one battalion regiment in the British Army. That meant a new second battalion was needed for the Black Watch, and a reshuffle akin to musical chairs took place to find suitable pairings.
The first change was that the 73rd Highlanders would now move from Hamilton to Perth to become the 2nd Bn Black Watch. This was a sensible move since the 73rd had originally been formed as a second battalion of the Black Watch way back in 1780, before becoming a regiment in its own right in 1786.
The 90th Perthshire Light Infantry had missed the chance to go back home to Perth and stayed in Hamilton. It would now merge with another Hamilton based regiment, the 26th Foot Cameronians, to form Scotland's only green-jacketed rifle regiment as the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The 1st Battalion as the Cameronians and the 2nd Battalion as the Scottish Rifles.
The 26th's old partner, the 74th Highlanders was to stay at Hamilton too; and it would now be paired with another trews wearing highland regiment, the 71st Highland Light Infantry. This was probably the most controversial of all the moves. The HLI had been very happy being paired with the 78th at Inverness. They had always considered themselves as a proper highland regiment and had petitioned for the return of the kilt on several occasions over the previous seventy years. The Childers reforms had finally promised that chance as they would have adopted the Mackenzie kilt of the 78th instead of their Mackenzie trews. Their amalgamation at Hamilton with another Lowland regiment robbed them of that chance. As a sop to the senior partner the new regiment adopted the 71st's name and tartan but it was not a happy union on either side.
With the 78th now needing a new pairing the 72nd Highlanders at Stirling was chosen. This suited both parties as both had been raised by Mackenzies, and in this case the 72nd were happy to ditch their garish Royal Stewart tartan trews and adopted the Mackenzie kilt of their junior partner. They happily merged as the Seaforth Highlanders using the 72nd's Stag's head badge.
This left another gap at Stirling, and the 91st now paired with the 93rd Highlanders. In this case too the junior partner was given 'top billing' and it was originally called the Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders. It was another few months before it took on the more familiar name of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Finally the 92nd at Aberdeen needed another regiment. There were no more regiments available in Scottish depots so an old Scottish regiment now depoted outside Scotland was needed. The 94th Scotch Brigade at Armagh, or the 99th Lanarkshire regiment at Devizes could have been chosen; but it was the 75th Foot, the old Stirlingshire regiment which was poached from Dorset and sent north to Aberdeen. The West Countrymen were to become Highlanders overnight. The 75th's place in Dorchester was taken by the 54th regiment, which had been paired with the 95th at Derby, and in turn was replaced by the 45th which had been at Leicester with the 17th Foot. Luckily the 17th Foot was a two battalion regiment so no more reshuffling was needed.
Well not quite. The 25th Foot was at York in 1881, but in 1887 the King's Own Borderers became the King's Own Scottish Borderers. The old Edinburgh Regiment was given the whole of the Scottish Borders from Berwick to Galloway as a recruiting area from the Royal Scots, and Royal Scots Fusiliers; and a depot at Berwick-upon-Tweed from the Northumberland Fusiliers.
By then the process of adapting new names, uniforms and badges had been adopted by the other Scottish Regiments. The KOSB finally came into the fold six years after the others but it was on this day one hundred and thirty years ago that the paired regiments (Cameronians, Black Watch, Highland Light Infantry, Seaforths, Gordons and Argylls) which became famed throughout the world for their service in two world wars, came into being.
The first twenty five regiments of foot already had two battalions so there was very little change for them. For the 26th Foot and the regiments numbered above that then a new name was needed and old traditions and uniform distinctions had to be agreed on. For Highland regiments there was an added twist to this amalgamation because the uniform for each regiment was so distinctive and in many ways so different.
In some cases the pairing led to one battalion completely taking over the identity of the other. The 92nd Highlanders were the junior partner in the amalgamation with the 75th Stirlingshire Regiment but it was the 75th who took on the uniform and name of the Gordon Highlanders. In fact in all cases where kilted regiment amalgamated with a trewed regiment, the new regiment ended up wearing the kilt.
In 1881 there were ten Highland regiments on the army establishment but only five wore kilts. The rest wore trews. The 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th and 91st Highlanders had originally been raised as highland regiments in kilts, but in 1809 they had been clothed as line infantry. They had only been allowed to assume a highland identity after hard battles with Horse Guards in London but it was in kilts not trews in which they were clothed.
The 1st Royal Scots, 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers, 26th Cameronians, and 90th Perthshire Light Infantry were all Scottish regiments too, but until 1881 wore the standard line infantry uniform used by English, Welsh and Irish regiments. In 1881 that all changed. Scottish regiments from Lowland to Highland adopted diced bands, tartan and doublets.
Over the years stories have surfaced of the unhappy unions, and the fights over traditions and uniforms. In the Highland Light Infantry the 1st Battalion continued to call itself the 71st, and the 2nd Bn continued to call itself the 74th and each continued to use traditions and uniform distinctions peculiar to their old regiments.
This is understandable given the forced union between many regiments. However that shouldn't have been the case. Since 1873 the infantry regiments of Scotland had been operating a linked depot scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms. Each pair of regiments shared a depot in one location which had counties assigned to it for recruiting. Then while one regiment was abroad on overseas imperial duties its linked regiment at home in the UK (including Ireland) would train the new recruits and send drafts of reinforcements when needed. The system worked well and the pairings seemed to suit both parties.
Here are the links and the depots used Between 1873 and 1881 by the Scottish regiments
1st Royal Scots - (2 battalion regiment) at Glencorse
21st Royal Scots Fusiliers - (2 battalion regiment) at Ayr
26th Cameronians and 74th Highlanders at Hamilton
42nd Black Watch and 79th Cameron Highlanders at Perth
71st Highland Light Infantry and 78th Ross-shire Buffs at Inverness
72nd and 91st Argyllshire Highlanders at Stirling
73rd Highlanders and 90th Perthshire Light Infantry at Hamilton
92nd Gordon Highlanders and 93rd Sutherland Highlanders at Aberdeen
The 25th Foot and 75th Foot were not considered Scottish regiments at this point. The 25th was a two battalion regiment at York, and the 75th was linked with the 39th Foot at Dorchester in Dorset.
When Hugh Childers came to reform the regiments it should just have been a case of forming these already linked and similar regiments together into new regiments. That was a sound plan until the proposals were laid before Queen Victoria for her royal assent.
The problem was the proposed amalgamation between the 42nd Black Watch and the 79th Highlanders. The 79th were actually the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. They were her own highland regiment and she was certainly not amused at the prospect of them becoming 2nd Battalion Black Watch.
At the eleventh hour the proposed amalgamations were thrown into disarray and hurriedly redrawn to accommodate the wishes of the Queen-Empress.
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were not to be amalgamated, and for the next sixteen years were to be the only one battalion regiment in the British Army. That meant a new second battalion was needed for the Black Watch, and a reshuffle akin to musical chairs took place to find suitable pairings.
The first change was that the 73rd Highlanders would now move from Hamilton to Perth to become the 2nd Bn Black Watch. This was a sensible move since the 73rd had originally been formed as a second battalion of the Black Watch way back in 1780, before becoming a regiment in its own right in 1786.
The 90th Perthshire Light Infantry had missed the chance to go back home to Perth and stayed in Hamilton. It would now merge with another Hamilton based regiment, the 26th Foot Cameronians, to form Scotland's only green-jacketed rifle regiment as the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The 1st Battalion as the Cameronians and the 2nd Battalion as the Scottish Rifles.
The 26th's old partner, the 74th Highlanders was to stay at Hamilton too; and it would now be paired with another trews wearing highland regiment, the 71st Highland Light Infantry. This was probably the most controversial of all the moves. The HLI had been very happy being paired with the 78th at Inverness. They had always considered themselves as a proper highland regiment and had petitioned for the return of the kilt on several occasions over the previous seventy years. The Childers reforms had finally promised that chance as they would have adopted the Mackenzie kilt of the 78th instead of their Mackenzie trews. Their amalgamation at Hamilton with another Lowland regiment robbed them of that chance. As a sop to the senior partner the new regiment adopted the 71st's name and tartan but it was not a happy union on either side.
With the 78th now needing a new pairing the 72nd Highlanders at Stirling was chosen. This suited both parties as both had been raised by Mackenzies, and in this case the 72nd were happy to ditch their garish Royal Stewart tartan trews and adopted the Mackenzie kilt of their junior partner. They happily merged as the Seaforth Highlanders using the 72nd's Stag's head badge.
This left another gap at Stirling, and the 91st now paired with the 93rd Highlanders. In this case too the junior partner was given 'top billing' and it was originally called the Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders. It was another few months before it took on the more familiar name of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Finally the 92nd at Aberdeen needed another regiment. There were no more regiments available in Scottish depots so an old Scottish regiment now depoted outside Scotland was needed. The 94th Scotch Brigade at Armagh, or the 99th Lanarkshire regiment at Devizes could have been chosen; but it was the 75th Foot, the old Stirlingshire regiment which was poached from Dorset and sent north to Aberdeen. The West Countrymen were to become Highlanders overnight. The 75th's place in Dorchester was taken by the 54th regiment, which had been paired with the 95th at Derby, and in turn was replaced by the 45th which had been at Leicester with the 17th Foot. Luckily the 17th Foot was a two battalion regiment so no more reshuffling was needed.
Well not quite. The 25th Foot was at York in 1881, but in 1887 the King's Own Borderers became the King's Own Scottish Borderers. The old Edinburgh Regiment was given the whole of the Scottish Borders from Berwick to Galloway as a recruiting area from the Royal Scots, and Royal Scots Fusiliers; and a depot at Berwick-upon-Tweed from the Northumberland Fusiliers.
By then the process of adapting new names, uniforms and badges had been adopted by the other Scottish Regiments. The KOSB finally came into the fold six years after the others but it was on this day one hundred and thirty years ago that the paired regiments (Cameronians, Black Watch, Highland Light Infantry, Seaforths, Gordons and Argylls) which became famed throughout the world for their service in two world wars, came into being.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Scottish Re-enactors
A couple of posts I've typed up for the blog recently have brought to my attention some military re-enactors based in Scotland.
I have found a few on the internet which I'll list below but if anyone knows of others please let us know. The flip side of that is if any of these organisations no longer exist please let us know too.
For example there seems to be a Napoleonic 95th Rifles unit in Scotland but I can't find anything about them. There also used to be a Napoleonic Royal Scots unit based in Edinburgh but I don't know if that has disbanded. Also I've found references to a medieval group called 'Gaddgedlar' but can't find any details of them.
Quite a few cover the same period so I don't know if there is friendly rivalry or snobbery within re-enactment?
Anyway we'd be happy to publicise any forthcoming Scottish re-enactment events either here or on our facebook page so if you belong to any of these groups please get in touch
There is a Second World War German re-enactment group based in Scotland but don't bother contacting us about them. They rightly deny they are a non-political group but I still don't like the idea of promoting a group which re-enacts units of Nazi Germany.
The words used below are from the re-enactors own web pages and I have no involvement with any of them so can't comment on their authenticity or aims.
The Antonine Guard
We are a Scottish based Living History Re-enactment Society and have adopted the Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis as our parent legion,this being one of the legions which built the Antonine Wall and Hadrians Wall.
The Glasgow Vikings
Bringing history to life for over 25 years.
The Glasgow Vikings are one of Scotland's oldest re-enactment groups. We pride ourselves on our skills both on and off the battlefield. We regularly train in a variety of weapons, from dagger to dane axe, spear to seax and most in between.
We also have a fully certified school visiting team.
Marr agus Fibh
"Marr agus Fibh" is a local group of Regia Anglorum, the UK's premier re-enactment society for the Anglo-Saxon and Viking age.
