The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five
Foot Guards regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
s of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King
Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...
, although it was only placed on the English Establishment in 1686.
History
Formation; 17th century
The regiment now known as the Scots Guards traces its origins to the Marquis of Argyll's Royal Regiment, a unit raised in 1642 by
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll in response to the
1641 Irish Rebellion.
After the
Restoration of Charles II, the
Earl of Linlithgow received a commission dated 23 November 1660 to raise a regiment which was called The Scottish Regiment of Footguards.
It served in the
1679 Covenanter rising of 1679, as well as
Argyll's Rising in June 1685, after which it was expanded to two battalions. When the
Nine Years War began in 1689, the first battalion was sent to
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
; the second served
in Ireland, and fought at the 1690
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne ( ) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Sc ...
, before joining the First in 1691. The combined unit fought at
Steenkerque and
Landen
Landen () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Landen proper and the villages of Attenhoven, Eliksem, Eze ...
, as well as the 1695
Namur
Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration.
Namur stands at the confl ...
. After the
Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, the regiment returned to Scotland.
18th century
The Guards remained in Scotland during the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
; retitled The Third Regiment of Foot Guards, it moved to London in 1712, and did not return to Scotland for another 100 years. During the 1740-1748
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
, the First Battalion served at
Dettingen in 1743 and
Fontenoy in April 1745, a British defeat famous for the
Gardes françaises
The French Guards (, ) were an elite infantry regiment of the French Royal Army. They formed a constituent part of the maison militaire du roi de France ("military household of the king of France") under the Ancien Régime.
The French Guards, ...
and
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...
inviting each other to fire first.
Both battalions were in London during the
1745 Rising; an engraving by
William Hogarth
William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraving, engraver, pictorial social satire, satirist, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from Realism (visual arts), realistic p ...
shows them marching to take up defensive positions in North London. However, the Jacobite army turned back at
Derby
Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
, and in July 1747, the Second Battalion was sent to
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, where it fought at
Lauffeld, before the war ended with the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
In the absence of a modern police force, the military was often used for crowd control; in ''Memoirs of a Georgian Rake'', William Hickey describes a detachment from the "Third Regiment of Guards, principally Scotchmen"
dispersing a crowd attempting to release the radical politician,
John Wilkes
John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English Radicalism (historical), radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlese ...
from prison in 1768.
1805–1913

In April 1809, the 1st Battalion was sent to the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, and served in the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
in Portugal and Spain. It took part in the crossing of the
River Douro on 12 May, an operation that ended so successfully that the French Army were in full retreat to
Amarante after the actions in
Oporto and its surrounding areas. In late July 1809 the regiment took part in the
Battle of Talavera, one of the bloodiest and most bitter of engagements during the war.
[
The 2nd Battalion's flank companies took part in the disastrous ]Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign () was an unsuccessful United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British expedition to the Kingdom of Holland in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with First French Empire, France ...
in the Low Countries
The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
. The 1st Battalion went on to take part in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811, the Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of the Arapiles) took place on 22July 1812. An Anglo-Portuguese Army, Anglo-Portuguese army under the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Earl of Wellington (future ...
in July 1812, the Siege of San Sebastián in Summer 1813 and the Battle of the Nive
The Battles of the Nive (9–13 December 1813) were fought towards the end of the Peninsular War. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army, Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish Army ...
in December 1813.[
At the ]Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
in June 1815, the Scots Guards were positioned on the ridge just behind Hougoumont
Château d'Hougoumont (possibly originally Goumont or Gomont) is a walled manorial compound, situated at the bottom of an escarpment near the Nivelles road in the Braine-l'Alleud municipality, near Waterloo, Belgium. The site served as one o ...
. Their light companies, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonnell, held Hougoumont Farm throughout the battle, a key defensive position on the right flank of the Allied army.
1914–1945
First World War
The 1st Battalion, part of the 1st (Guards) Brigade of the 1st Division, was part of the British Expeditionary Force which arrived in France in 1914. The Battalion took part in the Battle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (World War I), British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies of World W ...
in August 1914, the First Battle of the Marne
The First Battle of the Marne or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...
in September 1914 and the Battle of the Aisne also in September 1914. The 1st and 2nd Battalions then took part in the First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...
in November 1914, the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915 and the Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used Chemical weapons in World War I, ...
in September 1915. In July 1916 the Scots Guards took part in the first Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
and in July 1917, the regiment began its involvement in the Battle of Passchendaele. In March 1918 they fought at the second Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
and in Autumn the regiment took part in the final battles of the war on the Western Front.
