The Royal Scots Regiment
Officers' Cap Badge
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Soldiers' Cap Badge
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HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), the oldest Infantry Regiment of the Line in the British Army, was formed in 1633 when Sir John Hepburn under a Royal Warrant granted by King Charles I, raised a body of men in Scotland for service in France. By 1635 he commanded a force of over 8,000, including many who had fought as mercenaries in the “Green Brigade” for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. It was by virtue of the Royal Warrant that the entire Regiment was considered as British; a regular force in a standing Army which could be recalled to Britain at will. In 1661, the Regiment was, in fact summoned to Britain to bridge the gap between the disbandment of the New Model Army and the creation of a Regular Army, organised along the same lines as the British units in foreign service. The Regiment was thus the original model for all others.
In 1680 the Royal Scots were sent to Tangier and won its first Battle Honour. On its return to England in 1684 the title “The Royal Regiment of Foot” was conferred by Charles II. During Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685, five companies formed part of the force concentrated against the rebels who they met at Sedgemoor. The following year, the Regiment was divided into two battalions and was not to have less until 1949.
The Royal Scots saw service under Malborough during the War of the Spanish Succession and followed this with garrison duty in Ireland where they remained until 1742. From this date the two battalions were usually to be separated and posted far apart. The 1st Battalion moved in 1743 to Germany to take part in the Austrian War of Succession, and was involved in the Battle of Fontenoy. In the following year, the 2nd Battalion became involved in the fight against the Young Pretender which culminated in the Battle of Culloden. In 1751 the army was numbered and thereafter the Regiment was officially designated the First or Royal Regiment of Foot.
The War of Austrian Succession had not settled the chief issue between Britain and France – colonial supremacy. Both in India and America the fighting continued and most of the Regiment’s active service in the 35 years which followed was to be in the New World. From Canada to the West Indies, during the Seven Years War, the 2nd Battalion found itself involved in many actions including the capture of Montreal in 1760 and Havana in 1762. Then, after a period of home service and in the Mediterranean, it was the turn of the 1st Battalion for service in the West Indies. Disease rather than the enemy accounted for most deaths; between 1793 and 1796 the British lost 40,000 men in the West Indies of which The Royals lost 5 officers and 400 men, well over half the battalion strength.
During the Napoleonic Wars the regiment was increased to a strength of four battalions. The 1st Battalion spent the entire period of the war in the Americas and the 2nd Battalion took part in the capture of Egypt (1801), then moved to the West Indies (1803-05), before travelling to India, the first time that any part of the Regiment had been there. They were to stay until 1831. In contrast the 3rd and 4th Battalions remained in Europe, with the 4th Battalion on home service until 1812 supplying drafts for the other three battalions. The 3rd Battalion first saw action at Corunna in 1808 and then took part in the Peninsular War. There followed the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo which cost the battalion 363 casualties out of a strength of 624. Two years later it was disbanded; the 4th Battalion having suffered a similar fate the previous year.
The next ninety years produced a considerable number of moves for both the 1st and the 2nd battalions with action in India in 1817-31 where the 2nd Battalion was stationed. The Crimean War was the next major campaign for the Regiment; the 1st Battalion arriving in time for the Battle of Alma. The Regiment’s first VC was won by Private Prosser during the Siege of Sevastopol for two acts of heroism. In 1900 the 1st Battalion joined British forces in South Africa for service in the Boer War. Most of the time was spent on mobile column work, patrolling and raiding expeditions.
The Great War
We are very grateful to Iain Laird of the Royal Scots for permission to reproduce the following information from his own web site. This intriguing piece shows that the Royal Scots were fighting over the same ground in 1918 as in 1940. Iain's site can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page:
The 8th Royal Scots Rear-Guard Action against a German Offensive at Le Paradis in April, 1918 (sourced from the Royal Scots War Diary)
It is a sad irony that the very ground that was fought over by the 1st Royal Scots and 2nd Royal Norfolks in May 1940 had been fought over by the 8th Royal Scots in April 1918, in another rear-guard action against a German Offensive, which was firstly on Merville and Bethune, secondly on Hazebrouck and finally the Ypres Salient and the Channel Ports.
In response to the offensive the 8th Royal Scots were marched up to Mont-Bernanchono on the 9th April. The next day they were ordered forward to Pacault where they came under German Artillery fire, sustaining casualties, who are buried in the CWGC Cemetery in Mont-Bernanchon. Fallen of The Royal Scots and Royal Norfolks including a large number of undentified British Soldiers from May 1940 are buried alongside them.
