The Scots Guards
THE YPRES TIMES
By Stephen Graham,
37
Author of A Private in the Guards; Ivan the Terrible; Boris Godunof, etc.
Battle Honours
The following honorary distinctions are borne upon each of the King's and Regimental Colours
Namttb, 1695," Dettingen
d'Onor," Nive," Peninsula,
Tel-el-Kebir," Egypt, 1882,j
Lincelles,'
Waterloo,"
Suakin, 1885,"
18991902.'
3 Battalions.Retreat from
Talavera," Barrosa," Fuentes
'Alma," "Inkerman," "Sevastopol,"
Modder River," South Africa,
The Great War3 Battalions.Retreat from Hons," Marne, 1914," Aisne,
1914," "Y'pres, 1911, '17." Langemarck, 1914," Glieluvelt," Nonne Bossclien,"
"Givenchy, 1914," "Neuve Ckapelle," "Aubers," "Festubert, 1915," "Loos," "Somme,
1916, '18," Flers-Courcelette," Morval," Pilckem," Poeleappelle," Passchen-
daele," Cambrai, 1917, '18," "St. Quentin," "Albert, 1918," Bapaume, 1918,"
"Arras, 1918," Drocourt-Queant," "Hindenburg Line," Havrincourt," "Canal du
Nord," Selle," Sambre," "France and Flanders, 1914-18."
U niformSea rlet.
Facin gsBue.
Pipers TartanRoyal Stuart.
THE redoubted regiment of Scots Guards has been little written about. As
I once heard a sergeant explain, the history of the Scots Guards has never
been written, because it cannot be written." This may be partly due to the
destruction of the regimental papers by fire in 1841. There the records of its early
romantic history were lost, though perhaps not absolutely irretrievably. Research
in Scotland and elsewhere would probably be rewarded with some most interesting
stories.
Henry VIII at his accession created The King's Bodyguard of the
Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms," the origin of the Guards. Charles II
had His Majesty's Own Troop of Guards," these, of course, were horse. But
there were also Foot-Guards. The Scots Guards were raised and maintained in
Scotland during the reign of Charles II, according to one writer, but according to
another we must put the date back to 1639. Probably it was an irregular force
during the Civil War and only received official status at the Restoration, and was
placed on the Scottish establishment which at that time was distinct from the
English.
It was originally called the Scots Guards, though called upon to change
its name at two subsequent points in its history. It was originally a Highland
regiment raised by the Earl of Argyle. They seem to have been employed by-
Charles I against the Irish rebels. Returning to Scotland they remained a royalist
force and fought under Leslie at Dunbar. They suffered severe casualties but their
numbers were made up and they fought against Cromwell again at the battle of
Worcester where they were almost annihilated.
