- History of the Scots Guards (from 1946)
The Scots Guards are a regiment of the
British Army . The regiment cherishes its traditions, especially on the parade ground where the scarlet uniform andbearskin have become synonymous with the regiment and the other Guards regiments. The regiment takes part in numerous events, most notably theBeating Retreat ,Changing of the Guard ,Queen's Birthday Parade ,Remembrance Sunday andState Visit s. The Guards' regiments ceremonial uniforms differ from each other only slightly, the differentiations being in the tunic and the type of plume on the bearskin, if any, they have. The Scots Guards uniform consists of tunic buttons in threes, theOrder of the Thistle on the shoulder badge, theThistle on the collar badge and no plume on the bearskin.WWII history
See
Scots Guards (1914) .A declining empire
Both "battalions" were back in the UK by 1946, having returned from
Germany andTrieste respectively. In 1948, the "1st Battalion" assumed the role ofGuards Training Battalion , a role that lasted until 1951.The "2nd Battalion" was once more involved in war, however, when it deployed to Malaya during the native insurgency there as part of the
2nd Guards Brigade . The State of Emergency in Malaya had been declared in June after increased violence and terrorist acts against British, Asian and other citizens were perpetrated by theMalayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA), an organisation made up largely of ethnic Chinese Communists who opposed the creation of theFederation of Malaya as they believed it did not directly lead to the creation of aCommunist state , and also opposed the British Empire. The Communist insurgents were originally known as 'Bandits' but this was soon replaced with the term CT (Communist Terrorist). The battalion arrived in Malaya in October with the rest of the Guards Brigade and in 1950, the battalion joined the18th Infantry Brigade , the retitled 2nd Guards Brigade.During its time in Malaya, the "2nd Battalion" performed a variety of duties, including, in their involvement in the Emergency, guarding duties due to the
Malayan Police 's manpower problems, but also performed more aggressive tasks, such as patrolling into the dense jungle, hunting for CT. The patrols were difficult for the Commonwealth forces, who did not know where the CT lurked, and who had to contend with all the many aspects of the jungle, such as the diverse animals and sounds that make the jungle their home (especiallyleech es), and the claustrophobia of such a place, with the soldiers having probably been accustomed to living in relatively wide-open cities. A very apparent danger was the deadlybooby trap s laid by the CT. Patrols at times, despite hard slogging in the energy-sapping jungle, gave very little to show for the hard-work, but when contact was made with the CT, it invariably ended in fierce, close-quarters combat, with much valour and professionalism often displayed by the battalion. By the time the battalion departed Malaya in 1951 for home. it had lost thirteen officers and other ranks. The Emergency was declared over on31 July 1960 , the Communists had been defeated.In late 1951, the "1st Battalion" deployed to
Cyprus with the rest of the32nd Guards Brigade , and in February the following year, the battalion deployed to theSuez Canal Zone ,Egypt which was experiencing strife within the Zone, fomented by the Egyptian Government (as-well as newspapers) who, in 1951, had unilaterally abrogated theAnglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 which had given the British a base in the Suez Canal Zone, and was intended to expire in 1956. During its time in Egypt, the battalion performed a number of tasks, including the usual patrolling and guarding, which at times, tended to be monotonous and uneventful, though at others, such duties sometimes involved incidents which included coming under attack from Egyptians, including by snipers as-well as rioting taking place. The battalion remained in Egypt until late 1954, when it, and the rest of the 32nd Guards Brigade, departed after a Treaty was signed between the two countries, which agreed that British and Egyptian technicians would maintain the base, and that a gradual phase-out of British forces in Egypt would begin, with the last British forces leaving Egypt in June 1956. During its time in Egypt the battalion suffered a single fatality.Also in 1952, Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne, and became the "regiment's" fifth Colonel-in-Chief since the first, King Edward VII, in 1901. Also in 1952, the regiment formed a new alliance with the 3rd Battalion, The
Royal Australian Regiment , an alliance that remains intact as of 2004. In July 1953, the "2nd Battalion" deployed toWest Germany to join the4th Guards Brigade atHubbelrath , part of theBritish Army of the Rhine , and returned home in 1957. That year the "1st Battalion" headed for Hubbelrath to join the 4th Guards Brigade and remained there until 1960 when it too returned home to the UK. In February 1962, the "2nd Battalion" arrived inKenya where it joined the24th Infantry Brigade . While there the battalion operated in support of the civil power there, which included in 1964, assistance during the mutiny of the 1st Battalion, The Kenya Rifles and inUganda , sent a company to help in quelling the mutiny of the 1st Battalion, The Uganda Rifles, and the battalion departed Kenya that same year for home.Elsewhere in 1964 the "regiment's" alliance with the Canadian