Second World War
In April 1940, the 1st Battalion, as part of the 24th Guards Brigade, took part in its first campaign of the war, during the expedition to Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.[
In North Africa, as part of the 22nd Guards Brigade, the 2nd Battalion took part in fighting against the Italians in ]Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
followed by tough fighting in Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
, then also controlled by Italy. In North Africa, in March 1943, the 2nd Battalion took part in the defensive Battle of Medenine, after the Germans had counter-attacked the Allies.
In September 1943, the 2nd Battalion, as part of the 201st Guards Brigade of the 56th (London) Division
The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Territorial Army infantry Division (military), division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the Tre ...
, took part in the Landing at Salerno
Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
. In December 1943, the 1st Battalion, as part of 24th Guards Brigade, arrived in the Italian Theatre
The theatre of Italy originates from the Middle Ages, with its background dating back to the times of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek colonies of Magna Graecia, in southern Italy, the theatre of the Italic peoples and the theatre of ancient R ...
. At the Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...
in early 1944, the 2nd Battalion suffered heavy casualties in tough fighting.
The 1st Battalion, as part of its brigade, joined the 6th South African Armoured Division in May 1944. The regiment took part in many fierce engagements throughout 1944, including those against the Gothic Line, a formidable defensive line.
Since 1948
In the years following the Second World War the Scots Guards saw action in a number of Britain's colonial wars. In 1948, the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards was deployed to Malaya (now part of Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
) to crush a Communist-inspired and pro-independence uprising during a conflict known as the Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
. The 2nd Battalion performed a variety of duties, such as guarding duties, patrols into the dense jungle, and assaults upon MNLA guerrillas. The battalion was involved in an incident known as the Batang Kali massacre, in which they were responsible for the execution of 24 unarmed civilians. By the time the battalion left Malaya in 1951 and returned home, it had lost thirteen soldiers.
By late 1951, the 1st Battalion was deployed to Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
; and in February 1952, the battalion deployed to the Suez Canal Zone
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest of Egypt). The c ...
, Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. In February 1962, the 2nd Battalion arrived in Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, and operated in support of the civil power during the Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt, or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the Mau Mau, and the ...
. In 1965 the 1st Battalion undertook two tours in Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
during the Indonesian Confrontation.
Both the 1st and 2nd Battalion deployed to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
during the Troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
in the early 1970s. In 1992, during their time in Northern Ireland, the Scots Guards were involved in the contentious shooting of civilian Peter McBride: two soldiers were convicted of murder.
During the Falklands War
The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
in 1982 the main force of the Scots Guards began its advance on the western side of Mount Tumbledown. During the course of the battle in the early hours of 14 June 1982, men of the 2nd Battalion "wearing berets instead of helmets" launched a bayonet charge on the redoubtable Argentinian defenders, which resulted in bitter and bloody fighting, and was one of the last bayonet charges by the British Army.[
In 2004, the 1st Battalion deployed to ]Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
on a 6-month posting as part of 4th Armoured Brigade. The 4th Brigade relieved the 1st Mechanised Brigade, and joined the Multi-National Division (South East) that was under British command.[
In 2021, the 1st Battalion moved to Somme Barracks, ]Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and List of modern military towns, military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 14 ...
as part of the Army 2020 Refine reforms.
On 1 May 2022 (delayed from the originally intended 1 April 2022), soldiers in A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment transferred to foot guards regiments and the company became G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards, 1st Battalion London Guards.
Traditions and affiliations
The Scots Guards and other Guards regiments have a long-standing connection to the Parachute Regiment. Guardsmen who have completed the P company selection course are transferred into the Guards Parachute Platoon, which is part of 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment. This continues the lineage of the No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company, who were the original Pathfinder Group of the 16th Parachute Brigade.
The Scots Guards is ranked as the third regiment in the Guards Division. As such, Scots Guardsmen can be recognized by having the buttons on their tunics spaced in threes. They also do not wear hackles (plumes) in their bearskins, unlike the other Foot Guards.
Structure and role
Since 1993, F Company, permanently based in Wellington Barracks, London on public duties
Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.
