Calcutta Scottish facts for kids

The Calcutta Scottish was a special army group. It was formed in 1914 in British India. This group was made up of volunteers who had Scottish family roots. They served as an infantry regiment. Infantry means soldiers who fight on foot. The regiment was part of the Auxiliary Force, India (AFI). This force was like a reserve army. The soldiers wore a special uniform with a Hunting Stewart tartan kilt. The Calcutta Scottish was disbanded in 1947. This happened when India became independent.

History of the Calcutta Scottish

How the Regiment Started

The Calcutta Scottish Volunteers were officially formed on August 1, 1914. They became part of the Indian Volunteer Force. They were given special flags called King's and Regimental Colours. These flags showed their loyalty and pride.

Serving in World War I

During World War I, the regiment mostly sent individual soldiers to help. Some officers went to East Africa. There is also a mention of "Calcutta Volunteer Machine Guns." These might have included soldiers from the Calcutta Scottish. They used Maxim guns.

On April 1, 1917, the regiment's name changed. It became the 44th Calcutta Scottish. In 1919, the 44th was called out for over two months. They helped deal with public unrest in the city.

Between the World Wars

On October 1, 1920, the regiment was renamed again. It became The Calcutta Scottish. It was part of the Army Auxiliary Force, India. In 1921, they added a Light Motor Patrol. This group used machine guns mounted on private cars. They used different types of machine guns over time. These included Vickers, Lewis, and Brens.

In 1921, the Prince of Wales visited Calcutta. He inspected the Calcutta Scottish on December 24. The unit was called out again in 1926 for over two months. The reason is not fully known, but it might have been for more public unrest. The Prince of Wales inspected them again in 1928. In 1930, the Calcutta Scottish helped the police for over two months. They sent out small groups 18 times to keep peace.

Serving in World War II

During World War II, the regiment sent four men for a secret mission. This mission was called "Operation Creek" in 1942. It was a SOE operation. SOE was a secret British organization. Their goal was to stop enemy ships in Goa. The main group on this mission was the Calcutta Light Horse.

In 1946, the regiment was reorganized. It had a headquarters, two companies, and four motor platoons. The Calcutta Scottish was officially disbanded in 1947. This happened when India gained its independence.

Uniform and Gear

The Calcutta Scottish had a unique uniform.

• Badge: Their badge showed the Cross of St Andrew. This is the flag of Scotland. It also had the coat of arms of Calcutta on it. A crown was placed at the top of the cross.
• Jacket: In 1920, they wore a scarlet jacket with white trim. By 1946, the trim color changed to yellow.
• Kilt: They wore a kilt with the Hunting Stewart tartan pattern. However, they did not wear kilts very often during World War II.
• Glengarry: This is a type of Scottish cap. From 1914 to 1920, it was green and white. By 1946, it was royal blue with matching ribbons. They also wore sun helmets often.
• Hose Tops: These are special socks worn with a kilt. From 1914 to 1920, they were green and white. By 1946, they were tartan with red flashes.

Important Items

• King’s and Regimental Colours: These special flags were first given to the London Scottish regiment. In 1953, they were moved to the United Services Museum in Edinburgh Castle.
• Regimental Silver: The regiment's silver items also went to the London Scottish Regiment. They were displayed in Edinburgh Castle in 1951.
• Regimental Journal: The regiment had its own magazine. It was called Calcutta Scottish Regimental Chronicle.

Operation Creek: A Secret Mission

Operation Creek was a daring secret mission. It happened on March 9, 1943. The story was told in the 1978 book Boarding Party by James Leasor. This mission was designed to be deniable. This means if it went wrong, the British government could pretend they weren't involved.

The Calcutta Light Horse led the mission. Four members of the Calcutta Scottish joined them. Their target was the neutral port of Marmagoa in Goa. A German ship called Ehrenfels was in the port. This ship was secretly sending information to German U-boats. U-boats are German submarines. This information helped the U-boats sink many Allied ships. About 250,000 tons of British ships were sunk in 45 days.

The team traveled from Calcutta to Marmagoa. They used a special boat called the hopper barge Phoebe. Once they reached the port, they boarded the Ehrenfels. They destroyed it along with two other German ships and one Italian ship.

The film The Sea Wolves was made in 1981. It was based on the book about Operation Creek. Famous actors like Gregory Peck and Roger Moore starred in it. The movie was filmed in Goa, where the real mission happened.