Winnipeg Grenadiers came to an end, ending an alliance that had existed since 1933. The Winnipeg Grenadiers would disband the following year. In late 1964 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Malaysia, which had only been formed the previous year, where it joined the28th Commonwealth Brigade , and was based inTerendak ,Malacca . In 1965 the battalion undertook two tours inBorneo during theIndonesian Confrontation . The battalion's time in Borneo was quite similar to the "2nd Battalion's" experiences in the Malaysian mainland during the Malayan Emergency, with patrols being undertaken against Indonesian incursions in the dense jungle that covered Borneo. The following year the "1st Battalion" returned home from the Far East. That same year the "2nd Battalion" deployed to West Germany where it was based inIserlohn as part of4th Armoured Brigade and the following year moved toMunster .Usage in Northern Ireland
The "1st Battalion" deployed for the first time to the
Persian Gulf when it arrived in Sharjah, now part of theUnited Arab Emirates and left in late 1970. Also that year the "2nd Battalion" returned home from Germany and deployed on a short tour ofNorthern Ireland which would be one of many for the regiment, and especially so during the 1970s. In 1971 the "2nd Battalion", due to defence cuts, was placed in 'suspended animation' and two companies were retained, but the following year, due to the change of Government, the battalion was reformed. Also in 1971 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Ireland for the first time. Such deployments were difficult with troops being in constant danger fromsniper s and bombs, with patrols and guarding being the main routine duties. Their tour came to an end in December; during their deployment five men were lost to shooting and bombing incidents.In 1972 the "1st Battalion" deployed to West Germany where it was stationed in Munster as part of 4th Armoured Brigade. That same year the recently reformed "2nd Battalion" undertook a tour of Northern Ireland and during its tour the battalion lost three of its men by gunfire. In May 1973 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Northern Ireland, leaving in September to return to its base in Germany. The "2nd Battalion" followed in late 1973 and suffered a fatality from sniper fire during its tour. In 1974 two members of the regiment lost their lives during an IRA bombing of two pubs in
Guildford ; two members of theWomen's Royal Army Corps and a civilian were also killed and dozens were wounded.In 1975 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Ireland yet again, though this time they thankfully did not suffer any fatalities during their 4-month tour-of-duty and returned to Munster in August. The "2nd Battalion" had a decidedly warmer deployment when it arrived in
Belize in Central America for a five-month deployment. In January 1976 the "1st Battalion" returned home from Germany while the "2nd Battalion" journeyed in the opposite direction, being based in Munster. Later that year the "2nd Battalion" deployed to Northern Ireland for another tour-of-duty fulfilling the usual roles of troops in Ireland before returning to Munster in January 1977. The "1st Battalion" arrived in Northern Ireland later that year for a very brief tour there. In August 1978 the "1st Battalion" returned again to Ireland for another 4-month tour-of-duty. That year a member of the "2nd Battalion" was killed while working undercover for the 14th Intelligence Company in Northern Ireland. In March 1980 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Northern Ireland where it was stationed atAldergrove ,England for a deployment that would last until late 1981. The "2nd Battalion" joined the "1st Battalion" when it deployed to Northern Ireland in May 1980 for a 5-month tour-of-duty. In late 1981 the "1st Battalion" left Aldergrove for warmer climes when it deployed toHong Kong in the Far East on a two-year posting.Falklands War
On
2 April 1982 ,Argentina , then under a dictatorship led by General Galtieri, invaded the British territory of theFalkland Islands offSouth America . The British soon assembled a large array ofRoyal Navy (RN) warships, Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and merchant ships and headed south forAscension Island . On the25 April , the island ofSouth Georgia , offAntarctica was recaptured and on the1 May the RNCarrier Battle Group had entered the 200-mile (370 km) Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) which had been placed around the Falklands. On12 May the "2nd Battalion", as part of the5th Infantry Brigade (1st Battalion, The Welsh Guards, 1st/7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles), embarked aboardRMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), which had been requisitioned by the Government for use as a troopship, and departedSouthampton for South Georgia. In the early hours of the21 May D-day began with |3 Commando Brigade (including two Para battalions) landing unopposed at San Carlos water and successfully established a bridgehead.In late May the QE2 arrived at her destination but because she could not be risked by moving her closer to the Falklands, most of 5th Brigade were transferred to the
