Regimental History

The Argyll and Sutherland Regiment traces its history to fine regiments that have served His Majesty for more than 200 years. That service includes such highlights as the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of New Orleans, India, the "Thin Red Line" at Balaclava and distinguished service during WWII in Malaya, North Africa and Europe.

History of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

   1777- 74^th Regiment of Foot, the Duke of Argyll’s - raised for service in American War for Independence

¨      In 1793 King George III wrote to John, 5th Duke of Argyll, asking him to raise a kilted regiment of 1,100 men. The Duke, who was unwell at the time, gave the job to his kinsman, Duncan Campbell. On July 9, 1794 the regiment was formally gazetted into the British Army as the 98th Argyllshire Highlanders, renumbered later in October 1798, as the 91st.

¨      1808-Sent to Portugal, fought against Napoleon's armies in the Peninsular war

  ¨      Rejoined Wellington in 1812. Received a number of battle honors, active through 1814 and at Waterloo, though on the far right of the line and not heavily engaged.  

¨      In 1864, while the regiment was in India, Queen Victoria approved the 91st reverting to the old title of the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders.

 In 1871 the Queen's daughter, HRH Princess Louise, married the Marquess of Lorne, (later 9th Duke of Argyll) and at the wedding the 91st provided the Guard of Honour. A year later in 1872 she was appointed Colonel-in-Chief and the 91st became 'Princess Louise's Argyllshire Highlanders', with her coronet and cipher and the Argyll Boar's Head and motto of 'Ne Obliviscaris' added to their insignia.

¨      Their depot moved to Stirling, and the Regiment went to Inverness for its first Scottish tour of duty in eighty years, and thence to South Africa during the Zulu Wars.

  The 93rd 

¨      April 1799 - the Countess of Sutherland gave the task of raising a Sutherland Regiment to her cousin Major-General William Wemyss. He assembled 259 men from the recently disbanded Sutherland Fencibles.

¨      Unlike the 91st, from 1800 to 1815 the 93rd had a relatively peaceful existence. They sailed, in July 1805, to recapture Cape Colony from the Dutch. There, like the 91st, they had their baptism of fire and won their first - for many years their only - Battle Honour..

¨      The Battle of New Orleans 1815

For this expedition the 93rd were deprived of their kilts and feathered bonnets and sent into action in tartan trews and a particularly unbecoming form of cocked Kilmarnock bonnet.

The British had nearly 2,000 casualties that day, of whom 557 were from the 93rd. The Americans behind their parapet had 6 killed and 7 wounded.

¨      After New Orleans the 93rd spent 10 years in Britain and Ireland, 11 years in the West Indies, and a further 13 at home and in Canada.

¨      In 1854 they went to the Crimea, took part in the storming of the heights above the Alma and then moved on to Sevastopol.

¨      They were led by Sir Colin Campbell who was so pleased with them at Alma that he had obtained Lord Raglan's permission to wear a Highland bonnet instead of his general's cocked hat for the rest of the campaign.

¨      On the October 24 they routed the Russian Cavalry charge at Balaklava earning themselves the nickname of "The Thin Red Line". The Russian force was 25,000 strong; but only their massed cavalry pushed right forward down the road to Balaklava, charging the 93rd drawn up in line, two deep. "There is no retreat from here, men," Campbell told them as he rode down the line, "you must die where you stand." 

¨      .Asked why he had been so unorthodox as to receive a cavalry charge in line instead of in a square. Sir Colin Campbell said; "I knew the 93rd, and I did not think it worth the trouble of forming a square."

¨      November 11, 1857, the relief of Lucknow, ten years of service in India

  Amalgamation- much like the British Army of today, the Ministry  decided to combine the two highland regiments.

¨      In 1881 it became the 1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

  The 91st became the 1st Battalion and the 93rd the 2nd Battalion.. Stirling Castle became the Depot and the home of the Regiment

From 1881 to 1914 one of the Battalions served abroad whilst the other remained at home. The 1st Battalion served in South Africa, Ceylon and Hong Kong. They returned to the UK in 1892 before taking part in the Boer War in 1899 - 1902.

When the Great War broke out in 1914 the Regiment had two Regular Battalions (1st and 2nd), two Militia Battalions. Seven more Service Battalions were raised during the war, gaining 65 Battle Honors. Four served in the Mediterranean area gaining a further 13 Battle Honours.

431 Officers and 6475 Other Ranks of the Regiment lost their lives during the war. Six Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the Regiment.

Service in World War II

On the outbreak of war, the 2nd Battalion was moved to Singapore fighting a brilliant rearguard action against the Japanese all the way down the Johore Peninsula of Malaya, suffering heavy casualties. At the time the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor, they simultaneously invaded Guam, Wake, Malaya and other South Pacific islands.  The remaining Argylls reached Singapore and surrendered with the fortress in 1942.  Meanwhile in Scotland, a young training battalion, the 15th, was selected to assume the title of the decimated 2^nd Battalion and carry on its heritage.

 The 1^st Battalion fought in the Western Desert and the closing stages of the East African campaign.

Assigned to the 227th Infantry Brigade, 15th Scottish Division, VIII Corps, 2nd Army, 21st Army Group, the new 2nd Battalion landed in Normandy on 14 June 1944 -- D-Day plus 8.

By the 27th, the 2nd Battalion was ordered to seize the bridge over the Odon River at Tourmauville intact. Fighting against bypassed pockets of resistance from the 12.SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" the Argylls encountered two German Mk. V Panther tanks at Mondrainville. Mistakenly identified as Mk. VI Tiger tanks, infantrymen of B Company were able to destroy one as the other withdrew, while A Company was delayed at Colleville in house-to-house fighting with elements of the 12.SS Panzer Division.

  The 2^nd Battalion continued in action, establishing and holding the “Scottish Corridor,” with other elements of the 15^th Scottish Division and throughout France leading up to the formation in August of the Falaise Pocket.

After the fall of Falaise in September 1944, the Argylls crossed the Belgian border and moved into the Gheel bridgehead, relieving a battalion from the 44th Lowland Brigade and taking part in the liberation of the Low Countries and the invasion of Germany.  

At 0200 on 24 March 1945, 2nd Battalion crossed the Rhine River between Rees and Xanten, Germany, in an amphibious landing. A and B Companies were the first to cross.

At the end of April  the battalion crossed the Elbe River in amphibious assault.  The German army surrendered on 5 May 1945, and 2nd Battalion remained in Germany, assigned to occupation duties in Hamburg, until December 1946.  

The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders continue to have a distinguished record. They served throughout the Mid East during the establishment of Israel, they have been on service in Ireland and recently had a company deployed in Iraq.

References:

Fighting Highlanders, the story of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, by P.J.R. Mileham, Arms & Armour Press, 1993

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Osprey Man at War series, by William McElwee and Michael Roffe, 1972

The Regiments of the Scottish Division,  Macmillan Press, Ltd., 1973