After dark on the 10th April B Company moved to a position in front of Paradis (near Lestrem) in support of the 7th Gordons who were West of the River Lawe. Heavy fighting on the 11th April pushed back the Gordons and the rest of their Division from the line of the Lawe, and B Company fell back with them holding the German Advance on the line of the railway near Merville.
In the meantime C Company had advanced before dawn that day from Pacault and dug in about 500 yards east of Paradis Church and broke a dangerous German attack which started at 8 am sustaining many losses. A Company meanwhile had moved at about 7 am west of Pacault and dug in about 1,000 yards south-west of C Company. The attack reached them at midday with the Germans establishing themselves in groups of houses nearby. Artillery fire was directed on them and they were brought down by small arms fire from A Company as they moved out into the open. C Company fought off a violent assault at the same time and elements of B Company moved up to reinforce C Company's left flank. This still left both Company's flanks exposed and so the acting CO withdrew them slightly to maintain liaison with the units on their flanks.
By the night of the 11th/12th April it seemed the worst of the offensive had passed, and then just before dawn on the 12th April a tremendous attack was launched along the whole of the line. The Germans broke through on the left and got behind The Royal Scots position, surprising Battalion HQ. A and C Companies though surrounded fought on. A Company crossed La Bassée Canal near Mont-Bernanchon and C Company formed a line with a party of Sappers through Pacault Wood and kept the Germans at bay until dusk, and then crossed the canal under cover of darkness, ending the 8th Royal Scots part in fighting in the area that would be fought over again by the 1st Royal Scots 22 years later.
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), the oldest Infantry Regiment of the Line in the British Army, was formed in 1633 when Sir John Hepburn under a Royal Warrant granted by King Charles I, raised a body of men in Scotland for service in France. By 1635 he commanded a force of over 8,000, including many who had fought as mercenaries in the “Green Brigade” for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. It was by virtue of the Royal Warrant that the entire Regiment was considered as British; a regular force in a standing Army which could be recalled to Britain at will. In 1661, the Regiment was, in fact summoned to Britain to bridge the gap between the disbandment of the New Model Army and the creation of a Regular Army, organised along the same lines as the British units in foreign service. The Regiment was thus the original model for all others.
In 1680 the Royal Scots were sent to Tangier and won its first Battle Honour. On its return to England in 1684 the title “The Royal Regiment of Foot” was conferred by Charles II. During Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685, five companies formed part of the force concentrated against the rebels who they met at Sedgemoor. The following year, the Regiment was divided into two battalions and was not to have less until 1949.
The Royal Scots saw service under Malborough during the War of the Spanish Succession and followed this with garrison duty in Ireland where they remained until 1742. From this date the two battalions were usually to be separated and posted far apart. The 1st Battalion moved in 1743 to Germany to take part in the Austrian War of Succession, and was involved in the Battle of Fontenoy. In the following year, the 2nd Battalion became involved in the fight against the Young Pretender which culminated in the Battle of Culloden. In 1751 the army was numbered and thereafter the Regiment was officially designated the First or Royal Regiment of Foot.
The War of Austrian Succession had not settled the chief issue between Britain and France – colonial supremacy. Both in India and America the fighting continued and most of the Regiment’s active service in the 35 years which followed was to be in the New World. From Canada to the West Indies, during the Seven Years War, the 2nd Battalion found itself involved in many actions including the capture of Montreal in 1760 and Havana in 1762. Then, after a period of home service and in the Mediterranean, it was the turn of the 1st Battalion for service in the West Indies. Disease rather than the enemy accounted for most deaths; between 1793 and 1796 the British lost 40,000 men in the West Indies of which The Royals lost 5 officers and 400 men, well over half the battalion strength.
During the Napoleonic Wars the regiment was increased to a strength of four battalions. The 1st Battalion spent the entire period of the war in the Americas and the 2nd Battalion took part in the capture of Egypt (1801), then moved to the West Indies (1803-05), before travelling to India, the first time that any part of the Regiment had been there. They were to stay until 1831. In contrast the 3rd and 4th Battalions remained in Europe, with the 4th Battalion on home service until 1812 supplying drafts for the other three battalions. The 3rd Battalion first saw action at Corunna in 1808 and then took part in the Peninsular War. There followed the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo which cost the battalion 363 casualties out of a strength of 624. Two years later it was disbanded; the 4th Battalion having suffered a similar fate the previous year.