P & O linerSS Canberra who would then take them to their destination. On the2 June , Canberra anchored inSan Carlos Water , and subsequently the Guards were landed atSan Carlos by LCU, a day after the 1st/7th Gurkhas had been landed by LCU from the ferryNorland . On the5 June the "Scots Guards" were embarked aboard the assault ship HMS Intrepid before being transferred to the ship's four LCUs who transported them toBluff Cove . On the8 June the 1st Welsh Guards were aboard RFA Sir Galahad also waiting to be landed atBluff Cove when Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram were attacked by Argentinian Skyhawk fighters who proceeded to hit both ships. Sir Galahad was terribly hit and both ships caught fire, causing terrible casualties aboard Sir Galahad. Forty eight people, including thirty two Welsh Guards, were killed and many were wounded, many suffering from terrible burns.On the morning of
13 June the "Scots Guards" were moved from their positions at Bluff Cove by helicopter to an assembly area near Goat Ridge near to their objective, Mount Tumbledown, which was defended by a crack Argentinian unit, the 5th Marine Infantry Battalion. On the night of the 13th the main force of the "Scots Guards" began its advance on the western side of Mount Tumbledown. During the course of the battle in the early hours of the 14th, men of the battalion launched abayonet charge on the stout Argentinian defenders which resulted in bitter and bloody fighting, and was one of the last bayonet charges by the British Army. The battle raged on and by 8:00 am the final objective was taken and Mount Tumbledown was in the hands of the "Scots Guards". The battle had been bloody, yet successful, and the battalion had proven the elite calibre and professionalism of the regiment in taking a well-defended mountain, defended by a top Argentinian unit, for it had been performing public duties back inLondon only a few months before. The "Scots Guards" casualties were eight "Guards" and one Royal Engineer killed, and forty three wounded. Their Argentinian opponents lost forty men and over thirty captured. SeeBattle of Mount Tumbledown .On
14 June the Argentinian commander surrendered his forces of just under 10,000 men to the British, the war was over, though the end of hostilities would not officially be declared until the20 June . The following day, Juiliet Company (made up mostly of men ofNaval Party 8901 who had defended the Falklands when it had been invaded) raised the Governor's flag above Government House, it had been down for seventy four days; the Falklands was finally liberated. Most of 5th Brigade were moved back to Fitzroy and the "Scots Guards" were subsequently moved toWest Falkland to await the arrival of the first garrison troops and eventually departed the Falklands for Ascension on Norland on19 July . The battalion was subsequently returned home by air, being transported by RAF VC-10 aircraft. The regiment won a number of gallantry awards for their actions in the Falklands War. A singleDistinguished Service Order (DSO) was won, being awarded to the "battalion's" CO Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Scott. Also won by the battalion were twoMilitary Cross es (MC), twoDistinguished Conduct Medal s (DCM) and twoMilitary Medal s (MM). The battalion was awarded two battle honours for its part in the war, "Tumbledown Mountain" and "Falkland Islands 1982".A 21st century guardsman
In 1984 the "1st Battalion" returned from
Hong Kong while the "2nd Battalion" did the opposite and left for abroad, being deployed to theSovereign Base Area ,Cyprus where the battalion would remain until February 1986 when it returned home. In June the "1st Battalion" took part once more in the Queen's Birthday Parade, a parade which was the last time Queen Elizabeth rode on horseback during the parade. In September the "1st Battalion" deployed toIreland on an emergency tour that lasted until January 1987 The "1st Battalion" was presented with newColours by Queen Elizabeth atBuckingham Palace and the regiment also takes part in theQueen's Birthday Parade . In October the "2nd Battalion" deployed on the usual tour of NI, a tour that lasted until February 1988. That same month, the "1st Battalion" deployed toHohne , West Germany where it joined the22nd Armoured Brigade .The "2nd Battalion" also deployed abroad, when it took part in mechanised infantry exercises in the BATUS,Canada which lasted for 6-weeks. Also that year the "2nd Battalion" was presented with new colours by the Queen at Hopeton House,Edinburgh In 1989 the "1st Battalion" deployed on an emergency tour ofEast Tyrone , NI, a tour that lasted for about 4 months. The "2nd Battalion" also deployed abroad, to Canada where they took part in 6-week exercises at the BATUS.The first year of the 1990s brought much of the same for the "Scots Guards" when the "1st Battalion" departed for 6-weeks of exercises at BATUS,
