- Calcutta Scottish
The Calcutta Scottish was a regiment of volunteers of Scottish descent raised in
1914 as an infantry regiment of theBritish Indian Army . The regiment formed part of the army reserves in Auxiliary Force, India (AFI). The regimental dress uniform was HuntingStewart tartan . The regiment was disbanded following India's independence in1947 .History
Formation
An attempt was made to raise 2 kilted companies of “Calcutta Scottish” within the Calcutta Rifles, but apparently without success. [This may account for the date for the raising of the Regiment being given as 1 Aug 1911 in Major Donovan Jackson’s work “India’s Army”. On 1 August 1914, The Calcutta Scottish Volunteers were formed as part of the Indian Volunteer Force. Kings and Regimental Colours awarded.
First World War
The regiment probably deployed only as individual reinforcements. Some officers are known to have gone to East Africa, but there is no other record of deployment as a unit.Fact|date=October 2008 There is reference to Calcutta Volunteer Machine Guns armed with Maxim guns which may have included officers and men from the Calcutta Scottish.
On 1 April 1917, the regiment was redesignated the 44th Calcutta Scottish. In 1919, the 44th was called out for over 2 months to deal with “communal riots”.
Postwar
On 1 October 1920, the regiment was redesignated The Calcutta Scottish (Army Auxiliary Force, India) and in 1921 included a Light Motor Patrol armed with Maxim guns (later Vickers, then Lewis, then Brens) but mounted in private cars.
In 1921 the Prince of Wales visited the East in HMS "Renown" and on a visit to the city on 24 December inspected the Calcutta Scottish. In 1926 the unit was again called out for over 2 months, reason not known (possibly riots?). The unit was inspected again by the Prince of Wales. in 1928.
In 1930 the unit was called out as Aid to the Civil Power for over 2 months (in small detachments, called out 18 times).
econd World War
Provided a detachment for Operation CREEK, a special operation against Axis shipping in Goa in 1942. The lead unit was the Calcutta Light Horse, although some members of the Calcutta Scottish also took part. (See the book "
The Boarding Party " by James Leasor). In 1946 the regiment was regorganized to consist of an HQ, 2 compannies and 4 Motor platoons, and disbanded in 1947 upon India's independence.Uniform
Jacket: 1920: Scarlet jacket with white facings. By 1946: Scarlet jacket with yellow facings.
Kilt: Hunting Stewart tartan. Rarely worn during WW2.
Glengarry: 1914-20: Diced Green and white. By 1946: Royal blue with same colour ribbons (Argyle?). Sun helmets worn a lot of the time. Also red and black check/diced.
Hose Tops: 1914-20: Green and white. By 1946: Tartan with red flashes. Also red and black check/diced.
Badge: The Cross of St Andrew with the coat of arms of Calcutta superimposed, in the upper angle of the cross: a crown. Motto: Per Adua Stabilis Esto.King’s and Regimental Colours: Passed originally to the London Scottish and in 1953 by them to the United Services Museum in Edinburgh Castle. (Now the National War Museum of Scotland.)
Regimental Silver: Passed originally to London Scottish (but no further knowledge), seen in Edinburgh Castle in 1951.
Regimental Journal: "Calcutta Scottish Regimental Chronicle".
Operation CREEK was described in the book “The Boarding Party” by James Leasor. A “factional” account, in which the Calcutta Light Horse, reinforced by some members of the Calcutta Scottish raided the neutral port of Marmagoa on 9 March 1943. In the port, a German ship the “Ehrenfels” had been providing information to 3 German U-boats, on the movement of Allied shipping. As result, some 250,000 tons of British shipping had been sunk over a period of 45 days. After a journey from Calcutta, via Bombay, in the Hopper Barge “Phoebe” the Ehrenfels was boarded and destroyed along with 2 other German, and one Italian, ships. 'The Sea Wolves', released in June 1981, was a film of the book with Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, David Niven and Trevor Howard. It was actually filmed in Goa.
External links
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~james.mckay/commonwr.htm]
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