It is the aim of Marr agus Fibh to recreate, as accurately as possible, life throughout the period roughly between 950AD - 1070AD. This period of history is an incredibly exciting and complex time, with people from Northern Europe, partcularly Scandinavia, entering Britain and spreading their culture, religion and other influences across the lands of the native people. The main "eras" which we recreate are that of the Scots, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, each having their own fascinating history and culture. Battles between kings and powerful lords in this period are commonplace and we try to recreate these combats using authentic weapons and fighting techniques. Everyday life is also an important area which we try to recreate, as the majority of the people would not be involved in such warfare and lived simple, peaceful lives. We use two main resources to help us recreate these periods, the Living History Exhibition and battle reenactment.
Carrick 800 Battle Re-enactment Society
Founded in 1986 the Carrick 800 Battle Re-enactment Society re-enact Mediaeval Scots, Viking and Mary Queen of Scots period living history camps and battle scenes throughout Scotland.
Schiltron
Aberdeen and North-east Scotland's premier group of mediaeval re-enactors, primarily portrays Scottish life during the late fifteenth century. We also re-enact the period of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce (1297-1329) and that of the Jacobite era of 1745-1746.
We depict historical events and stage banquets, focusing on the art and culture of the time. Group members make and wear costumes appropriate for the domestic, commercial and military sides of mediaeval life. Schiltron has performed throughout Scotland at castles, fairs and other locations, indoors and outdoors; including Traquair House, Castle Fraser, Drum Castle, Fyvie Castle and Aberdeen city; and also at mediaeval events at Dinan in France and Tewkesbury in England.
The Company of Saint Margaret
The Company of Saint Margaret is historical re-enactment group operating mostly from Edinburgh, Scotland. Our current focus is on the time periods around the year 1300 and the later end of the 1400's.
At present we try to represent a travelling Medieval household. This includes a lord and his lady, their family, retainers, household servants and craftsmen.
We provide a living history encampment with displays of medieval life, crafts and combat. We also take part in medieval battles, foot combat tourneys and archery competitions.
The Borderers
"The Borderers" is a small group of enthusiasts, from all over Britain (as well as some members who travel across from the Netherlands) who have come together in order to pursue and research the way of life of the Border Reivers - "The Steill Bonnets" -and is carried out through a programme of "Living History".
The group is based at Old Buittle Tower in Dumfries and Galloway Region in the South West of Scotland, not too far from the ancient haunts of the Reivers. The Tower is home to Jeffrey and Janet Burn who provide the facilities used by the society, which include horses, stables, a forge, a dyeing facility and a recreated Period Kitchen and Medieval Hall. The work of the Society can be seen by the public at weekend shows. The Easter and August Bank Holidays events are open to the general public. Other events are held approximately every six weks apart from Easter to December (see “Diary” page).
Earl of Loudoun's Regiment of Foote
As part of the English Civil War Society the Earl of Loudoun's Regiment of Foote, which belongs to the Armie of the Covenant, participates in the accurate re-enactment of 17th century life and warfare.
We are a Lowland Scots infantry regiment based on the actual recorded regiment which was raised in Glasgow and which saw extensive military service on the smokey battlefields of the 1640s. We meet at "musters" which can vary in size from small "living histories" and small drill displays up to full blown "majors" or battles. All arms of military life are employed in the society; regiments of infantry armed with pike and musket, squadrons of horse (cavalry) and batteries of ordnance (cannon). The regiment prides itself on its skill at arms on the battlefield, its historic realism both in combat and lifestyle, its individual members knowledge of the period and above all its friendly family atmosphere.
The regiment also gets involved in re-enacting periods beyond the life term of the actual regiment, in fact anything between 1638 and 1746. Preston 1648, Worcester 1651, Killiecrankie 1689 and Prestonpans 1745 are battles which have been re-enacted by the regiment, obviously in a different guise from Loudoun's. We have alter egos in the form of Pirates and Jacobite Highlanders.
Col Hugh Fraser's Dragoones
Fraser's Dragoones today are the most northerly regiment of the Sealed Knot society and were formed in the 1970's by a group of friends at Aberdeen University. Today the majority of our membership still lives in the North East of Scotland but we have active members from all walks of life living all over Britain.
As well as travelling throughout the UK to take part in the Sealed Knot's "major muster" battle reenactments Fraser's Dragoones also organise other events at historic properties throughout Scotland, visit schools and museums to give educational presentations and have an active social scene.
On the Sealed Knot battlefield we portray a veteran musket unit as part of the Scots Brigade and as such can be deployed, depending on circumstances, as either Parliament or Royalist.
We are proud of our authenticity and attention to historical detail and our aim is to recreate 17th Century military camp life and display the use of musket, pike and artillery in an educational way which is exciting for visitors and participants alike. Our extensive "Living History" camp is a full immersion experience and as well as soldiers we portray the armourers, barber surgeons, cooks, beggars, washer women and other camp followers who would have lived under the colours of the regiment. There is a place in Col Fraser's for everyone.
With the opportunity to participate with friends and comrades in events at such prestigious castles as Edinburgh, Stirling, Urquhart, Edzell, Drum, Blackness, Dumbarton and Duart as well as other locations throughout Scotland, what better way to spend a weekend!
Manus O'Cahans Regiment of Foot
Manus O’Cahans Regiment of Foot are a group of reenactors, and form part of the Sealed Knot, Europes premier Reenactment Society
Manus O’Cahans has active combatants both male and female, of all ages and occupations, based in Central Scotland and with membership throughout Britain and Ireland
Manus O’Cahans takes part in, and organises, events all over the British Isles and Europe, from battles and skirmishes to living history displays and talks. During the winter months we have training events and banquets, and many of the members meet socially on a regular basis all year round. We also have a regular regimental newsletter, and The Sealed Knot has a full colour bi-monthly magazine.
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-1918
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-18 exist to re-create as accurately as possible the life of the soldiers of the Gordon Highlanders during the Great War 1914-18.
We believe we are currently the only living history group in the United Kingdom devoted full-time to portraying the Highland Soldier in the Great War.
Commando D Living History Group
We revive and teach the original training methods of the WWII Commandos and Allied forces. Specialising in the close-quarters system of Fairbairn and Sykes in the hand to hand, knife fighting and pistol shooting, plus we also raise money for veterans with sponsored speed marches
The Scottish Military Re-Enactment Society
The Scottish Military Re-enactment Society was raised in 1993. The intention was then, and is now, to ensure that the memory of those men and women who fought for the allied cause during World War II, shall never be forgotten. The Society is a non profit making organisation although it has taken part in fundraising events for various charities, including the annual collection for the Scottish Poppy Appeal.
The Society participates in many events during the year. A typical weekend can include the static display of equipment, uniforms, weapons and vehicles. We also have a large tent which houses our audio-visual presentation as well as a "hands on" equipment display.
Training weekends can be arranged for Field-Craft, Map Reading, Weapons Handling and, if you are really keen, Drill! (Photos opposite show a Small Scale Raiding Force in operation).
Units within SMRS include: a Combined Operations Section in particular the Small Scale Raiding Force, the Special Operations Executive, Airborne (British and American), Infantry, Royal Navy, Home Guard and the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
The G.I. Guys
The GI Guys have a passionate interest in the WW2 period.
We seek to ENGAGE, INFORM and REMEMBER
We are located in West and Central Scotland and combine to provide living history displays at WW2 /1940’s themed events, parties, school and club talks.
We class ourselves as Amateur Historians, with a good knowledge and understanding of several aspects of WW2, including the British Home Front, US Airborne Forces, the US Airforce, the US Navy, the French Resistance, Arctic Warfare and the SOE/OSS (Clandestine Warfare).
We feel that by doing this, we are playing our part in keeping the spirit of the 40's alive......a time of great sacrifice but also a time where nations united for the common good, where community spirit and helping a neighbour was the order of the day, a time when people survived on very little and the make do and mend mentality ruled supreme.
Although this is a hobby, all displays are presented in a proper, respectful and safe manner. We are affiliated to the All Forces Reenactment Association
Liberte SOE
We are a small group of like minded individuals with a long standing interest in the WW2 Period. We are located in central and West Scotland and have been involved in the Military Vehicle/Living History scene for a few years now.
We can mount small to medium displays and have access to a Wartime Jeep, original Wartime equipment, including our very own Air Raid Siren!
We also attend Primary schools to engage the children and assist in their studies of Britain and WW2. We do this by offering sessions on the lead up to WW2, The Blitz, Evacuation, rationing, local history relating to WW2 (tailored to each school) and finish with Wartime James Bond.
These groups covers several periods.
Fire and Sword
Fire and sword was started in 1998 by Hugh Robertson. He was soon joined by like minded folk, they started doing shows at local museums and private events.
Within the year they had progressed to the pinacle of Historic Scotland properties.
With time came a well rounded show of arms, displaying the use of the norman sheild wall, the famouse scottish schiltron, the dreaded war bow and amazing combats from quarterstaff though to axe and shield to the sword fight.
Now, with new members bringing other skills and ideas and with other members studying the original fighting manuals, Fire and Sword has
expanded it's ideas and now can do displays from the early 1200's all the way to the 1700's including everything from padded armour to plate, from plaid to red coat,
The Historic Saltire Society
The Historic Saltire Society is an organisation dedicated to two things. The first is living history and the second is Fun!
From humble beginnings in Inverness, the group now has members from all over the country, and travel the length and breadth of Scotland to various venues to perform for our audiences.
The society has many members, ranging from noble knights, their squires who help put on their armour, their enlisted peasants who end up doing most of the fighting, ladies of the court in fine dresses who, when not too busy with their embroidery, look on anxiously, to the craftsment and tradespeople who just get on with their jobs, from candlemaking to pole lathing.
The Society was started many years ago when our wise and venerable (not to mention old) leader, Alan, picked a fight with a baldy man called Alistair. The two have never looked back, and have seen the group grow over the years to its current large size.
Northern Alliance
Recreating the Wars of Independence, the 15th Century and the Jacobite Risings in the North of Scotland
Northern Alliance is a historical live interpretation group based in the Highlands of Scotland. Although the group’s core is based around the Inverness area, we have members from all over Scotland, and even some from England. The group organises, and takes part in battle recreations, and living history presentations portraying elements of three distinct periods of Scotland’s history: The Wars of Independence; the fifteenth century; and the Jacobite Risings of the early/mid eighteenth century.
Live interpretation is a very powerful communication tool, and as such should be used responsibly. However, it does provide an immediate, tactile and accessible interpretation of the past which is popular with historic sites around Scotland. Presentations can re-enforce mistakes and myths or they can be used to correct misconceptions and educate in an entertaining manner. Our history is often more exciting and enthralling than legends and modern films portray.
Northern Alliance thoroughly researches all elements of their presentations and displays, in order to educate through entertainment, and undertakes valuable experimental archaeology; for if the events and lives portrayed are not historically accurate, not only in material detail but more importantly in attitudes and social consciousness, increasingly our present lives will be based on a fictitious past. The ethos and driving force behind the group is to represent, as accurately as possible, the lives of ordinary people from our history, who often lived through extraordinary times.
Although Northern Alliance takes the accuracy of their displays seriously, enjoyment can be had from mixing with a group of likeminded people, sharing their interests and their passion for history. Members get the opportunity to learn and experiment with historical skills and discover how our ancestors lived their daily lives. Throughout an event, all food is cooked in a period manner, and everyone lives in a historical camp with period clothing and authentic accommodation. This level of commitment to accuracy and detail is continued when participating in battle recreations where the armour, equipment and skills have been thoroughly researched to present faithful recreation of Scottish soldiers on military campaign.
Why do members do it? There are various reasons, but these frequently include getting away from the hustle & bustle of the everyday life, taking a step back into the past, learning traditional skills, and making friends with people who share their love of our history, these friends often become friends for life. Members get the opportunity to meet and learn from people with different experiences and expertise, pooling ideas to enhance the overall experience and discover new things about our past or learn skills in danger of being forgotten.