Canada . The "1st Battalion" did gain new equipment that year when it converted from theFV432 to the much more capable Warrior APC. In March the "2nd Battalion" arrived inNorthern Ireland for another tour, and during that year the regiment suffered one fatality inIreland . During this tour members of the "2nd Battalion" were involved in the shooting of an unarmed civilian, Peter McBride, for which two members were imprisoned. [Citation
last = McCaffrey
first = Brian
author-link =
title = McBrides find backing in battle against MoD
newspaper = Irish News
pages =
year = 2005
date = 2005-09-07
url = http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/pmcbride/050907in.html] In November 1990, commanded by Lt. Col. Price, the Regimental Band of the scots guards set off to the gulf to take part in operation granby. The band served in 33 Field Hospital in Kuwait as medics on various wards, as well as providing musical entertainment at the British ambassadors residence as well as playing for the coffins as they returned back home. Musicians of the Scots Guards band can still be seen wearing there medals today. The "1st Battalion" also deployed to thePersian Gulf as part ofOperation Granby , the British contribution to the war againstSaddam Hussein , for which the battalion was awarded the theatre honour "Gulf 1991". That same year the "2nd Battalion" took part in the Queen's Birthday Parade. In 1992 the "1st Battalion" deployed toIreland and during that 6-month tour the battalion suffered a single fatality. Other events that year for the regiment included the "2nd Battalion" providing theRoyal Guard atBalmoral Castle , participating in theEdinburgh Military Tattoo , in which the regiment has participated in many times. Also that year the regiment celebrated atHolyrood Palace , the 350th Anniversary of the "regiment's" creation. In 1993 the "2nd Battalion" took part in 6-week exercises at BATUS in Canada but on the4 November , due to defence cuts, the battalion was placed in 'suspended animation' and a single company ("F Company") was formed for public and other duties. In 1994 the "1st Battalion" deployed on a tour ofIreland that lasted for 6-months. The following year saw the "1st Battalion" take part in the Queen's Birthday Parade and deploy to Canada for 6-weeks of exercises at BATUS. In 1996 the battalion deployed once more toIreland and the following year the regiment takes part in the Queen's Birthday Parade. In 1998 the "1st Battalion" deployed toBallykinler ,Ireland on a 2-year posting and returned home.The new
Millennium also brought much of the same for the regiment. The "1st Battalion" deployed toIreland in 2000. That year the battalion also deployed toKenya for exercises that lasted 6-weeks. A contingent of the "Scots Guards" was also deployed toSierra Leone inWest Africa . In 2001 the "1st Battalion" was back inIRELAND , and a single company stayed there for 6-months. Sadness struck the nation in 2002 when the Queen Mother died in March, only a month after her daughter, Princess Margaret, had died. The regiment was very active in duties and on the5 April , 6 officers and 300 other ranks of the regiment took part in the funeral procession toWestminster Hall where the late Queen Mother would be lying-in-state until the9 April . Officers of the regiment took turns at standing vigil in Westminster Hall around the Queen Mother's coffin, provoking sombre scenes. Later that month, after such sombre scenes, the "1st Battalion" and "F Company" were presented with their new Colours by Queen Elizabeth atWindsor Castle . On15 June the battalion took part in the Queen's Birthday Parade, a parade that was significant all the more because 2002 was also the year of Queen Elizabeth'sGolden Jubilee , her 50th year as Queen. The regiment was also celebrating its 360th year, and had also been the first regiment (the "2nd Battalion") to parade the Colour for Queen Elizabeth in 1952. The battalion and "F Company" were also involved in firefighting duties as part ofOperation Fresco during the firefighters strike, and the "Scots Guards", as did all other armed forces units, used vintage ArmyGreen Goddess fire engines. The "Scots Guards" operated inGreater London during their firefighting duties.In 2003 the "1st Battalion" deployed to Munster,
Germany where it joinedBritish Forces Germany (BFG) on a 6-year posting. Also that year "F Company" deployed abroad too when it took part in “exercises” in the ex-Soviet state ofKazakhstan . In 2004 the "1st Battalion" deployed toIraq on a 6-month posting as part of 4th Armoured Brigade from October, where the Brigade, which will relieve1st Mechanised Brigade , will join theMulti-National Division (South East) , which is under UK command.Under the reforms announced in
2004 , the Scots Guards will remain as a single battalion regiment, but be given a fixed role. It will remain as an armoured infantry battalion, moving from Munster toCatterick , in northernEngland in2009 . As a consequence, it is unlikely that the 1st Battalion will be employed onpublic duties for a considerable time - this task will instead remain with F Company.References
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