Seaforth Highlanders

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Seaforth Highlanders
Image:Seaforth.gif
Cap Badge of the Seaforth Highlanders
Active 1881 - 1961
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Line Infantry
Part of Highland Brigade
Garrison/HQ Fort George, Highland
Motto Cuidich 'n Righ (Aid the King)
Battle honours See below
Commanders
Current
commander		 N/A
Ceremonial chief N/A
Colonel of
the Regiment		 Duke of Windsor
Insignia
Tartan Seaforth Mackenzie
This page is for the historical Scottish regiment. For the Canadian regiment of the same name see The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.

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 was originally created through the amalgamation of the 72nd Highlanders (Duke of Albany's Own) and the 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs), originally raised in the 18th century, as part of the Childers Reforms of the British Army in 1881. 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 Battalion 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 Battalion was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). 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).

The 1st Battalion was returned from India, arriving in France in late 1914, and later took part in the Battle of Givenchy.

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

Two service battalions, the 7th and 9th, served in the 9th (Scottish) Division and the 8th (Service) Battalion served in the 15th (Scottish) Division. The 1st Garrison Battalion served in the Balkans. The 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the 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 4th 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.

(Those borne on the Colours are in bold type)

[edit] 72nd Highlanders

[edit] 78th Highlanders

[edit] Seaforth Highlanders

[edit] Great War

  • 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, Albert, Bazentin, Delvillle Wood, Pzieres, Flers Courcelette, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras, Vimy 1917, Scapre, Arleux, Pilckem Ridge, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele,Cambrai, 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
  • Macedonia
  • Meggido, Shoran, Palestine 1918,
  • Tigris 1916, Kut El Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia

[edit] Second World War

  • North West Europe 1940,44-45 - Ypres - Comines Canal, Somme 1940, Withdrawal 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 - 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.
  • Madagascar
  • 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. Steele, 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
  • Cpl L/R. McBeath, 5th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1917, First World War
  • Sgt J.M Meikle, MM.4th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1918, First World War

[edit] See also