Scottish History
The History of The Royal Scots
The Regimental Museum in Edinburgh Castle
The Royal Scots
Colours & Battle Honours
THE COLOURS
The oldest reference to the colours carried by the regiment show them to have consisted of the white cross of St Andrew on a blue ground; in the centre, the Thistle and Crown in gold surrounded by the circle of St Andrew and the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" in gold. There were several minor variations between the Lieutenant-Colonels', Majors' and Captains' Colours.
In 1707 the union of England and Scotland brought about many changes, and the colours of the Regiment lost their pre-eminently Scottish design. In 1743 the 1st and 2nd Colours (now known as Queen's and Regimental Colours) were instituted, and from then on various changes were from time to time brought in. The Regimental Colour (of Royal Blue) now contains "The Royal Cypher within the collar of the Order of the Thistle with the Badge appendant: in each of the four corners the Thistle within the circle and motto of the order, ensigned with the Crown. The Sphinx, superscribed Egypt"
It is of special interest to note that the Regimental Badge comprises within it the Royal Cypher. The Cypher changes with each Sovereign, and this fact serves to emphasis the Royal title of the Regiment.
The Sphinx, superscribed Egypt, commemorates the part played by the Regiment in the defeat of Napoleon's armies in Egypt.
BATTLE HONOURS
Battle honours are highly cherished by every Regiment. They are awarded by the Sovereign to commemorate a particularly gallant action.
It is traditional that a Regiment's Battle Honours are embroidered on the Regimental Colours, but it is not physically possible to carry them all. The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) has been awarded 149 Battle Honours. All 29 Honours awarded before the First World War are borne on the Regimental Colour as is that awarded since 1945. The Queen's Colour contains I0 selected scrolls for each of the two World Wars, some scrolls contain more than one battle honour, e.g. Maine 1914, 18. Thus the Queens Colour contains 15 Battle Honours for the Great War and 11 for the Second World War.
LIST OF BATTLE HONOURS
The full list of Battle Honours is given below. Those printed in CAPITAL type are borne on the Colours.
PRIOR TO THE GREAT WAR (29):
TANGIER 1680, NAMUR 1695, BLENHEIM, RAMILLIES, OUDENARDE, MALPLAQUET, LOUISBURG, HAVANNAH, EGMONT-OP-ZEE, EGYPT, ST LUCIA 1803, CORUNNA, BUSACO, SALAMANCA, VITTORIA, ST SEBASTIAN, NIVE, PENINSULA, NIAGARA, WATERLOO, NAGPORE, MAHEIDPOOR, AVA, ALMA, INKERMAN, SEVASTOPOL, TAKU FORTS, PEKIN 1860, SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902.
THE GREAT WAR (79):
Mons, LE CATEAU, Retreat from Mons, MARNE 1914, 18, Aisne 1914, La Bassee 1914, Neuve Chapelle, YPRES 1915, 17, 18, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenburg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Festubert, 1915, LOOS, SOMME 1916, 18, Albert 1916, 18, Bazentin, Pozieres, Flers-Courcelette, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, 18, ARRAS 1917, 18, Scarpe 1917, 18, Arleux, Pilckem, Langemnarek 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood. Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917, St Quentin, Rosieres, LYS, Estaires, Messines 1918, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Bethune, Soissonais-Ourcq, Tardenois, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Courtrai, Selle, Sombre, France and Flanders 1914-18, STRUMA, Macedonia 1915-18, Helles, Landing at Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Scimitar Hill, GALLIPOLI 1915, 16, Rumani, Egypt 1915- 16, Gaza. El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Jaffa. PALESTINE 1917-I8, Archangel 1918-19.
THE SECOND WORLD WAR (39):
Dyle, DEFENCE OF ESCAUT, St Omer-La-Bassee, ODON, Cheux, Defence of Rauray, Caen, Esquay, Mont Pincon, AART. Nederrijn, Best, Scheldt. FLUSHING, Meijel, Venlo Pocket, Roer, Rhineland, Reichswald, Cleve, Goch, RHINE, Uelzen, Bremen, Artlenberg, NORTH- WEST EUROPE 1940, 44-45, GOTHIC LINE, Marradi, Monte Gamberaldi, ITALY 1944-45, South East Asia 1941, Donbaik, KOHIMA, Relief of Kohima, Aradura, Shwebo, Mandalay, BURMA 1943-45.
SINCE 1945 (2): Wadi El Batin, GULF 1991.
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