Lothene
Lothene is a historical re-enactment group specialising in aspects of Scottish history, in particular the 16th Century and the Viking era.
We recreate both combat and the civilian life of the era.
We have also taken part in recreations of Saxon era life, the 18th Century and the Wars of Independence in the 13th and 14th Centuries.
Swords of Dalriada
We are the Swords of Dalriada (pronounced 'Dal-ree-adda'), a Scottish historical re-enactment group based in Ayrshire, who perform all over Scotland (and occasionally outwith). Our group focuses on bringing the conflicts that shaped Scotland to life. The time periods we cover include; the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Viking invasions, Iron Age Caledonia and the Jacobite rebellion. We do both living history and battle re-enactment. This means that not only do we recreate battles, we also demonstrate what life was like throughout Scotlands history.
Our work covers a large range of shows and displays. From working by ourselves to working with other groups. From taking part in large scale shows to putting on small displays for gala days and fetes.
I have found a few on the internet which I'll list below but if anyone knows of others please let us know. The flip side of that is if any of these organisations no longer exist please let us know too.
For example there seems to be a Napoleonic 95th Rifles unit in Scotland but I can't find anything about them. There also used to be a Napoleonic Royal Scots unit based in Edinburgh but I don't know if that has disbanded. Also I've found references to a medieval group called 'Gaddgedlar' but can't find any details of them.
Quite a few cover the same period so I don't know if there is friendly rivalry or snobbery within re-enactment?
Anyway we'd be happy to publicise any forthcoming Scottish re-enactment events either here or on our facebook page so if you belong to any of these groups please get in touch
There is a Second World War German re-enactment group based in Scotland but don't bother contacting us about them. They rightly deny they are a non-political group but I still don't like the idea of promoting a group which re-enacts units of Nazi Germany.
The words used below are from the re-enactors own web pages and I have no involvement with any of them so can't comment on their authenticity or aims.
The Antonine Guard
We are a Scottish based Living History Re-enactment Society and have adopted the Legio VI Victrix Pia Fidelis as our parent legion,this being one of the legions which built the Antonine Wall and Hadrians Wall.
The Glasgow Vikings
Bringing history to life for over 25 years.
The Glasgow Vikings are one of Scotland's oldest re-enactment groups. We pride ourselves on our skills both on and off the battlefield. We regularly train in a variety of weapons, from dagger to dane axe, spear to seax and most in between.
We also have a fully certified school visiting team.
Marr agus Fibh
"Marr agus Fibh" is a local group of Regia Anglorum, the UK's premier re-enactment society for the Anglo-Saxon and Viking age.
It is the aim of Marr agus Fibh to recreate, as accurately as possible, life throughout the period roughly between 950AD - 1070AD. This period of history is an incredibly exciting and complex time, with people from Northern Europe, partcularly Scandinavia, entering Britain and spreading their culture, religion and other influences across the lands of the native people. The main "eras" which we recreate are that of the Scots, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, each having their own fascinating history and culture. Battles between kings and powerful lords in this period are commonplace and we try to recreate these combats using authentic weapons and fighting techniques. Everyday life is also an important area which we try to recreate, as the majority of the people would not be involved in such warfare and lived simple, peaceful lives. We use two main resources to help us recreate these periods, the Living History Exhibition and battle reenactment.
Carrick 800 Battle Re-enactment Society
Founded in 1986 the Carrick 800 Battle Re-enactment Society re-enact Mediaeval Scots, Viking and Mary Queen of Scots period living history camps and battle scenes throughout Scotland.
Schiltron
Aberdeen and North-east Scotland's premier group of mediaeval re-enactors, primarily portrays Scottish life during the late fifteenth century. We also re-enact the period of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce (1297-1329) and that of the Jacobite era of 1745-1746.
We depict historical events and stage banquets, focusing on the art and culture of the time. Group members make and wear costumes appropriate for the domestic, commercial and military sides of mediaeval life. Schiltron has performed throughout Scotland at castles, fairs and other locations, indoors and outdoors; including Traquair House, Castle Fraser, Drum Castle, Fyvie Castle and Aberdeen city; and also at mediaeval events at Dinan in France and Tewkesbury in England.
The Company of Saint Margaret
The Company of Saint Margaret is historical re-enactment group operating mostly from Edinburgh, Scotland. Our current focus is on the time periods around the year 1300 and the later end of the 1400's.
At present we try to represent a travelling Medieval household. This includes a lord and his lady, their family, retainers, household servants and craftsmen.
We provide a living history encampment with displays of medieval life, crafts and combat. We also take part in medieval battles, foot combat tourneys and archery competitions.
The Borderers
"The Borderers" is a small group of enthusiasts, from all over Britain (as well as some members who travel across from the Netherlands) who have come together in order to pursue and research the way of life of the Border Reivers - "The Steill Bonnets" -and is carried out through a programme of "Living History".
The group is based at Old Buittle Tower in Dumfries and Galloway Region in the South West of Scotland, not too far from the ancient haunts of the Reivers. The Tower is home to Jeffrey and Janet Burn who provide the facilities used by the society, which include horses, stables, a forge, a dyeing facility and a recreated Period Kitchen and Medieval Hall. The work of the Society can be seen by the public at weekend shows. The Easter and August Bank Holidays events are open to the general public. Other events are held approximately every six weks apart from Easter to December (see “Diary” page).
Earl of Loudoun's Regiment of Foote
As part of the English Civil War Society the Earl of Loudoun's Regiment of Foote, which belongs to the Armie of the Covenant, participates in the accurate re-enactment of 17th century life and warfare.
We are a Lowland Scots infantry regiment based on the actual recorded regiment which was raised in Glasgow and which saw extensive military service on the smokey battlefields of the 1640s. We meet at "musters" which can vary in size from small "living histories" and small drill displays up to full blown "majors" or battles. All arms of military life are employed in the society; regiments of infantry armed with pike and musket, squadrons of horse (cavalry) and batteries of ordnance (cannon). The regiment prides itself on its skill at arms on the battlefield, its historic realism both in combat and lifestyle, its individual members knowledge of the period and above all its friendly family atmosphere.
The regiment also gets involved in re-enacting periods beyond the life term of the actual regiment, in fact anything between 1638 and 1746. Preston 1648, Worcester 1651, Killiecrankie 1689 and Prestonpans 1745 are battles which have been re-enacted by the regiment, obviously in a different guise from Loudoun's. We have alter egos in the form of Pirates and Jacobite Highlanders.
Col Hugh Fraser's Dragoones
Fraser's Dragoones today are the most northerly regiment of the Sealed Knot society and were formed in the 1970's by a group of friends at Aberdeen University. Today the majority of our membership still lives in the North East of Scotland but we have active members from all walks of life living all over Britain.
As well as travelling throughout the UK to take part in the Sealed Knot's "major muster" battle reenactments Fraser's Dragoones also organise other events at historic properties throughout Scotland, visit schools and museums to give educational presentations and have an active social scene.
On the Sealed Knot battlefield we portray a veteran musket unit as part of the Scots Brigade and as such can be deployed, depending on circumstances, as either Parliament or Royalist.
We are proud of our authenticity and attention to historical detail and our aim is to recreate 17th Century military camp life and display the use of musket, pike and artillery in an educational way which is exciting for visitors and participants alike. Our extensive "Living History" camp is a full immersion experience and as well as soldiers we portray the armourers, barber surgeons, cooks, beggars, washer women and other camp followers who would have lived under the colours of the regiment. There is a place in Col Fraser's for everyone.
With the opportunity to participate with friends and comrades in events at such prestigious castles as Edinburgh, Stirling, Urquhart, Edzell, Drum, Blackness, Dumbarton and Duart as well as other locations throughout Scotland, what better way to spend a weekend!
Manus O'Cahans Regiment of Foot
Manus O’Cahans Regiment of Foot are a group of reenactors, and form part of the Sealed Knot, Europes premier Reenactment Society
Manus O’Cahans has active combatants both male and female, of all ages and occupations, based in Central Scotland and with membership throughout Britain and Ireland
Manus O’Cahans takes part in, and organises, events all over the British Isles and Europe, from battles and skirmishes to living history displays and talks. During the winter months we have training events and banquets, and many of the members meet socially on a regular basis all year round. We also have a regular regimental newsletter, and The Sealed Knot has a full colour bi-monthly magazine.
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-1918
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-18 exist to re-create as accurately as possible the life of the soldiers of the Gordon Highlanders during the Great War 1914-18.
We believe we are currently the only living history group in the United Kingdom devoted full-time to portraying the Highland Soldier in the Great War.
Commando D Living History Group
We revive and teach the original training methods of the WWII Commandos and Allied forces. Specialising in the close-quarters system of Fairbairn and Sykes in the hand to hand, knife fighting and pistol shooting, plus we also raise money for veterans with sponsored speed marches
The Scottish Military Re-Enactment Society
The Scottish Military Re-enactment Society was raised in 1993. The intention was then, and is now, to ensure that the memory of those men and women who fought for the allied cause during World War II, shall never be forgotten. The Society is a non profit making organisation although it has taken part in fundraising events for various charities, including the annual collection for the Scottish Poppy Appeal.
The Society participates in many events during the year. A typical weekend can include the static display of equipment, uniforms, weapons and vehicles. We also have a large tent which houses our audio-visual presentation as well as a "hands on" equipment display.
Training weekends can be arranged for Field-Craft, Map Reading, Weapons Handling and, if you are really keen, Drill! (Photos opposite show a Small Scale Raiding Force in operation).
Units within SMRS include: a Combined Operations Section in particular the Small Scale Raiding Force, the Special Operations Executive, Airborne (British and American), Infantry, Royal Navy, Home Guard and the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
The G.I. Guys
The GI Guys have a passionate interest in the WW2 period.
We seek to ENGAGE, INFORM and REMEMBER
We are located in West and Central Scotland and combine to provide living history displays at WW2 /1940’s themed events, parties, school and club talks.
We class ourselves as Amateur Historians, with a good knowledge and understanding of several aspects of WW2, including the British Home Front, US Airborne Forces, the US Airforce, the US Navy, the French Resistance, Arctic Warfare and the SOE/OSS (Clandestine Warfare).
We feel that by doing this, we are playing our part in keeping the spirit of the 40's alive......a time of great sacrifice but also a time where nations united for the common good, where community spirit and helping a neighbour was the order of the day, a time when people survived on very little and the make do and mend mentality ruled supreme.
Although this is a hobby, all displays are presented in a proper, respectful and safe manner. We are affiliated to the All Forces Reenactment Association
Liberte SOE
We are a small group of like minded individuals with a long standing interest in the WW2 Period. We are located in central and West Scotland and have been involved in the Military Vehicle/Living History scene for a few years now.
We can mount small to medium displays and have access to a Wartime Jeep, original Wartime equipment, including our very own Air Raid Siren!
We also attend Primary schools to engage the children and assist in their studies of Britain and WW2. We do this by offering sessions on the lead up to WW2, The Blitz, Evacuation, rationing, local history relating to WW2 (tailored to each school) and finish with Wartime James Bond.
These groups covers several periods.
Fire and Sword
Fire and sword was started in 1998 by Hugh Robertson. He was soon joined by like minded folk, they started doing shows at local museums and private events.
Within the year they had progressed to the pinacle of Historic Scotland properties.
With time came a well rounded show of arms, displaying the use of the norman sheild wall, the famouse scottish schiltron, the dreaded war bow and amazing combats from quarterstaff though to axe and shield to the sword fight.
Now, with new members bringing other skills and ideas and with other members studying the original fighting manuals, Fire and Sword has
expanded it's ideas and now can do displays from the early 1200's all the way to the 1700's including everything from padded armour to plate, from plaid to red coat,
The Historic Saltire Society
The Historic Saltire Society is an organisation dedicated to two things. The first is living history and the second is Fun!