The next ninety years produced a considerable number of moves for both the 1st and the 2nd battalions with action in India in 1817-31 where the 2nd Battalion was stationed. The Crimean War was the next major campaign for the Regiment; the 1st Battalion arriving in time for the Battle of Alma. The Regiment’s first VC was won by Private Prosser during the Siege of Sevastopol for two acts of heroism. In 1900 the 1st Battalion joined British forces in South Africa for service in the Boer War. Most of the time was spent on mobile column work, patrolling and raiding expeditions.
The Great War
We are very grateful to Iain Laird of the Royal Scots for permission to reproduce the following information from his own web site. This intriguing piece shows that the Royal Scots were fighting over the same ground in 1918 as in 1940. Iain's site can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page:
The 8th Royal Scots Rear-Guard Action against a German Offensive at Le Paradis in April, 1918 (sourced from the Royal Scots War Diary)
It is a sad irony that the very ground that was fought over by the 1st Royal Scots and 2nd Royal Norfolks in May 1940 had been fought over by the 8th Royal Scots in April 1918, in another rear-guard action against a German Offensive, which was firstly on Merville and Bethune, secondly on Hazebrouck and finally the Ypres Salient and the Channel Ports.
In response to the offensive the 8th Royal Scots were marched up to Mont-Bernanchono on the 9th April. The next day they were ordered forward to Pacault where they came under German Artillery fire, sustaining casualties, who are buried in the CWGC Cemetery in Mont-Bernanchon. Fallen of The Royal Scots and Royal Norfolks including a large number of undentified British Soldiers from May 1940 are buried alongside them.
After dark on the 10th April B Company moved to a position in front of Paradis (near Lestrem) in support of the 7th Gordons who were West of the River Lawe. Heavy fighting on the 11th April pushed back the Gordons and the rest of their Division from the line of the Lawe, and B Company fell back with them holding the German Advance on the line of the railway near Merville.
In the meantime C Company had advanced before dawn that day from Pacault and dug in about 500 yards east of Paradis Church and broke a dangerous German attack which started at 8 am sustaining many losses. A Company meanwhile had moved at about 7 am west of Pacault and dug in about 1,000 yards south-west of C Company. The attack reached them at midday with the Germans establishing themselves in groups of houses nearby. Artillery fire was directed on them and they were brought down by small arms fire from A Company as they moved out into the open. C Company fought off a violent assault at the same time and elements of B Company moved up to reinforce C Company's left flank. This still left both Company's flanks exposed and so the acting CO withdrew them slightly to maintain liaison with the units on their flanks.
By the night of the 11th/12th April it seemed the worst of the offensive had passed, and then just before dawn on the 12th April a tremendous attack was launched along the whole of the line. The Germans broke through on the left and got behind The Royal Scots position, surprising Battalion HQ. A and C Companies though surrounded fought on. A Company crossed La Bassée Canal near Mont-Bernanchon and C Company formed a line with a party of Sappers through Pacault Wood and kept the Germans at bay until dusk, and then crossed the canal under cover of darkness, ending the 8th Royal Scots part in fighting in the area that would be fought over again by the 1st Royal Scots 22 years later.
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Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War on 3rd September, 1939, the 1st Battalion Royal Scots was at Aldershot as part of 4th Infantry Brigade, alongside the 1st Border Regiment and 2nd Royal Norfolk Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division; accordingly, it deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
It moved to Lecelles in September and in May, 1940, moved into Belgium during the Battle of France. The BEF was heavily hit by the German Army's breakthrough, however, and fell back towards the coast. The battalion was deployed at Le Paradis on 25th May to protect the flanks of the Dunkirk evacuation.
After being heavily hit by armoured attacks, the battalion ceased fighting on the afternoon of 27th May. The adjacent unit, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolks, suffered severe casualties in the massacre as we have detailed throughout this web site. Research has suggested that around 20 Royal Scots may have suffered a similar fate. The remnants of the battalion were reconstituted in Bradford in June.
After Dunkirk, the battalion spent nearly two years on home defence preparing for what many thought would be a German invasion of the United Kingdom. The invasion never took place, due mainly to the Battle of Britain. The 1st Royal Scots, along with the rest of the 2nd Division, was sent to British India in April 1942 to train for jungle warfare.
