Seaforth Highlanders

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Seaforth Highlanders
Active 1881 - 1961
Country Great Britain
Branch British Army
Type Infantry Regiment
Role Infantry
Garrison/HQ Fort George, Highland
Motto Cuidich 'n Righ
Mascot Elephant
Battles/wars Assaye 1803
Battle honours See below
Commanders
Current
commander		 N/A
Ceremonial chief N/A
Colonel of
the Regiment		 Duke of Windsor

The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War.

Contents

[edit] History

The regiment originated with the 72nd Highlanders (Duke of Albany's Own) and the 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs), originally raised in the 18th century. The regimental museum is located at Fort George near Inverness. Fort George served as Depot for the Seaforth Highlanders for most of the regiment's life.

[edit] Amalgamation

The Seaforth Highlanders were combined with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders in 1961. More recently, the Queens Own Highlanders and Gordon Highlanders were combined to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). In May 2006 all the Scottish Infantry Regiment merged to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Highlanders became the 4th Bn of the new Regiment.

[edit] First World War

At the outbreak of the Great War, the 1st Battalion was serving in India. The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Shornecliff in southern England. The 2nd Bn was sent to France as part of the BEF ( British Expeditionary Force ). As part of the 10th Brigade, 4th Division, it took part in the retreat from Le Cateau, the Battle of the Marne and the subsequent chase of the German forces to the River Aisne. In mid-September 1914, the battalion was heavily involved in the Battle of the Aisne, suffering heavy casualties including the CO (Commanding Officer).

The 1st Battalion was returned from India, arriving in France in late 1914.

During the war the three front line Territorial battalions of the regiment. 1/4th Bn, 1/5th Bn and 1/6th Bn all served in the 51st (Highland) Division

Two service battalions, 7th and 9th served in the 9th (Scottish) Division and the 8th (Service) Bn served in the 15th (Scottish) Division.

The 1st Garrison Bn served in the Balkans.

The 3rd (Special Reserve), 2/4th, 3/4th, 2/5th, 3/5th, 2/6th, 3/6th and 10th (reserve) Battalions did not serve overseas.

[edit] Interwar Years

In 1921, the 1st Battalion was deployed to the Scottish coalfields to maintain order during strike action by the miners. Later, the Battalion served in Ireland during and after the partition. The 1st Battalion returned to India in the late 1920s.

Both battalions served in Palestine in the 1930s

[edit] Second World War

In 1940, the 6th Battalion was sent to France as part of the BEF. The Battalion was involved in the Blitzkrieg of May 1940, escaping through Dunkirk on the 1st of June after suffering significant losses.

The 2nd and 5th Battalions were also part of the BEF in 1940 serving in the 51st (Highland) Division .

The 5th Bn of the Regiment was a territorial unit in both World Wars and recruited in the counties of Sutherland and Caithness. Instead of the Mackenzie tartan kilt and stag's head badge the battalion wore the Sutherland Kilt and the wildcat badge of the Clan Sutherland.

[edit] Battle Honours

This List contains all Battle Honours awarded to the Seaforth Highlanders (Duke of Albany’s, Ross-shire Buffs) 72nd Highlanders and 78th Highlanders between 1778-1961

(Those borne on the Colours are in bold type)

72nd Highlanders (1778-1881)

78th Highlanders (1793-1881)

Seaforth Highlanders (1881 - 1914)

Great War (1914-1918)

  • Le Cateu, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, 18, Aisne 1914, La Bassee 1914, Armentieres 1914, Festuber 1914, 15, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915, 17, 18, St. Julien, Frezenburg, Bellewarde, Loos, Somme 1916-18, Albert 1916-18, Bazentin, Delvillle Wood, Pzieres, Flers Courcelette, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917-18, Vimy 1917, Scapre 1917-18, Arleux, Pilckem Ridge, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele,Cambrai 1917-18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Lys, Estaires, Messines 1918, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Bethune, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Tardenois, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Courtai, Selle,Valenciennes, France and Flanders 1914-18
  • Macedonia 1917-18
  • Meggido, Shoran, Palestine 1918,
  • Tigris 1916, Kut El Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915-18

Second World War (1939-1945)

  • North West Europe 1940,44-45 - Ypres - Comines Canal, Somme 1940, Withdrawl to Seine, St. Valery, En Caux, Odon, Caen, Troam, Mont Pincon, Falaise, Falaise Road, Dives Crossing, La Vie Crossing, Lisieux, Nederrijin, Best, La Havre, Lower Maas, Meijel, Venlo Pocket, Ourthe, Rhine-Land, Reichswald. Goch, Moyland, Rhine, Uelzen, Arthenberg.
  • North Africa 1942-43 - El Alamein, Advance to Tripoli, Mareth, Wadi Zigzua, Akarit, Djebel Roumana.
  • Italy 1943 - 44 - Landing in Sicily, Augusta, Francofonte, Adrano, Sferro Hills, Sicily 1943, Garigliano Crossing, Anzio.
  • Madagasgar
  • Middle East 1942
  • Imphal, Shenam Pass, Litau, Tengnoupoul, Burma 1942 - 44

[edit] Victoria Cross Winners

Lt A.C. Bogle, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Lt J.P.H Crowe, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Lt H.T. MacPherson, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Surgeon J. Jee, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Asst Surgeon V.M. McMaster, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

C/Sgt S. MacPherson, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Private H. Ward, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Private J. Hollowell, 78th Highlanders, 1857, Indian Mutiny

Lt A.S. Cameron, 72nd Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders, 1858, Indian Mutiny

L/Cpl G. Sellar, 72nd Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders, 1879, Afghanistan

Sgt J. MacKenzie, Seaforth Highlanders, 1900, Ashanti

Cpl S.W. Ware, 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1916, First World War

Dmr W. Ritchie, 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1916, First World War

L/Sgt T. Steel, 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1917, First World War

Lt D. MacKintosh, 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1917, First World War

Sgt A. Edwards, 6th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1917, First World War

L/Cpl R. McBeath, 5th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1917, First World War

Sgt J.M Meikle, MM.4th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1918, First World War

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