From humble beginnings in Inverness, the group now has members from all over the country, and travel the length and breadth of Scotland to various venues to perform for our audiences.
The society has many members, ranging from noble knights, their squires who help put on their armour, their enlisted peasants who end up doing most of the fighting, ladies of the court in fine dresses who, when not too busy with their embroidery, look on anxiously, to the craftsment and tradespeople who just get on with their jobs, from candlemaking to pole lathing.
The Society was started many years ago when our wise and venerable (not to mention old) leader, Alan, picked a fight with a baldy man called Alistair. The two have never looked back, and have seen the group grow over the years to its current large size.
Northern Alliance
Recreating the Wars of Independence, the 15th Century and the Jacobite Risings in the North of Scotland
Northern Alliance is a historical live interpretation group based in the Highlands of Scotland. Although the group’s core is based around the Inverness area, we have members from all over Scotland, and even some from England. The group organises, and takes part in battle recreations, and living history presentations portraying elements of three distinct periods of Scotland’s history: The Wars of Independence; the fifteenth century; and the Jacobite Risings of the early/mid eighteenth century.
Live interpretation is a very powerful communication tool, and as such should be used responsibly. However, it does provide an immediate, tactile and accessible interpretation of the past which is popular with historic sites around Scotland. Presentations can re-enforce mistakes and myths or they can be used to correct misconceptions and educate in an entertaining manner. Our history is often more exciting and enthralling than legends and modern films portray.
Northern Alliance thoroughly researches all elements of their presentations and displays, in order to educate through entertainment, and undertakes valuable experimental archaeology; for if the events and lives portrayed are not historically accurate, not only in material detail but more importantly in attitudes and social consciousness, increasingly our present lives will be based on a fictitious past. The ethos and driving force behind the group is to represent, as accurately as possible, the lives of ordinary people from our history, who often lived through extraordinary times.
Although Northern Alliance takes the accuracy of their displays seriously, enjoyment can be had from mixing with a group of likeminded people, sharing their interests and their passion for history. Members get the opportunity to learn and experiment with historical skills and discover how our ancestors lived their daily lives. Throughout an event, all food is cooked in a period manner, and everyone lives in a historical camp with period clothing and authentic accommodation. This level of commitment to accuracy and detail is continued when participating in battle recreations where the armour, equipment and skills have been thoroughly researched to present faithful recreation of Scottish soldiers on military campaign.
Why do members do it? There are various reasons, but these frequently include getting away from the hustle & bustle of the everyday life, taking a step back into the past, learning traditional skills, and making friends with people who share their love of our history, these friends often become friends for life. Members get the opportunity to meet and learn from people with different experiences and expertise, pooling ideas to enhance the overall experience and discover new things about our past or learn skills in danger of being forgotten.
Lothene
Lothene is a historical re-enactment group specialising in aspects of Scottish history, in particular the 16th Century and the Viking era.
We recreate both combat and the civilian life of the era.
We have also taken part in recreations of Saxon era life, the 18th Century and the Wars of Independence in the 13th and 14th Centuries.
Swords of Dalriada
We are the Swords of Dalriada (pronounced 'Dal-ree-adda'), a Scottish historical re-enactment group based in Ayrshire, who perform all over Scotland (and occasionally outwith). Our group focuses on bringing the conflicts that shaped Scotland to life. The time periods we cover include; the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Viking invasions, Iron Age Caledonia and the Jacobite rebellion. We do both living history and battle re-enactment. This means that not only do we recreate battles, we also demonstrate what life was like throughout Scotlands history.
Our work covers a large range of shows and displays. From working by ourselves to working with other groups. From taking part in large scale shows to putting on small displays for gala days and fetes.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Gordon Highlanders living history group visit Erskine Hospital
A piece in today's Glasgow Evening Times about a Scottish Great War re-enactment group The Gordon Highlanders 1914-1918
Fundraisers visit Erskine veterans
11 Apr 2011
A living history group preparing for a charity walk have visited ex-Service men and women cared for by veterans’ charity Erskine.
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-18 wore First World War uniform and treated the veterans in Bishopton to a marching display.
The group hopes to raise £10,000 for Erksine during a 65-mile march from Buckie to Aviemore in June to mark the 95th anniversary of the charity and the Battle of the Somme.
A group spokesman said the visit highlighted Erksine’s “wonderful work”.
Fundraisers visit Erskine veterans
11 Apr 2011
A living history group preparing for a charity walk have visited ex-Service men and women cared for by veterans’ charity Erskine.
The Gordon Highlanders 1914-18 wore First World War uniform and treated the veterans in Bishopton to a marching display.
The group hopes to raise £10,000 for Erksine during a 65-mile march from Buckie to Aviemore in June to mark the 95th anniversary of the charity and the Battle of the Somme.
A group spokesman said the visit highlighted Erksine’s “wonderful work”.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Fashion designs have their heart in the Highlanders
From yesterday's Press & Journal
Fashion designs have their heart in the Highlanders
Art Students look to medals and uniforms for inspiration in an artistic military showcase
Published: 30/03/2011
MILITARY memorabilia from a museum in Aberdeen has inspired an exhibition of fashion accessories opening in the city today.
The show features contemporary jewellery, handbags and scarves created by textiles and surface design students at Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art.
The range of accessories from 18 third-year students is being showcased and sold at the Gordon Highlanders Museum.
The artists took inspiration from medals and uniforms featured in current exhibitions at the museum.
Course leader in fashion and textiles Rachel Heeley said: “The accessories on show give a modern twist to traditional designs and textiles, providing the public with a unique opportunity to purchase a truly original piece of jewellery created by up-and-coming local designers of the future at a very reasonable price.”
The exhibition is open to the public from 10am-4pm today and tomorrow and 10am-4.30pm on Friday, in the education room at the museum in Viewfield Road.
The creations will be on sale priced from £5 to £40, with proceeds split between the students, the fashion and textiles department at Gray’s and the museum.
Fashion designs have their heart in the Highlanders
Art Students look to medals and uniforms for inspiration in an artistic military showcase
Published: 30/03/2011
MILITARY memorabilia from a museum in Aberdeen has inspired an exhibition of fashion accessories opening in the city today.
The show features contemporary jewellery, handbags and scarves created by textiles and surface design students at Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art.
The range of accessories from 18 third-year students is being showcased and sold at the Gordon Highlanders Museum.
The artists took inspiration from medals and uniforms featured in current exhibitions at the museum.
Course leader in fashion and textiles Rachel Heeley said: “The accessories on show give a modern twist to traditional designs and textiles, providing the public with a unique opportunity to purchase a truly original piece of jewellery created by up-and-coming local designers of the future at a very reasonable price.”
The exhibition is open to the public from 10am-4pm today and tomorrow and 10am-4.30pm on Friday, in the education room at the museum in Viewfield Road.
The creations will be on sale priced from £5 to £40, with proceeds split between the students, the fashion and textiles department at Gray’s and the museum.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Bydandy
From today's Press & Journal. Some news which is a bit lighter than what we've been used to of late; a new addition to the Gordon Highlaners Museum
GORDON HIGHLANDERS MUSEUM
The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen has a new member on board – Bydandy.
He’s not just any Gordon Highlander, but a magical stag that can explore the regiment’s history like no other as he can travel through time.
He’s being introduced to visitors during the first week of the Easter break, April 2-10, when he will show them what the museum has to offer to families.
Bydandy will also launch his own website on Saturday, April 2. This site is designed for children to interact and enjoy the stories of the past and will offer exclusive information for parents and teachers.
That date coincides with a visit to the museum by famous comic book artist Colin MacNeil, whose work includes 2000 AD – Judge Dredd.
He has created Bydandy’s own comic, which will be handed out free to every child visiting the museum with a fee-paying adult.
Other events taking place during the week include a host of art and craft workshops and interactive sessions. All the events are free of charge, but booking may be required as demand could be high.
For full details of what’s happening at the museum on Aberdeen’s Viewfield Road, call 01224 311200 or visit www.gordonhighlanders.com
GORDON HIGHLANDERS MUSEUM
The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen has a new member on board – Bydandy.
He’s not just any Gordon Highlander, but a magical stag that can explore the regiment’s history like no other as he can travel through time.
He’s being introduced to visitors during the first week of the Easter break, April 2-10, when he will show them what the museum has to offer to families.
Bydandy will also launch his own website on Saturday, April 2. This site is designed for children to interact and enjoy the stories of the past and will offer exclusive information for parents and teachers.
That date coincides with a visit to the museum by famous comic book artist Colin MacNeil, whose work includes 2000 AD – Judge Dredd.
He has created Bydandy’s own comic, which will be handed out free to every child visiting the museum with a fee-paying adult.
Other events taking place during the week include a host of art and craft workshops and interactive sessions. All the events are free of charge, but booking may be required as demand could be high.
For full details of what’s happening at the museum on Aberdeen’s Viewfield Road, call 01224 311200 or visit www.gordonhighlanders.com
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Sir Ian Hamilton - Who's who in Scottish Military History
If you visit the Scottish War Museum at Edinburgh Castle there is a glass case in one room which contains the medals of a certain Scottish general. There are a lot of medals; probably more medals than any other Scot has been awarded before or since. They belonged to a man who joined the army in 1873 and lived to see the end of the Second World War. His military career effectively ended in 1915 but before that he had served in Afghanistan, India, Burma, South Africa, Sudan, The North West Frontier of India, South Africa again and even served beside the Japanese in Manchuria.
General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton G.C.B. G.C.M.G. D.S.O. T.D. was born in 1853 on Corfu, which at that time was part of the British Empire. He knew from an early age he wanted to follow his Scottish father into the army. After an education which included learning the science of war from a German general he joined the 12th Foot. By 1878 he had managed to get a transfer into the 92nd Gordon Highlanders and it was with them that he won many of his laurels over the next twenty years.
The Gordons had a tough but rewarding time in Afghanistan, and Hamilton was awarded the first of his many medals. The Afghanistan War Medal 1878-80 with two clasps 'Charasia' & 'Kabul'; he was also mentioned in despatches twice. He also met his mentor Sir Frederick Roberts - 'Bobs'. Roberts commanded the British Army in Afghanistan and over the next thirty year Roberts, who became Britain's most famous soldier, would help Hamilton climb through the ranks.
Not that Hamilton needed much help. He was a keen and driven regimental officer. So keen that when in Cawnpore in India in 1881 when he and the other junior officer of the 92nd heard of the Boer uprising in Transvaal in Africa they decided they would go over their commanders' heads and contact London. Hamilton felt a regiment at the top of its game like the Gordons would be better employed in a war than on garrison duty so they telegrammed the War Office and asked to be sent to the Transvaal. The War Office agreed and sent the Gordons from India to Africa.
Unfortunately on this occasion the Gordons were outclassed by the Boers and suffered a heavy defeat at Majuba Hill. Hamilton was badly wounded at Majuba, a bullet shattered his left wrist and for the rest of his life he couldn't use the fingers on his left hand. He remained in the army though and over the next few years he steadily rose in rank including becoming the youngest colonel in the army in 1891 and earned more mentions in despatches, and more medals.
General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton G.C.B. G.C.M.G. D.S.O. T.D. was born in 1853 on Corfu, which at that time was part of the British Empire. He knew from an early age he wanted to follow his Scottish father into the army. After an education which included learning the science of war from a German general he joined the 12th Foot. By 1878 he had managed to get a transfer into the 92nd Gordon Highlanders and it was with them that he won many of his laurels over the next twenty years.
The Gordons had a tough but rewarding time in Afghanistan, and Hamilton was awarded the first of his many medals. The Afghanistan War Medal 1878-80 with two clasps 'Charasia' & 'Kabul'; he was also mentioned in despatches twice. He also met his mentor Sir Frederick Roberts - 'Bobs'. Roberts commanded the British Army in Afghanistan and over the next thirty year Roberts, who became Britain's most famous soldier, would help Hamilton climb through the ranks.