With the support of the Royal Scots Regiment we will be giving details of soldiers and their ranks who lost their lives in the massacre at Le Paradis. Those who died are likely to be amongst the following:
Sgt James Allan
L Cpl Cyril Frederick Aust
Cpl Albert Avery
Drummer Angus "Alan" Cain
Pte David H. Collier
L/Cpl Andrew Combe
Pte Arthur William Stronach Gordon
Cpl Donald Graham
Pte William Greaves
Pte James Guthrie
Pte William Matthew Kidd
L/Sgt Henry Hughes Leach
Cpl Robert Leadbetter
Pte John McIntyre Malloch
Pte Edmond Martin
L/Cpl William Morrison
L/Cpl Robert Park
Pte Robert James Patton
Pte Richard Pearson
Pte Ernest Edward Podgurski
Pte William Pomroy
Sgt William Reid
Pte William Thomas Sinclair
Pte John Somerville
Pte John Tervet
Sgt Alexander Hugh Munro Turner
L/Sgt William Turner
Major Rodney George Watson DSO, MC
Pte David Wylie
At the outbreak of the Second World War on 3rd September, 1939, the 1st Battalion Royal Scots was at Aldershot as part of 4th Infantry Brigade, alongside the 1st Border Regiment and 2nd Royal Norfolk Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division; accordingly, it deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
It moved to Lecelles in September and in May, 1940, moved into Belgium during the Battle of France. The BEF was heavily hit by the German Army's breakthrough, however, and fell back towards the coast. The battalion was deployed at Le Paradis on 25th May to protect the flanks of the Dunkirk evacuation.
After being heavily hit by armoured attacks, the battalion ceased fighting on the afternoon of 27th May. The adjacent unit, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolks, suffered severe casualties in the massacre as we have detailed throughout this web site. Research has suggested that around 20 Royal Scots may have suffered a similar fate. The remnants of the battalion were reconstituted in Bradford in June.
After Dunkirk, the battalion spent nearly two years on home defence preparing for what many thought would be a German invasion of the United Kingdom. The invasion never took place, due mainly to the Battle of Britain. The 1st Royal Scots, along with the rest of the 2nd Division, was sent to British India in April 1942 to train for jungle warfare.
With the support of the Royal Scots Regiment we will be giving details of soldiers and their ranks who lost their lives in the massacre at Le Paradis. Those who died are likely to be amongst the following:
Sgt James Allan
L Cpl Cyril Frederick Aust
Cpl Albert Avery
Drummer Angus "Alan" Cain
Pte David H. Collier
L/Cpl Andrew Combe
Pte Arthur William Stronach Gordon
Cpl Donald Graham
Pte William Greaves
Pte James Guthrie
Pte William Matthew Kidd
L/Sgt Henry Hughes Leach
Cpl Robert Leadbetter
Pte John McIntyre Malloch
Pte Edmond Martin
L/Cpl William Morrison
L/Cpl Robert Park
Pte Robert James Patton
Pte Richard Pearson
Pte Ernest Edward Podgurski
Pte William Pomroy
Sgt William Reid
Pte William Thomas Sinclair
Pte John Somerville
Pte John Tervet
Sgt Alexander Hugh Munro Turner
L/Sgt William Turner
Major Rodney George Watson DSO, MC
Pte David Wylie
Royal Scots War Diary
Documents and Photographs
LINKS
The Royal Scots Regiment has its own web site which can be accessed by clicking here.
Iain Laird of the Royal Scots Regiment has his own web site which covers the massacre and this can be accessed by clicking here.
Major Jimmy Howe M.B.E of the Royal Scots Regiment also saw action at Le Paradis. After the war he became famous for organising annual concerts on the South Coast of England at Eastbourne. You can read about Jimmy and view photographs by clicking here.
Major John Errington was a Regimental Signals Officer for the Royal Scots, fighting at Le Paradis where he was taken as a prisoner-of-war. On 12th August, 2018, Major Errington celebrated his 100th birthday with his family at his home in Shrewsbury. Read more about him by clicking here.
The Royal Scots Regiment has its own web site which can be accessed by clicking here.
Iain Laird of the Royal Scots Regiment has his own web site which covers the massacre and this can be accessed by clicking here.
Major Jimmy Howe M.B.E of the Royal Scots Regiment also saw action at Le Paradis. After the war he became famous for organising annual concerts on the South Coast of England at Eastbourne. You can read about Jimmy and view photographs by clicking here.
Major John Errington was a Regimental Signals Officer for the Royal Scots, fighting at Le Paradis where he was taken as a prisoner-of-war. On 12th August, 2018, Major Errington celebrated his 100th birthday with his family at his home in Shrewsbury. Read more about him by clicking here.