153 (Highland) Transport Regiment

153rd (Highland) Transport Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport, was a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.

The regiment was formed in 1967 from a number of territorial transport regiments, with two transport squadrons and an ambulance squadron.

A third transport squadron was formed in 1969 taking many of the soldiers who had served in the The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horsewhen it was converted into a cadre in that year. The cadre was disbanded in 1975 and its lineage was not passed onto the Highland Yeomanry Squadron though as a concession the men were allowed to wear the Atholl Bonnet headdress of The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse.

In 1992, 239 Squadron was disbanded when the Barrack it was based in was required to house the reformed Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse Squadron of The Scottish Yeomanry.

The regiment was amalgamated with 154th (Lowland) Transport Regiment in 1993, to form The Scottish Transport Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps

Squadrons

153 (Highland) Regiment RCT Pipes and Drums

As a result of the reorganisation of Britain's reserve forces on 1 April 1967 the Pipes and Drums of 153 (Highland) Regiment RCT were formed from the bands of the 51st (Highland) Divisional Regiment RCT (TA) and the band of 433 (Fourth) Regiment RCT (TA).

The majority of the pipers and drummers of this new regiment were drawn from the 51st (Highland) Divisional Regiment, a regiment which was formed in 1908 as a territorial unit of the Scottish Land Forces. The Pipes and Drums of 153 Regiment were formed in 1937 on an unofficial basis, supported by contributions from the Regiment's Officers and their friends. As it was an unofficial band each piper and drummer also had to be a trained soldier and although the band was accorded official status in 1953 this tradition continued. Indeed, in 1940 the Pipes and Drums went to war with the 51st Highland Division and many of its members were taken prisoner at Sy Valery-en-Caux after the collapse of France.

When the Territorial Army was reconstituted on 1947 the Regiment's Pipes and Drums were also reformed under Major David Brodie RCT. The band went from strength to strength and in 1963 the Pipes and Drums began to take up competitive piping seriously. Since then they won almost every major trophy at Highland Games and Competitions. They won the Grade II World Championships in 1963 and 1966 and the Army Pipe Band Championships for three years in succession from 1967 to 1969. By 1969 they were the only military corps of Pipes and Drums - regular or volunteer - up to the standard of, and competing to, Grade I standard in Scottish Pipe Band Association competitions. The Pipes and Drums made highly successful tours of Germany in 1968 and 1970 playing in Hanover, Hameln, Bielefeld and Bad Munder as well as giving performances to units of the British Army of the Rhine.

References

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