Not that Hamilton needed much help. He was a keen and driven regimental officer. So keen that when in Cawnpore in India in 1881 when he and the other junior officer of the 92nd heard of the Boer uprising in Transvaal in Africa they decided they would go over their commanders' heads and contact London. Hamilton felt a regiment at the top of its game like the Gordons would be better employed in a war than on garrison duty so they telegrammed the War Office and asked to be sent to the Transvaal. The War Office agreed and sent the Gordons from India to Africa.
Unfortunately on this occasion the Gordons were outclassed by the Boers and suffered a heavy defeat at Majuba Hill. Hamilton was badly wounded at Majuba, a bullet shattered his left wrist and for the rest of his life he couldn't use the fingers on his left hand. He remained in the army though and over the next few years he steadily rose in rank including becoming the youngest colonel in the army in 1891 and earned more mentions in despatches, and more medals.
He would often cut short his leave to join expeditions in far flung parts of the Empire when he heard of them. In interview filmed in the 1930's he says "For war, and by war - war was my life". Whenever the British Army was in a scrape Hamilton wanted to be in the thick of it.
By the close of the 2nd Boer War in 1902 he had been in many engagements, often in the middle of the action and he had attained the rank of Lieutenant General. It is said he had twice been recommended for the V.C. but they were turned down because of his senior rank. It is also said he had lost out on a V.C. after Majuba because he was too junior! Hamilton doesn't seem to have been the type who would have let that sort of thing bother him though.
He then moved into a series of general staff appointments. Military Secretary at the War Office, then Quartermaster General of the Army, then General Officer Commanding Southern Command and an appointed to the Army Council. Hamilton was keen on training and musketry and was a dedicated soldier. All his energies went in to improving the efficiency of the soldiers under him.
By the close of the 2nd Boer War in 1902 he had been in many engagements, often in the middle of the action and he had attained the rank of Lieutenant General. It is said he had twice been recommended for the V.C. but they were turned down because of his senior rank. It is also said he had lost out on a V.C. after Majuba because he was too junior! Hamilton doesn't seem to have been the type who would have let that sort of thing bother him though.
He then moved into a series of general staff appointments. Military Secretary at the War Office, then Quartermaster General of the Army, then General Officer Commanding Southern Command and an appointed to the Army Council. Hamilton was keen on training and musketry and was a dedicated soldier. All his energies went in to improving the efficiency of the soldiers under him.
He even found time to get attached to the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria where he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure and Russia-Japanese War Medal. A spell in Berlin also allowed him to acquire the Order of the Prussian Crown and Order of the Red Eagle for his ever growing chest of medals
His next appointment was an important one. He was created General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Mediterranean and Inspector-General of the Overseas Forces. This meant he made visits to all outposts of Empire including visiting the armies of Australia and New Zealand. The contacts he made during these years before the First World War would stand him in good stead in 1915.
At the outbreak of war in 1914 he was in Whitehall. Although Hamilton was a very experienced soldier he was not sent to France. Instead he was given Central Command in the UK. There was talk of him replacing Sir John French as C-in-C of the BEF in late 1914 but Joffre was unhappy about French being replaced and instead that job would later go to another Scot - Haig.
Hamilton had to bide his time in Whitehall waiting for a field command. In March 1915 Kitchener chose him to lead the British land forces in the attack on Gallipoli. The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Winston Churchill was sure the Navy would break through to Constantinople on their own but a land force was assembled anyway. As Kitchener saw it if the Royal Navy couldn't manage it, then it was up to the Army.
Hamilton was under no illusions that this was the biggest task he had ever faced. Churchill convinced him that with the Ottoman Empire out of the war and the Dardanelles in Allied hands then the war would soon turn the Allies way. This campaign was no side-show to the war in France he was told - it was a war winner and once he landed Hamilton must do everything he could to make sure he kept the pressure on the Turks.
Unfortunately after all the campaigns he had served in Hamilton fell into an old trap. A trap he had fallen in to thirty four years before when he had underestimated the Boers at Majuba. This time he thought it would be the Turks who would be a push-over. In 1914 and early 1915 the Ottomans had not put up a great show but this was different. This was them fighting on home ground to defend their capital and they had German backing.
Because the Royal Navy and French Navy had been expected to carry the day, there had been no forward planning on a land campaign to take over when the Navy retreated. A hasty plan to attack the Gallipoli Peninsula was formulated. A lack of Intelligence, supplies and trained soldiers hampered British preparations. Coupled with this was a delay of four weeks between the navy's attack and the army's attack which allowed the Turks and Germans time to prepare strong defences in depth.
Hamilton came up with a bold plan of attack but his largely untried and untrained troops were simply not up to the task. They didn't lack bravery, they just couldn't handle an amphibious operation on such a scale. Apart from overestimating the capability of his own troops and underestimating the tenacity of his enemy, Hamilton also failed to take into account a drawn out campaign. He planned for a quick assault and attack up the peninsula. When his attack stalled he had no proper logistics in place to supply the troops in the trenches.
The first landings happened on 25th April 1915 but the man who had urged Colley to clear the Boers off Majuba Hill at the point of a bayonet could not find the same energy to encourage his own officers to now push their men forward. The attacks stalled and the Turks counter attacked. The British were soon forced back to holding onto their landing grounds. Between then and 8th May Hamilton's British and ANZAC troops took 20,000 casualties out of a force of 70,000.
Reinforcements were quickly sent from the UK to bolster Hamilton's force. The 52nd Lowland Division from Scotland was one of the units now sent to Gallipoli. Repeated failed attacks on the Turkish positions over the next few months meant that towns across Southern Scotland were suddenly suffering losses on a scale never seen before as Territorial units from the Borders and Southwest Scotland were almost wiped out. The 1/4th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers which recruited from Berwickshire, Peebleshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire almost ceased to exist on 12th July 1915 during the attack at Achi Baba Nullah when they took 535 casualties.
Hamilton pressed on with the campaign. He was determined to break the deadlock with a daring flanking attack at Suvla Bay. On 6th August 1915 his troops landed and whilst other units launched costly diversionary attacks his general in charge (Frederick Stopford) failed to push off the beaches and the attack once again stalled. Most of the generals involved at Suvla were sacked and Hamilton soon followed. On 16th October 1915 he was relieved of his command and returned to England.
That was effectively the end of Hamilton's military career. His last appointment was Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1918 and he retired in 1920 after forty seven years service.
After the First World War Hamilton poured his energies into many things. Like Haig, Hamilton devoted much of his time to the welfare of former soldiers and the British Legion. He also spent many days in the early 1920s unveiling war memorials and as Colonel of his old regiment the Gordons he often attended their reunions.
He took up writing, including his memoirs of Gallipoli and he and his wife also decided to adopt two children, a boy and a girl. In the 1930s he had a spell as Rector of Edinburgh University and he also did his best to repair relationships with the Germans. He had studied in Germany as a boy and was prepared to forgive his former enemies more readily than most. In the Ian Hamilton papers in The Liddell Hart Centre there is a photograph of Hamilton visiting Nazi Germany in 1934 as part of the Anglo-German Association which he had helped form in 1928. The photograph shows him being entertained on a German warship under the command of Günter Prein. His visits were in vain. Prein would later achieve notoriety as the man to took U-47 into Scapa Flow to sink HMS "Royal Oak".
Unfortunately Hamilton was to live to see his adopted son die. Captain Harry Knight of the Scots Guards was killed in action in North Africa in 1941 just weeks after the death of his wife. He had married in India in 1887 and with son and wife gone his last few years seem to have been spent in quiet retirement. On 12th October 1947 at the age of ninety four the old warrior faded away
Here's the man himself in the uniform of Colonel of the Gordon Highlanders from the 1934 film "Forgotten Men: The War As It Was".
His next appointment was an important one. He was created General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Mediterranean and Inspector-General of the Overseas Forces. This meant he made visits to all outposts of Empire including visiting the armies of Australia and New Zealand. The contacts he made during these years before the First World War would stand him in good stead in 1915.
At the outbreak of war in 1914 he was in Whitehall. Although Hamilton was a very experienced soldier he was not sent to France. Instead he was given Central Command in the UK. There was talk of him replacing Sir John French as C-in-C of the BEF in late 1914 but Joffre was unhappy about French being replaced and instead that job would later go to another Scot - Haig.
Hamilton had to bide his time in Whitehall waiting for a field command. In March 1915 Kitchener chose him to lead the British land forces in the attack on Gallipoli. The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Winston Churchill was sure the Navy would break through to Constantinople on their own but a land force was assembled anyway. As Kitchener saw it if the Royal Navy couldn't manage it, then it was up to the Army.
Hamilton was under no illusions that this was the biggest task he had ever faced. Churchill convinced him that with the Ottoman Empire out of the war and the Dardanelles in Allied hands then the war would soon turn the Allies way. This campaign was no side-show to the war in France he was told - it was a war winner and once he landed Hamilton must do everything he could to make sure he kept the pressure on the Turks.
Unfortunately after all the campaigns he had served in Hamilton fell into an old trap. A trap he had fallen in to thirty four years before when he had underestimated the Boers at Majuba. This time he thought it would be the Turks who would be a push-over. In 1914 and early 1915 the Ottomans had not put up a great show but this was different. This was them fighting on home ground to defend their capital and they had German backing.
Because the Royal Navy and French Navy had been expected to carry the day, there had been no forward planning on a land campaign to take over when the Navy retreated. A hasty plan to attack the Gallipoli Peninsula was formulated. A lack of Intelligence, supplies and trained soldiers hampered British preparations. Coupled with this was a delay of four weeks between the navy's attack and the army's attack which allowed the Turks and Germans time to prepare strong defences in depth.
Hamilton came up with a bold plan of attack but his largely untried and untrained troops were simply not up to the task. They didn't lack bravery, they just couldn't handle an amphibious operation on such a scale. Apart from overestimating the capability of his own troops and underestimating the tenacity of his enemy, Hamilton also failed to take into account a drawn out campaign. He planned for a quick assault and attack up the peninsula. When his attack stalled he had no proper logistics in place to supply the troops in the trenches.
The first landings happened on 25th April 1915 but the man who had urged Colley to clear the Boers off Majuba Hill at the point of a bayonet could not find the same energy to encourage his own officers to now push their men forward. The attacks stalled and the Turks counter attacked. The British were soon forced back to holding onto their landing grounds. Between then and 8th May Hamilton's British and ANZAC troops took 20,000 casualties out of a force of 70,000.
Reinforcements were quickly sent from the UK to bolster Hamilton's force. The 52nd Lowland Division from Scotland was one of the units now sent to Gallipoli. Repeated failed attacks on the Turkish positions over the next few months meant that towns across Southern Scotland were suddenly suffering losses on a scale never seen before as Territorial units from the Borders and Southwest Scotland were almost wiped out. The 1/4th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers which recruited from Berwickshire, Peebleshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire almost ceased to exist on 12th July 1915 during the attack at Achi Baba Nullah when they took 535 casualties.
Hamilton pressed on with the campaign. He was determined to break the deadlock with a daring flanking attack at Suvla Bay. On 6th August 1915 his troops landed and whilst other units launched costly diversionary attacks his general in charge (Frederick Stopford) failed to push off the beaches and the attack once again stalled. Most of the generals involved at Suvla were sacked and Hamilton soon followed. On 16th October 1915 he was relieved of his command and returned to England.
That was effectively the end of Hamilton's military career. His last appointment was Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1918 and he retired in 1920 after forty seven years service.
After the First World War Hamilton poured his energies into many things. Like Haig, Hamilton devoted much of his time to the welfare of former soldiers and the British Legion. He also spent many days in the early 1920s unveiling war memorials and as Colonel of his old regiment the Gordons he often attended their reunions.
