Highland Regiments trivia thread.

[figheadair]

Well done, that man....

11 V.C.'s.... Not all were 2/24th foot, to be sure.

Gurkhas, correct , again. The only one of the "hill tribes " that the British Army could not pacify, so they hired them as mercenaries, instead. Not normally posted in the UK, but they have mounted guard at Buckingham Place on a number of occasions, in the past.

Now about Pioneers, and their "marks of distinction " ? Beards

And a slightly different one.........Why don't Royal Artillery units have colours ? Because their guns are their colours

Jim B.

And one for you... Which is the oldest surviving piece of military tartan and which regiment wore it?

[Macman]

Not sure I agree with the oldest Regt answer, I believe it to be The Royal Scots(1st Bn RRS) also known as Caesar's bodyguard. I believe the answer to the Mercenary question is the Gurkha.

The Royal Scots date back to 1633, but they are not continuously serving, as are the Coldstream Guards. I'm pretty sure that it was the Royal Scots who were known as "Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard", but there are probably other regiments who've made the claim.

[Stitchwiz]

slight thread hijack...

There's nothing better than watching an RSM moving across the parade square with his pace stick.

As a child, I occasionally watched my Dad doing this - it was so precise and a joy to watch. But I didn't enjoy listening to him use his voice in the armoury stairwell - it was deafening!
BTW, I polished his pace stick last year and it was a joy to hand it over to my youngest brother who is also ex-army. Dad wanted to be sure it went to where it would be looked after. My brother treasures it.

on thread:
Battle of Rorke's Drift - 11 Victoria Crosses - all well deserved and earned with blood, sweat and tears.
Zulu is one of my all time favourite movies - very well done.

[The Q]

Well done, that man....

.

Gurkhas, correct , again. The only one of the "hill tribes " that the British Army could not pacify, so they hired them as mercenaries, instead. Not normally posted in the UK, but they have mounted guard at Buckingham Place on a number of occasions, in the past.


Jim B.

Not entirely true anymore, with the hand back of Hong Kong and the reduction in military manpower, The Gurkhas are down to two battalions one of which is still overseas in Brunei but the other is at Shorncliffe in Kent UK, either of these Battalions are deployed overseas when required.

Since they have now won the right to settle in the UK after their service and have equal pay and rights to British servicemen, the penny pinchers in Whitehall no longer see them as a cheap source of manpower. Those that settle in UK are also not bringing much needed income back to Nepal, limiting their Political Usefulness, putting the future of this great regiment in doubt should there be further manpower cuts..

[jimintoronto]

Figheadair.

I am stumped on the question " oldest surviving tartan and what Regiment " ?

Any one else have an idea ?

Jim B.

[macwilkin]

Thank you for taking up the challenge......

Dating from 1650, The Coldstream Guards, in continual service. Some times , as a joke, called "Pontius Pilot's body guard ".

The Royal Scots were known as "Pontius Pilate's Body Guard" due to their being the first regiment of foot raised in 1633 for service in France by Sir John Hepburn:

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ponti...ates_bodyguard

T.

[plaid preacher]

The Royal Scots were known as "Pontius Pilate's Body Guard" due to their being the first regiment of foot raised in 1633 for service in France by Sir John Hepburn:

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ponti...ates_bodyguard

T.

Jim, I told you this would open a kettle of fish! Oldest bragging rights are dearly possessed.

As to your question about artillery regiments and their colours ... the guns are their colours.

And to pull it all back to kilts .... the Black Watch have those distinctive spats because during the Crimean War they were artillery, and they lost their guns. As a sign of disgrace for allowing "their colours to fall" the front of their spats was cut out. Later, they performed so heroically in battle they were given the notch back, but it was added to the back of their spats.

At least that's the story I was told.

[macwilkin]

Jim, I told you this would open a kettle of fish! Oldest bragging rights are dearly possessed.

As to your question about artillery regiments and their colours ... the guns are their colours.

And to pull it all back to kilts .... the Black Watch have those distinctive spats because during the Crimean War they were artillery, and they lost their guns. As a sign of disgrace for allowing "their colours to fall" the front of their spats was cut out. Later, they performed so heroically in battle they were given the notch back, but it was added to the back of their spats.

At least that's the story I was told.

The Royal Scots claim is well-documented, and I can't say I've seen any reference to the Coldstreamers claiming that particular nickname. I've only seen reference to "The Lilywhites".

Also to my knowledge, the RHR has never served as an artillery regiment in any official capacity.

[Downunder Kilt]

Figheadair.

I am stumped on the question " oldest surviving tartan and what Regiment " ?

Any one else have an idea ?

Jim B.

Actualy Peter made it easy for us. He has wrtten a paper on it

http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/64t...ers_Tartan.pdf

[plaid preacher]

The Royal Scots claim is well-documented, and I can't say I've seen any reference to the Coldstreamers claiming that particular nickname. I've only seen reference to "The Lilywhites".

Also to my knowledge, the RHR has never served as an artillery regiment in any official capacity.

Macwilkin, I think I must say mea culpa. I seem to have gotten a couple of stories mixed up.

The relationship of the Black Watch to the artillery has to do not with their spats but the red hackle. The Black Watch was awarded the red hackle after recovering guns that had been abandoned by the 11th Light Dragoons at the Battle of Geldermalsen in 1795.

But I also have some vague recollection of a story about the Black Watch loosing the front of the spats after being disgraced in battle ...and I seem to remember it being during the Crimea. Can anyone help with that one?