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DRUMMERS, SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS.

Seaforth Highlanders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seaforth Highlanders

Active: 1881 - 1961
Country: United Kingdom
Branch: British Army
Type: Line Infantry
Part of: Highland Brigade
GarrisonHead Quarters: 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

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.

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.

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.

World War I

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.

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.

World War II

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.

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.

72nd Highlanders
Carnatic, Hindoostan, Mysore
Cape of Good Hope 1806
South Africa 1835
Sevastopol
Central India
Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 1878 - 1880

78th Highlanders
Assaye with Elephant
Maida
Java
Koosh Ab, Persia
Lucknow
Afghanistan 1879 - 1880

Seaforth Highlanders
Tel El Kebir, Egypt 1882
Chitral Campaign 1895
Atbara, Khartoum
Paardeberg, South Africa 1899 - 1902

Great War

Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, 18, Aisne 1914, La Bassée 1914, Armentières 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, Scarpe, Arleux, Pilckem Ridge, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele,Cambrai, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Lys, Estaires, Messines 1918, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Béthune, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Tardenois, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Courtrai, Selle,Valenciennes, France and Flanders

Macedonia
Meggido, Shoran, Palestine 1918,
Tigris 1916, Kut El Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia

Second World War

North West Europe 1940, 1944 - 1945 - Ypres - Comines Canal, Somme 1940, Withdrawal to Seine, St Valéry-en-Caux, Odon, Caen, Troarn, Mont Pincon, Falaise, Falaise Road, Dives Crossing, La Vire Crossing, Lisieux, Nederrijin, Best, Le 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 - 1944 - Landing in Sicily, Augusta, Francofonte, Adrano, Sferro Hills, Sicily 1943, Garigliano Crossing, Anzio.

Madagascar
Middle East 1942
Imphal, Shenam Pass, Litau, Tengnoupoul, Burma 1942 - 1944

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