He took up writing, including his memoirs of Gallipoli and he and his wife also decided to adopt two children, a boy and a girl. In the 1930s he had a spell as Rector of Edinburgh University and he also did his best to repair relationships with the Germans. He had studied in Germany as a boy and was prepared to forgive his former enemies more readily than most. In the Ian Hamilton papers in The Liddell Hart Centre there is a photograph of Hamilton visiting Nazi Germany in 1934 as part of the Anglo-German Association which he had helped form in 1928. The photograph shows him being entertained on a German warship under the command of Günter Prein. His visits were in vain. Prein would later achieve notoriety as the man to took U-47 into Scapa Flow to sink HMS "Royal Oak".
Unfortunately Hamilton was to live to see his adopted son die. Captain Harry Knight of the Scots Guards was killed in action in North Africa in 1941 just weeks after the death of his wife. He had married in India in 1887 and with son and wife gone his last few years seem to have been spent in quiet retirement. On 12th October 1947 at the age of ninety four the old warrior faded away
Here's the man himself in the uniform of Colonel of the Gordon Highlanders from the 1934 film "Forgotten Men: The War As It Was".
Sunday, 27 February 2011
The Gordons at Majuba Hill - On this day in Scottish Military History - 1881
They say pride comes before a fall and never was that truer for a Highland regiment than on this day one hundred and thirty years ago.
In early 1881 the 92nd Gordon Highlanders were riding high on the back of a successful end to the 2nd Anglo-Afghan War. Just a few months before they had been part of 'Bobs' force which marched from Kabul to Kandahar. After twelve years of Indian service they had cleared everything before them at the point of their Martini-Henri bayonets.
They had fought hard and served well and were due to return to the UK for a well earned rest. A war in Southern Africa was to change those plans.
When we talk about the Boer War we are usually talking about the 2nd Anglo-Boer War from 1899-1902. There had been a smaller war with the Boers fought twenty years previously; the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War which lasted from December 1880 until March 1881. Transvaal had been occupied by the British in 1877. The Boers were not at all happy to be part of the Empire and in December 1880 attacked all the British troops stationed in Transvaal.
Ian Hamilton of the 92nd and the other junior officers heard of the war in Transvaal and they telegrammed Evelyn Wood, who was gathering a force of reinforcements at Durban, asking to be sent to Africa instead of home. Their request was granted and in January 1881 they were ordered to Natal.
In Natal Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, British High Commissioner for South East Africa and commander in chief of British forces in the area rounded up as many troops as he could and headed off into Transvaal to relieve the besieged British troops and beat the Boers.
Colley was determined to be the man to beat the Boers but he didn't understand that redcoats in lines made very easy targets for Boer farmers with Mauser rifles. Neither did he and the men of the 92nd approaching from India appreciate that these farmers were men who had been brought up with a rifle in their hands to defend their farms and families from the Zulus. They would be no pushover, and this over confidence in British arms and lack of respect for their opponents would have serious consequences in the very near future.
In late January Colley was beaten back at the Battle of Laing's Nek (The last battle where colours were carried into action by a British regiment - the 58th Foot) and then again at Schuinshoogte on the Ingogo River in early February.
Heavy casualties were sustained by the British in both engagements but still Colley pressed on. By late February his force now included the newly arrived 92nd Highlanders. They swaggered up from the coast to join Colley's force; the Scotsmen looked down on the 58th Foot who had been beaten back by a bunch of 'farmers'. The English regiment was mainly made up of the new short-service enlisted men. The Khaki-clad and bronze-faced 92nd were battle hardened long service soldiers and could barely hide their contempt for the rest of Colley's force who by now had lost any confidence in their commander. The Highlanders were there to finish the job.
Colley's new plan was to surprise the Boers by taking possession of the most commanding position in the area - Amajuba - '"The hill of doves"
On the night of 26th February Colley led his force of 370 men up Majuba Hill. There was a plateau at the top with commanding views over the area. By controlling the heights Colley could attack the Boers and drive them away from Laingnek before Sir Evelyn Wood VC could arrive with more British reinforcements to steal his thunder.
In Colley's mind all the British had to do was wait for sunrise and then they could scatter the surprised Boers below them. Colley took only a small force with him up Majuba Hill: contingents from the Naval Brigade made up from the compliment of HMS 'Dido', 58th Foot and 92nd Gordon Highlanders. Highlanders and Riflemen from the 60th Rifles were posted at the foot of the hill but against the advice of his subordinates Colley only took part of the Gordons with him up the hill. It was left to Ian Hamilton to command the two companies of Gordons at the top of the hill.
The Boers got a rude awakening on the morning of 27th February 1881. From the plateau above them the British fired down on them. At first the Boers were ready to quit their positions until it dawned on them that there was no artillery on the summit. Undaunted by the poor British rifle fire the Boers fired back. They started picking of the soldiers and sailors on the skyline and edged closer and closer to the British position. Whilst British musketry was poor the Boers were masters of fire and movement and slowly but surely advanced up the hillsides. On they went behind rocks and scrub taking few casualties of their own whilst slowly reducing the British numbers.
By 11:00 the Boers were close enough to engage almost hand-to-hand with Colley's force. Suddenly a forward section of the 92nd on a small knoll crumbled under sustained rifle fire and a gap in the defences allowed the Boers to take the higher ground on the plateau.
Hamilton pressed Colley to order an attack on the Boers before they could consolidated their position. Colley dithered and instead of an advance with the bayonet he told his men to wait. They waited, and died where they waited. Colley had not ordered his men to dig in after the night's climb and now they were on top of a bare plateau under devastating Boer rifle fire. More outlying positions were being outflanked by the Boers and the men occupying them retreated. The defensive ring was getting smaller and smaller and the numbers of dead and wounded were growing. The 92nd who had cleared Afghan mountains of Pathans the year before now found themselves on the receiving end of a determined assault.
Eventually they could take it no more. The tipping point seems to have been when a party of men abandoned their outpost to join the main body of troops. Their action precipitated confusion amongst the mixed up force of soldiers and sailors. Officers had been separated from their men and without any leadership men began to retreat downhill. They'd had enough of being sitting ducks and they just fled down the hill. It soon turned into a rout. Sailor, soldier and Highlander all tumbled down the hill as fast as they could. At the top a helpless Colley was killed as his army disintegrated around him.
It looked like it was all over but on one part of the plateau the British held out. A newly commissioned officer of the Gordon Highlanders rallied his men. Lieutenant Hector MacDonald was not the sort of man who would give up without a fight.
Even a man like MacDonald couldn't save the day. Outnumbered, surrounded and wounded he eventually gave up. The Boers were impressed with MacDonald and his small force of 58th men and Highlanders. They at least had fought on. MacDonald was allowed to keep his sword as a recognition of his bravery from his captors, and the site of his defence on the hill was renamed MacDonald's Koppie.
It was a short captivity for MacDonald, Hamilton and the other Gordons. With Colley dead and his force destroyed, the British under Evelyn Wood had no choice but to grant the Transvaal its freedom. The Gordons left South Africa and completed the voyage to Britain. Bloodied and beaten the cocky victors of Kandahar were left licking their wounds from their humiliation at Majuba.
Over fifty years later the day still haunted one man who had been there. In his eighties Ian Hamilton would admit that during the two minutes silence to honour the Great War dead he didn't think back to the men he commanded at Gallipoli or the men he had seen die in countless battles during his long military career. At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month his thoughts went back to the death of his old commander on Amajuba.
Monday, 3 January 2011
Every cloud has a silver lining
Both World Wars saw the battalions of the Scottish regiments suffering heavy casualties. The regular battalions of the regiments were particularly hard hit with them being involved in the opening phases of both wars and fighting on to the end. In one particular regiment though a peculiar thing happened. In 1914 and 1940 in the early stages of both wars the 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders were forced to surrender.
In 1914 they were trapped by encircling German Troops at Le Cateau and in 1940 they were trapped at St Valery. In both cases the battalion was swiftly recreated from depots and drafts and served on to win laurels for the regiment.
So where is the silver lining to this cloud? Well, the surrenders in both 1914 and 1940 meant that instead of being killed the pre-war regular soldiers were made prisoners of war and in many cases will have survived to return to their regiments in peace time. This means they will have returned with the traditions of the regiments which may have been lost to other regiments which suffered heavy casualties of their pre-war officers and men.
In both wars other Scottish battalions surrendered, in fact the Gordons had the misfortune to surrender three battalions in WW2 (1st and 5th in France in 1940, and 2nd Bn in Singapore in 1942) but as far as I can see only the old 75th, 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders surrendered early on in both world wars so the continuity of traditions between 1918 and 1939 and post-1945 may have been stronger in that unit than in others.
This is just an observation from me, but perhaps it's something worth delving into further. It's not something I'll be looking into but maybe someone out there may care to use it as a basis for a academic thesis?
(Text by Adam Brown)
In 1914 they were trapped by encircling German Troops at Le Cateau and in 1940 they were trapped at St Valery. In both cases the battalion was swiftly recreated from depots and drafts and served on to win laurels for the regiment.
So where is the silver lining to this cloud? Well, the surrenders in both 1914 and 1940 meant that instead of being killed the pre-war regular soldiers were made prisoners of war and in many cases will have survived to return to their regiments in peace time. This means they will have returned with the traditions of the regiments which may have been lost to other regiments which suffered heavy casualties of their pre-war officers and men.
In both wars other Scottish battalions surrendered, in fact the Gordons had the misfortune to surrender three battalions in WW2 (1st and 5th in France in 1940, and 2nd Bn in Singapore in 1942) but as far as I can see only the old 75th, 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders surrendered early on in both world wars so the continuity of traditions between 1918 and 1939 and post-1945 may have been stronger in that unit than in others.
This is just an observation from me, but perhaps it's something worth delving into further. It's not something I'll be looking into but maybe someone out there may care to use it as a basis for a academic thesis?
(Text by Adam Brown)
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 22
Today's advent calendar item is an excerpt from the Battalion war diary of the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, which gives a little insight as to how Christmas was spent in the trenches.
December 25th: Not a shot fired on either side. By agreement with the Germans the dead of both sides between the trenches were collected and buried side by side. Greetings exchanged between all units of the Brigade.
December 27th: Some of the trenches fell in and the day was busily spent in repairing them. All the men who can get boots and putties are now wearing them, as shoes have proved to be useless in the thick mud. The hose-tops are turned over the puttees.
December 28th to 31st: Normal nothing special. The truce started on Xmas Day continued until New Year’s Day. Four Scots Guards scouts who entered the enemy’s during the truce did not return, so 40 Germans who paid a visit to the trenches of the BORDER REGIMENT were kept as prisoners.
Hot baths have now been arranged for us in a dye factory behind the lines and each man gets a bath once a fortnight.
January 1st to 3rd: (Rue de Quesnes) Battalion orders headed Rue de Quesnes.
January 4th to 7th: (Point de la Justice) Battalion orders headed Point de la Justice. 1 officer and 50 men joined. A sort of informal truce with the enemy during Xmas and the New Year having taken place strictest orders were issued that it must cease. All Germans above ground to be shot at.
January 8th to 15th: Trenches flooded. To retain the line it was found necessary to hold isolated posts of 1 NCO and 10 men at intervals of about 50 yards. The posts so held damned up at both ends and the water pumped out between the dams. Battalion re-organised as two Companies to be known as Numbers 1 and 2 Companies commanded by Captain J M HAMILTON and Captain W REID respectively. 2nd Lieutenants A J K HONEYMAN and P J BOYD joined.
January 16th to 20th: Brigade reorganised for purpose of relieving trenches. GRENADIERS and SCOTS GUARDS relieve each other in No.1 sub-section. THE BORDER REGIMENT & 2nd and 6th GORDON HIGHLANDERS (these two now forming one unit for holding trenches) relieving each other in No.2 sub-section.
