King's Own Scottish Borderers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King's Own Scottish Borderers |
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|---|---|
| Active | 1689 – 1 August 2006 |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Scotland (1689–1707) Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) United Kingdom (1801–2006) |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of | Scottish Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| Motto(s) | In Veritate Religionis Confido (I put my trust in the truth of religion) Nisi Dominus Frustra (Without the Lord, everything is in vain) |
| Anniversaries | Minden – 1 August |
| Commanders | |
| Last Colonel-in-Chief | The late Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, GCB, CI, GCVO, GBE |
| Notable commanders |
John Cooper (Operation Banner, 1993–97) |
| Insignia | |
| Tartan | Leslie (trews) Royal Stewart (pipers kilts and plaids) |
The King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) was a famous line infantry regiment of the British Army. It was part of the Scottish Division.
On 28 March 2006, the KOSB joined with several other Scottish regiments. These included the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Black Watch, the Highlanders, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Together, they formed a new, larger regiment called the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The King's Own Scottish Borderers became the 1st Battalion of this new regiment.
Contents
History of the KOSB
How the Regiment Started
The King's Own Scottish Borderers began on 18 March 1689. It was created by David Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven. His goal was to protect Edinburgh from the Jacobite forces. These forces supported King James VII.
It's said that 800 men joined the regiment in just two hours! Their first battle was at Battle of Killiecrankie on 27 July 1689. Even though the Williamite army lost this battle, the Jacobite leader, John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee (known as Bonnie Dundee), was killed. This helped end King James II's attempt to keep his throne in Scotland. The regiment fought bravely. Because of this, they were given a special right. They could recruit new soldiers in Edinburgh without needing special permission.
For a while, the regiment was known as Semphill's Regiment of Foot. Under this name, they fought in the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745 and the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In 1751, British infantry regiments were given numbers. The KOSB became the 25th Regiment of Foot because of when it was formed.
The regiment fought in the Battle of Minden on 1 August 1759. They celebrated this battle every year. In 1782, the regiment was linked to Sussex county. It was then called the 25th (Sussex) Regiment of Foot. Later, in 1801, they earned the right to display the Sphinx emblem. This was for their part in the Battle of Alexandria. In 1805, their recruiting area moved to the Scottish Borders. From then on, they were known as the 25th (the King's Own Borderers) Regiment of Foot.
The Victorian Era
In 1881, the regiment moved to Berwick Barracks. It was renamed The King's Own Borderers. A few years later, in 1887, it became The King's Own Scottish Borderers.
The regiment also served in other conflicts. They fought in the Second Anglo-Afghan War from 1878 to 1880. They also took part in the Second Boer War in South Africa.
In 1914, an incident happened in Dublin. Soldiers from the King's Own Scottish Borderers were involved in an altercation with a crowd. Sadly, this led to some civilian casualties.
The First World War (1914-1918)
When the First World War began, the 1st Battalion was in India. They soon returned to England. In April 1915, they landed at Cape Helles in Gallipoli. After being evacuated, they moved to Egypt. In March 1916, they arrived in France to fight on the Western Front. They fought in major battles like the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the Battle of Passchendaele (1917).
The 2nd Battalion was in Dublin in 1914. They then went to France in August 1914. They fought in early battles like the Battle of Mons and the First Battle of the Aisne. Later, they saw action at the Second Battle of Ypres (1915) and the Battle of the Somme (1916).
Other battalions also played important roles. The 1/4th and 1/5th Battalions fought in Gallipoli and Egypt. They later moved to the Western Front. The 6th Battalion fought in battles like Battle of Loos and Arras.
The 7th Battalion also served on the Western Front. They fought in the Battle of Loos, the Battle of the Somme, and the Second Battle of the Somme.
The Second World War (1939-1945)
Between the two World Wars, the regiment's battalions were stationed around the British Empire. They were in places like Ireland, Egypt, and Hong Kong. When the Second World War started in September 1939, they were called back home.
The 1st Battalion went to France in September 1939. They were part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). They took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. Later, they were involved in the Normandy landings in June 1944. They also fought in the Battle for Caen that same month.
The 2nd Battalion went to Burma in September 1943. They fought in the Burma Campaign. They saw action at the Battle of the Admin Box and the Battle of Imphal in 1944.
The 4th and 5th Battalions landed in France in June 1940. After being evacuated, they took part in Operation Infatuate in November 1944. They also helped capture Bremen in April 1945.
The 6th Battalion took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944. They fought in the Battle for Caen and then advanced into Germany.
One of the regiment's toughest battles was the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. The 7th Battalion suffered heavy losses, with 90% of its soldiers becoming casualties. They bravely defended their position in Oosterbeek.
After the Wars
After the Second World War, the regiment served in the British Mandate of Palestine. Around 1948, it was reduced to a single battalion. The regiment was part of the United Nations forces in the Korean War. They fought in the First Battle of Maryang San in October 1951. During this battle, Private Bill Speakman was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery. The regiment also served during the Malayan Emergency in the late 1950s.
The regiment was sent to Aden in February 1962 for security duties. In 1964, they returned to Aden to help with the Radfan Campaign. A year later, they were deployed to Borneo because of Indonesia's actions against Malaysia.
The regiment was often sent to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner during the Troubles. They suffered casualties in the 1989 Derryard attack. The KOSB also took part in the Gulf War in 1991. In 2003, the regiment served in Iraq during Operation Telic.
Joining Other Regiments
Until 2004, the King's Own Scottish Borderers was one of only five infantry regiments that had never joined with another. However, this changed on 28 March 2006. Five Scottish regiments, including the KOSB, joined to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
At first, the Royal Scots Battalion and the King's Own Scottish Borderers Battalion kept their separate names. But soon, the Ministry of Defence decided to combine them. This idea had been considered before in the 1990s but was put on hold. The two battalions officially joined on 1 August 2006. The new combined battalion was named the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.
King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum
The King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Museum is located in Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed. You can see uniforms, badges, medals, weapons, and items from different campaigns. The museum is part of Berwick Barracks, which is managed by English Heritage. Your ticket also lets you see other exhibits there.
Battle Honours
Battle honours are special awards given to regiments for their bravery in battle. Here are some of the King's Own Scottish Borderers' battle honours:
- Namur (1695)
- Minden (1759)
- Egmont-op-Zee (1799)
- Egypt (1801)
- Martinique (1809)
- Afghanistan (1878–80)
- Chitral (1895)
- Tirah (1897–98)
- Paardeberg, Second Boer War (1899–1902)
- First World War: Mons, Aisne, Ypres, Loos, Somme, Arras, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Hindenburg Line, Gallipoli, Gaza
- Second World War: Dunkirk, Sword Beach, Odon, Caen, Arnhem, Flushing, Rhine, Bremen, Burma Campaign (Ngakyedauk Pass, Imphal, Irrawaddy)
- Kowang-San (1951–52)
- Gulf War (1991)
Football Team
The 1st Battalion had its own football team. For one season (1903–04), they were part of the Irish Football League. This was when the battalion was stationed in Belfast.
Images for kids
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Cap badge, King's Own Scottish Borderers
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Cap badge, King's Own Scottish Borderers
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King's Own Scottish Borderers Memorial, North Bridge Edinburgh
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Lt-Gen. John Cooper
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John Talbot Coke, second-in-command of the KOSB in the Sudan campaign
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Sergeant Bill Speakman, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Korean War.
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