Book description
The King's Own Scottish Borderers is one of only two Scottish
regiments never to have been amalgamated until it joined forces with
The Royal Scots to form the 1st battalion of The Royal Regiment of
Scotland in 2006. It is also unusual in that it lost its Scottish
status between 1782 and 1887 when it served as the 25th (Sussex)
Regiment of Foot.
Formed in Edinburgh in 1689, its first operational role was to
defend the city during the period of turmoil following the accession
of William and Mary of Orange. That same year the regiment fought at
the Battle of Killiecrankie, where they withstood a ferocious charge
by the Highlanders supporting James II. Since then, the regiment has
fought in most of the major campaigns fought by the British Army.
In 1887, the regiment became The King's Own Scottish Borderers. It
served with distinction during the two World Wars and achieved
nationwide fame in 1915 when Sergeant Piper Daniel Laidlaw won the
Victoria Cross during the Battle of Loos. Despite coming under heavy
fire he played his pipes in full view of the enemy, encouraging the
Borderers with the sound of 'Blue Bonnets o'er the Border' and 'The
Standard on the Braes o' Mar'.
This concise account of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
puts its story into the context of British military history and
makes use of personal testimony to reveal the life of the regiment.
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
.