January 21st to 31st: Normal German shell fire increasing daily. 2nd Lieutenant G G C DAVEY and W GORDON joined the Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel H P UNIACKE having rejoined from sick leave resumed command of the Battalion on January 29th.
December 25th: Not a shot fired on either side. By agreement with the Germans the dead of both sides between the trenches were collected and buried side by side. Greetings exchanged between all units of the Brigade.
December 27th: Some of the trenches fell in and the day was busily spent in repairing them. All the men who can get boots and putties are now wearing them, as shoes have proved to be useless in the thick mud. The hose-tops are turned over the puttees.
December 28th to 31st: Normal nothing special. The truce started on Xmas Day continued until New Year’s Day. Four Scots Guards scouts who entered the enemy’s during the truce did not return, so 40 Germans who paid a visit to the trenches of the BORDER REGIMENT were kept as prisoners.
Hot baths have now been arranged for us in a dye factory behind the lines and each man gets a bath once a fortnight.
January 1st to 3rd: (Rue de Quesnes) Battalion orders headed Rue de Quesnes.
January 4th to 7th: (Point de la Justice) Battalion orders headed Point de la Justice. 1 officer and 50 men joined. A sort of informal truce with the enemy during Xmas and the New Year having taken place strictest orders were issued that it must cease. All Germans above ground to be shot at.
January 8th to 15th: Trenches flooded. To retain the line it was found necessary to hold isolated posts of 1 NCO and 10 men at intervals of about 50 yards. The posts so held damned up at both ends and the water pumped out between the dams. Battalion re-organised as two Companies to be known as Numbers 1 and 2 Companies commanded by Captain J M HAMILTON and Captain W REID respectively. 2nd Lieutenants A J K HONEYMAN and P J BOYD joined.
January 16th to 20th: Brigade reorganised for purpose of relieving trenches. GRENADIERS and SCOTS GUARDS relieve each other in No.1 sub-section. THE BORDER REGIMENT & 2nd and 6th GORDON HIGHLANDERS (these two now forming one unit for holding trenches) relieving each other in No.2 sub-section.
January 21st to 31st: Normal German shell fire increasing daily. 2nd Lieutenant G G C DAVEY and W GORDON joined the Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel H P UNIACKE having rejoined from sick leave resumed command of the Battalion on January 29th.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 15
Today we have a couple of clips.
The first from the 1994 Edinburgh Tattoo.
This was the final appearance at the Tattoo for the Gordon Highlanders as they were amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforths and Camerons) in 1994.
The second is another performance by the Gordon Highlanders during their farewell concert.
The first from the 1994 Edinburgh Tattoo.
This was the final appearance at the Tattoo for the Gordon Highlanders as they were amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforths and Camerons) in 1994.
The second is another performance by the Gordon Highlanders during their farewell concert.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Snow on the Ground...
All this snow reminds me of one of my favourite films 'Tunes of Glory' which was taken from James Kennoway's book. It’s set in a fictitious Scottish castle in winter time. In fact a lot of the exterior shots were filmed in and around Stirling Castle.
Although filmed in the home of the Argylls and the officers are wearing Cameron kilts, the regiment it was based on was the one Kennoway served in just after the war in Edinburgh; 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders
He had joined the Camerons just after the war but transferred to the Gordons and didn’t enjoy his time in the regiment. You can probably get that vibe from the book and the film.
Coincidentally the writer George MacDonald Fraser also served in the Gordon Highlanders at the same time. First with the 2nd Battalion in Libya, and then with the 1st Battalion in Edinburgh when the two battalions merged in 1948.
MacDonald Fraser did enjoy his time with the regiment though and turned them into the amusing "General Danced at Dawn" trilogy.
His third book "McAuslan in the Rough" deals with his time in Edinburgh at the same time Kennoway was there.
What is fascinating is that in both books, which claim to be of fictional regiments, certain characters in them are quite clearly the same people and must be the men of 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders.
I'd heartily recommend the "General Danced at Dawn" series of books and "Tunes of Glory". If you read them back to back you'll recognise the martinet colonel, RSM, pipe sergeant, adjutant and other characters used by both authors.
Interestingly in the film there is a character Captain Rattray, a dark-haired, thickset officer played by Ricard Leech who is one of the ringleaders in the mess taking Major Sinclair's side against Colonel Barrow. I wonder if that was Kennoway's recollection of McDonald Fraser? Leech certainly has a resemblance to GMF and in his books GMF doesn't seem to care for his new colonel.
Although filmed in the home of the Argylls and the officers are wearing Cameron kilts, the regiment it was based on was the one Kennoway served in just after the war in Edinburgh; 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders
He had joined the Camerons just after the war but transferred to the Gordons and didn’t enjoy his time in the regiment. You can probably get that vibe from the book and the film.
Coincidentally the writer George MacDonald Fraser also served in the Gordon Highlanders at the same time. First with the 2nd Battalion in Libya, and then with the 1st Battalion in Edinburgh when the two battalions merged in 1948.
MacDonald Fraser did enjoy his time with the regiment though and turned them into the amusing "General Danced at Dawn" trilogy.
His third book "McAuslan in the Rough" deals with his time in Edinburgh at the same time Kennoway was there.
What is fascinating is that in both books, which claim to be of fictional regiments, certain characters in them are quite clearly the same people and must be the men of 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders.
I'd heartily recommend the "General Danced at Dawn" series of books and "Tunes of Glory". If you read them back to back you'll recognise the martinet colonel, RSM, pipe sergeant, adjutant and other characters used by both authors.
Interestingly in the film there is a character Captain Rattray, a dark-haired, thickset officer played by Ricard Leech who is one of the ringleaders in the mess taking Major Sinclair's side against Colonel Barrow. I wonder if that was Kennoway's recollection of McDonald Fraser? Leech certainly has a resemblance to GMF and in his books GMF doesn't seem to care for his new colonel.
Monday, 22 November 2010
The Big Trip North - Day 3
In my last blog post about our big trip, I asked the question: "Two museums in two cities - can we make it in time to Aberdeen for the Gordon Highlanders museum AND the Black Watch Museum in Perth?"
And the answer?
Well, no...we couldn't. Circumstances meant that our schedule went out of the window, but we still had a very rewarding third day.
We started off early, and set off for Aberdeen. A journey we'd planned to take two and a half hours took nearly three, mainly due to rain which had been described by the weather forecast I'd checked online as "light". If that was light rain, I'd hate to see it heavy. We had to contend with heavy rain and flooding on the road which meant we had to drive very carefully...
We made it to Aberdeen in one piece, and spent several very rewarding hours at the Gordon Highlanders museum.
We'd all been to the Gordons museum before, but that didn't stop us appreciating it anew. It's a fantastic museum with plenty to see. In addition they have a fantastic cafe which provided us with a filling lunch, and later with tea and scones.
One of the displays in the museum.
It was also a pleasure to meet up with Anne Park again. Anne volunteers at the Gordons museum, and also does a lot of work with the War Memorials Project - I'd met her at the annual conference of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies a couple of years ago and it was nice to meet her again.
The weather, combined with the time we spent at the Gordons meant that we would have been pushing ourselves to ridiculous levels to make it to the Black Watch museum, so we resolved to leave it for another trip - our apologies to the people of Perth - we'll come again another time!
So that was our big trip north. We didn't cover everything we'd planned to, but it was a rewarding and pleasureable trip. Most of that was due to my travelling companions Sandy and Barrie. Thanks guys, you made the trip what it was.
Serious academic study took place...
Collectively we owe thanks to everyone who made us feel welcome at every location we went to. We were made to feel at home by everyone we met - you really can't fault Highland hospitality.
Some things we learned from our trip (which I won't explain any further):
One final serious thing I learned. The country I live in can be incredibly beautiful. We should appreciate what we have on our own doorstep, and we should take the opportunity to see it while we can.
We've already started planning our next trip. Look out Berwick on Tweed, the boys are coming....
And the answer?
Well, no...we couldn't. Circumstances meant that our schedule went out of the window, but we still had a very rewarding third day.
We started off early, and set off for Aberdeen. A journey we'd planned to take two and a half hours took nearly three, mainly due to rain which had been described by the weather forecast I'd checked online as "light". If that was light rain, I'd hate to see it heavy. We had to contend with heavy rain and flooding on the road which meant we had to drive very carefully...
We made it to Aberdeen in one piece, and spent several very rewarding hours at the Gordon Highlanders museum.
We'd all been to the Gordons museum before, but that didn't stop us appreciating it anew. It's a fantastic museum with plenty to see. In addition they have a fantastic cafe which provided us with a filling lunch, and later with tea and scones.
One of the displays in the museum.It was also a pleasure to meet up with Anne Park again. Anne volunteers at the Gordons museum, and also does a lot of work with the War Memorials Project - I'd met her at the annual conference of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies a couple of years ago and it was nice to meet her again.
The weather, combined with the time we spent at the Gordons meant that we would have been pushing ourselves to ridiculous levels to make it to the Black Watch museum, so we resolved to leave it for another trip - our apologies to the people of Perth - we'll come again another time!
So that was our big trip north. We didn't cover everything we'd planned to, but it was a rewarding and pleasureable trip. Most of that was due to my travelling companions Sandy and Barrie. Thanks guys, you made the trip what it was.
Serious academic study took place...Collectively we owe thanks to everyone who made us feel welcome at every location we went to. We were made to feel at home by everyone we met - you really can't fault Highland hospitality.
Some things we learned from our trip (which I won't explain any further):
- You should never grill a scotch pie
- If you're going to guess someone's nationality, don't assume they're Russian
- Brazilians can be amusing in the right context
- Driving into a river at 60mph is a very bad idea
One final serious thing I learned. The country I live in can be incredibly beautiful. We should appreciate what we have on our own doorstep, and we should take the opportunity to see it while we can.
We've already started planning our next trip. Look out Berwick on Tweed, the boys are coming....
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Highland homecoming for drum hidden during Dunkirk retreat
The following story appeared in The Scotsman newspaper today:
A military drum belonging to one of Scotland's most famous regiments, hidden in the heat of battle during the retreat to Dunkirk in the Second World War, is to be returned to Scotland 70 years after being abandoned.
The homecoming of the lost drum of the Gordon Highlanders will mark the culmination of a remarkable story involving the family of a French policeman, a forgotten birthday present and a twin-town agreement between villages in France and England. The story began when the regimental side drum, emblazoned with the battle honours of the Gordon Highlanders, was buried in a farmer's field by a soldier serving in the regiment's 4th Battalion as the Gordons were being forced to retreat to the Dunkirk beachhead along with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force.
But it has only now been revealed that, within hours of the Gordons leaving the village of Hem in northern France, the drum was found by a policeman who stumbled across its hiding place in the dark while taking a shortcut home. He had planned to give the drum as a birthday present to his grandson, but was forced to hide it at his daughter's home where it lay forgotten for more than 50 years. And the drum is only now being returned to Scotland after members of the twinning committee of Mossley, near Manchester, stumbled across the amazing tale while visiting their twin town in France.
On 12 November, at a ceremony in Hem, descendents of the policeman will hand over the drum to representatives of the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, who plan to make it a star item at an exhibition on the musical history of the regiment. Museum curator Jesper Ericsson said: "This is an extraordinary story and the donation ceremony in France will be all the more poignant as armistice commemorations take place around the world. "We were absolutely staggered when we heard that someone in Hem had the drum and wanted to donate it to the museum." He explained that the drum had belonged to a soldier serving with the 4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, a territorial unit which had been to ordered to cover the general retreat to Dunkirk following the Nazi invasion of France. Mr Ericsson said: "The drum was buried in farmer's field in May, 1940. But shortly after it was concealed a French policeman, Seraphin Boulet, stumbled over the spot. "He scraped away some of the earth and found a tarpaulin covering this beautifully- decorated drum. The story goes that with his grandson's birthday coming up he thought it would make a fabulous present." Mr Boulet took it to the nearby home of his daughter, Raymonde Detrain Boulet.
