Book description
The Gordons recruited from the north-east of Scotland and the
regiment's character was moulded by men from the farming counties of
Aberdeenshire, Moray and Nairn. It was raised in 1794 by an
aristocratic landowner, the Duke of Gordon, whose wife played a major
role in attracting recruits by riding through her husband's estates
and offering a guinea and a kiss to each man who enlisted. Originally
raised as the 100th Highlanders, it was later renumbered the 92nd
Highlanders and in 1881 was amalgamated with the 75th (Stirlingshire)
Regiment to form The Gordon Highlanders.
In the nineteenth century the two regiments were in constant service
throughout the empire and in 1879 the 92nd Highlanders were involved
in Lord Roberts' historic march from Kabul to Kandahar during the
fighting in Afghanistan. One of the first Victoria Crosses was awarded
to a Gordon Highlander, Private Beach, who was decorated for his
supreme gallantry while serving in the Crimea in 1854. Another
Victoria Cross winner was Major George White (Afghanistan, 1879), who
went on to become a field marshal. During the fighting on the
north-west frontier of India in 1897, Piper George Findlater was
awarded the Victoria Cross for continuing to play his pipes despite
being wounded and under heavy enemy fire.
In 1994, The Gordon Highlanders amalgamated with Queen's Own
Highlanders to form The Highlanders and in 2006 became the 4th
Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. This is a celebratory
account of the regiment's long and distinguished history.
Trevor Royle is a respected historian of war and empire. He is the
author of many other books, including the ground-breaking
Crimea: The
Great Crimean War 1854-1856
.