Fearing discovery by German patrols, the family decided to hide the drum beneath a pile of old clothes in a second-floor bedroom. Remarkably, the drum lay hidden and forgotten in the room until 1995, when Ms Boulet died and her family were clearing out the house. Mr Ericsson said: "Jean Pierre, the grandson who should have got the drum in 1940 as a birthday present, found the drum when he was clearing out his mother's home. And it has remained with the family until now. "
Unfortunately Jean Pierre died in 2007. But his daughter's husband, Pierre Osson, has been the driving force in getting the drum donated to the museum." He added: "There has been a special exhibition at the museum this autumn about the impact that music has had during the 200 years of the regiment's history. And it will be a tremendous end to the exhibition when we can put the drum on display here in Aberdeen."
A military drum belonging to one of Scotland's most famous regiments, hidden in the heat of battle during the retreat to Dunkirk in the Second World War, is to be returned to Scotland 70 years after being abandoned.
The homecoming of the lost drum of the Gordon Highlanders will mark the culmination of a remarkable story involving the family of a French policeman, a forgotten birthday present and a twin-town agreement between villages in France and England. The story began when the regimental side drum, emblazoned with the battle honours of the Gordon Highlanders, was buried in a farmer's field by a soldier serving in the regiment's 4th Battalion as the Gordons were being forced to retreat to the Dunkirk beachhead along with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force.
But it has only now been revealed that, within hours of the Gordons leaving the village of Hem in northern France, the drum was found by a policeman who stumbled across its hiding place in the dark while taking a shortcut home. He had planned to give the drum as a birthday present to his grandson, but was forced to hide it at his daughter's home where it lay forgotten for more than 50 years. And the drum is only now being returned to Scotland after members of the twinning committee of Mossley, near Manchester, stumbled across the amazing tale while visiting their twin town in France.
On 12 November, at a ceremony in Hem, descendents of the policeman will hand over the drum to representatives of the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, who plan to make it a star item at an exhibition on the musical history of the regiment. Museum curator Jesper Ericsson said: "This is an extraordinary story and the donation ceremony in France will be all the more poignant as armistice commemorations take place around the world. "We were absolutely staggered when we heard that someone in Hem had the drum and wanted to donate it to the museum." He explained that the drum had belonged to a soldier serving with the 4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, a territorial unit which had been to ordered to cover the general retreat to Dunkirk following the Nazi invasion of France. Mr Ericsson said: "The drum was buried in farmer's field in May, 1940. But shortly after it was concealed a French policeman, Seraphin Boulet, stumbled over the spot. "He scraped away some of the earth and found a tarpaulin covering this beautifully- decorated drum. The story goes that with his grandson's birthday coming up he thought it would make a fabulous present." Mr Boulet took it to the nearby home of his daughter, Raymonde Detrain Boulet.
Fearing discovery by German patrols, the family decided to hide the drum beneath a pile of old clothes in a second-floor bedroom. Remarkably, the drum lay hidden and forgotten in the room until 1995, when Ms Boulet died and her family were clearing out the house. Mr Ericsson said: "Jean Pierre, the grandson who should have got the drum in 1940 as a birthday present, found the drum when he was clearing out his mother's home. And it has remained with the family until now. "
Unfortunately Jean Pierre died in 2007. But his daughter's husband, Pierre Osson, has been the driving force in getting the drum donated to the museum." He added: "There has been a special exhibition at the museum this autumn about the impact that music has had during the 200 years of the regiment's history. And it will be a tremendous end to the exhibition when we can put the drum on display here in Aberdeen."
Thursday, 3 June 2010
100,000 new Chelsea Pensioner records now on findmypast.co.uk
Latest news from findmypast.co.uk:
King's Own Scottish Borderers - 25th Foot: 1137 entries
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders - 79th Foot: 973 entries
Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) - 1st Foot: 1214 entries
Royal Scots Fusiliers - 21st Foot: 1167 entries
Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) - 72nd & 78th Foot: 1545 entries
And remember - there's more to come!
Now, if someone from findmypast is reading, I'd be happy to give a review of their website in return for a free subscription...:-)
We’ve just added 96,434 records and 437,825 images for the period 1855-1872 to our Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records collection on findmypast.co.uk.
This new batch of records brings the total amount of Chelsea Pensioners records and images on findmypast.co.uk to 506,870 records and 3,196,935 images.
Here’s a reminder of the records you can find on the site and which are still to come:
| Date range | Approx no. of records | Approx no. of images | When available |
| WO97 1855-1872 | 96,434 | 437,825 | Now |
| WO97 1873-1882 | 97,515 | 540,423 | Now |
| WO97 1883-1900 | 312,921 | 2,218,687 | Now |
| WO97 1760-1854 | 184,000 | 1.2 million | By July 2010 |
| WO97 1901-1913 | 303,000 | 2.1 million | By August 2010 |
| WO96 1806-1915 | 500,000 | 3.5 million | By Sept 2011 |
The connection with ‘Chelsea Pensioners’ is that the pensions were administered through The Royal Hospital at Chelsea. The great majority of pensioned soldiers were out-pensioners and did not reside at the Hospital itself.
Many other military records provide information about officer-class soldiers; however, these records relate to other ranks. This makes it more likely that you will be able to find details about your ancestors.
Remember that these records are free to search, like all the records on findmypast.co.uk. Even if you don’t think that any of your ancestors could have been a Chelsea Pensioner, give searching the records a go - your ancestor may have only served in the army for a short time before they were pensioned out.
Why are the Chelsea Pensioners records so special?
The sheer amount of information these records provide sets them apart. It’s possible to build up a picture of your ancestor by reading these records - they are the next best thing to a photograph. The records contain detailed descriptions of a soldier’s physical appearance and any distinguishing features like tattoos or scars.
There are usually six or seven records per soldier. Most of the service records note all of the regiments in which a soldier served, with both start and end dates, ranks attained, and the total service rendered, in years and days, in each rank and regiment. Service in either the East or West Indies is noted separately.
The reason for the soldier’s discharge (illness, wounds or end of service) is given, as are remarks on general conduct while in the service and the soldier’s civilian occupation. The form is dated and signed by both the soldier and commanding officer. These records are among the most popular at The National Archives as family historians and genealogists have realised how valuable they are.
To give you an example of how valuable these records are to those researching Scottish soldiers, here are some figures of how many entries there are per regiment:
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) - 91st & 93rd Foot: 1990 entries
Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) - 42nd & 73rd Foot: 1498 entries
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - 26th Foot & 90th Light Infantry: 1016 entries
Gordon Highlanders - 75th & 92nd Foot: 1551 entries
King's Own Scottish Borderers - 25th Foot: 1137 entries
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders - 79th Foot: 973 entries
Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) - 1st Foot: 1214 entries
Royal Scots Fusiliers - 21st Foot: 1167 entries
Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) - 72nd & 78th Foot: 1545 entries
And remember - there's more to come!
Now, if someone from findmypast is reading, I'd be happy to give a review of their website in return for a free subscription...:-)
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
War hero's weapons found in house clearance in Surrey
A rather interesting story from BBC News. I would have expected a find like this to have been destroyed - nice to see some research done and the weapons find their natural home in a museum.
Six firearms which once belonged to World War II hero Geoffrey Hallowes have been handed over to a museum after being found at a house in Surrey.
The guns were discovered in March 2008 by a woman who was clearing out the property in Walton-on-Thames and handed them over to police.
Firearms specialists established their link with Mr Hallowes, who served with the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
They have now been given to the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen.
Mr Hallowes served with the Gordon Highlanders in the Far East before joining the SOE in Europe in the second half of the WWII.
He helped to organise the French Resistance after D-Day and received a number of gallantry awards, including the Croix de Guerre and Legion d'honneur.
In the 1950s, after his return to Britain, he married the wartime SOE heroine and George Cross holder, Odette Sansom, the subject of a 1950 film starring Anna Neagle.
Odette died in 1995 and Mr Hallowes in 2006.
FIREARMS FOUND
American M1 carbine German MP40 sub machine gun Othaca .45 pistol (copy of an American Colt M1911.45) British Enfield .38 revolver American Colt .32 pistol German Luger 9mm pistol
Following the firearms find, Surrey Police passed the details to the Imperial War Museum which was able to suggest the identity of the former owner.
The Gordon Highlanders Museum confirmed their historical context.
The firearms are to be displayed alongside Mr Hallowes' war medals.
"The acquisition of these firearms is the most important addition to the museum's armoury since it opened in 2007 and will become the most important items in the firearms collection as a whole," said curator Jesper Ericsson.
"This is because not only can we connect these firearms with an individual, but an individual with an extraordinary history."
Roger Weedon, firearms licensing manager at Surrey Police, said: "We were delighted to be able to identify the context of the use of these firearms and were able to arrange for their lawful transfer to a museum."
Thursday, 3 December 2009
New Headstone for Gordon Highlander
From the Press and Journal, 3rd December 2009.
THE grave of a Grantown World War I veteran that has been marked by two cockleshells for more than 50 years, is to be given a proper headstone for the first time.
Kenny “Cockles” MacKenzie, who served with the Gordon Highlanders, survived the conflict after seeing action in France, before also serving in India.
He returned to Grantown where he is said to have lived a solitary life until his death in 1955.
There was no money to pay for a headstone, but shortly after Mr MacKenzie’s death two cockleshells were placed on his grave and have remained there ever since.
Glenfeshie-born Mr MacKenzie was known locally as Kenny Cockles, possibly because of the seashells which he kept along the front of his home in Grantown.
Leonard Grassick, of South Street, Grantown, who was a Seaforth in the Queen’s Own Highlanders, and the Royal Naval Association, have now announced plans for a headstone to mark Mr MacKenzie’s grave. Mr Grassick as a lad used to deliver groceries to Mr MacKenzie, and was one of the few people allowed in his cottage. He said: “He was a character and a worthy from Grantown who deserves to be remembered properly as a brave soldier.”
Mr Grassick said it was hoped that the stone, which is expected to cost £600 and will be inscribed with two cockleshells, would be unveiled at Easter. The local branch of the Royal British Legion have already made a contribution to the stone.
As an aside, I would hope that the new headstone will incorporate the cockleshells which have marked his grave until now.
THE grave of a Grantown World War I veteran that has been marked by two cockleshells for more than 50 years, is to be given a proper headstone for the first time.
Kenny “Cockles” MacKenzie, who served with the Gordon Highlanders, survived the conflict after seeing action in France, before also serving in India.
He returned to Grantown where he is said to have lived a solitary life until his death in 1955.
There was no money to pay for a headstone, but shortly after Mr MacKenzie’s death two cockleshells were placed on his grave and have remained there ever since.
Glenfeshie-born Mr MacKenzie was known locally as Kenny Cockles, possibly because of the seashells which he kept along the front of his home in Grantown.
Leonard Grassick, of South Street, Grantown, who was a Seaforth in the Queen’s Own Highlanders, and the Royal Naval Association, have now announced plans for a headstone to mark Mr MacKenzie’s grave. Mr Grassick as a lad used to deliver groceries to Mr MacKenzie, and was one of the few people allowed in his cottage. He said: “He was a character and a worthy from Grantown who deserves to be remembered properly as a brave soldier.”
Mr Grassick said it was hoped that the stone, which is expected to cost £600 and will be inscribed with two cockleshells, would be unveiled at Easter. The local branch of the Royal British Legion have already made a contribution to the stone.
As an aside, I would hope that the new headstone will incorporate the cockleshells which have marked his grave until now.
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