Armenia
Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion (Armenia), Honour Guard Battalion of the Mi ...
, has been the custodian of the colours and traditions of the 2nd Battalion, which was placed in permanent suspended animation in 1993 as a result of Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War.
Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces ...
. F Company was formerly part of the 2nd Bn as its 'support weapons company', operating mortars, anti-tank weapons, and reconnaissance vehicles.
The regiment consists of a single operational battalion, which was based in Catterick between 2008 and 2015, thereafter moving to Aldershot
Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...
in the armoured infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps).
As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is distin ...
role. 1st Battalion will be equipped with Mastiff Vehicles (and later the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV)) under Army 2020 Refine and be under the first Strike Brigade. The 1st Battalion will not rotate public ceremonial duties unlike the other guards regiments with F Company performing that role.
Following the Integrated Review
The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, often known as the Integrated Review, and titled as ''Global Britain in a Competitive Age'', was a review carried out by the British government led by Boris Johnson into t ...
A (London Scottish) Company of the London Regiment at Rochester Row, Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
became G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards.
Training
Regular Recruits to the Guards Division go through a thirty-week training programme at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC). The training is two weeks more than the training for the Regular line infantry
Line infantry was the type of infantry that formed the bulk of most European land armies from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Henri de la Tour d ...
regiments of the British Army; the extra training, carried out throughout the course, is devoted to drill and ceremonies.
Colonels-in-Chief
King Edward VII assumed the colonelcy-in-chief of the regiment on his accession, and subsequent monarchs have also been colonel-in-chief.
* 1901–1910: King Edward VII
* 1915–1936: King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
George was born during the reign of his pa ...
* January 1936 – December 1936: King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...
* 1936–1952: King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
* 1952–2022: Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
* 2022–present: King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
Regimental Colonels
Regimental Colonels have included:
*1664–1684: Major General George Livingston, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow
George Livingston Privy Council of Scotland, PC (July 1616 – 1 February 1690) was a military officer and third Earl of Linlithgow.
Early life
Livingston was born in July 1616. He was the eldest son of Alexander Livingston, 2nd Earl of Linlit ...
[Charles Dalton, ]
The Scots Army 1661–1688
' (1909) Part II, pp. 13–14.
*1684–1691: Lieutenant General James Douglas
*1691–1705: Lieutenant General George Ramsay[
*1707–1713: Lieutenant General William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian
*1713–1752: General John Murray, 2nd Earl of Dunmore]
*1752–1767: General John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes
*1767–1770: Field Marshal Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (25 November 1743 – 25 August 1805), was a grandson of George II of Great Britain, George II and a younger brother of George III, George III of the United Kingdom.
Life
Youth
Prince Wi ...
*1770–1782: General John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
*1782–1806: Field Marshal John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll
*1806–1834: Field Marshal Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
*1834–1836: General George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon
*1836–1842: General George Ludlow, 3rd Earl Ludlow
*1842–1852: Field Marshal Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, th ...
*1852–1861: Field Marshal Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (George William Frederick Charles; 26 March 1819 – 17 March 1904) was a member of the British royal family, a grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. The Duke was an army officer by professio ...
*1861–1870: Field Marshal Sir Alexander Woodford
*1870–1875: General Sir John Aitchison
*1875–1883: General Henry Robinson-Montagu, 6th Baron Rokeby
*May 1883–June 1883: General Sir William Knollys
*1883–1904: Field Marshal Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942) was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as Gove ...
*1904–1932: Field Marshal Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen
*1932–1936: Field Marshal The Duke of York
*1937–1974: Field Marshal The Duke of Gloucester
*1974–2024: Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...
*2024–present: Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King ...
Regimental Lieutenant Colonels
For many years a Colonel was given the full-time appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Commanding the regiment. After 1986 a Lieutenant Colonel was appointed, but in 1989 the role was retitled Regimental Lieutenant Colonel; this was an honorary appointment, filled by a senior serving officer who took on responsibility for the 'regimental affairs' of the regiment alongside his primary military role.
The Regimental Lieutenant Colonels have included:
Battle honours
The battle honours of the Scots Guards are as follows:
*Pre-First World War: Namur 1695, Dettingen, Lincelles, Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, Talavera, Barrosa, Fuentes de Oñoro, Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
, Nive, Peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
, Waterloo, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol
Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...
, Tel-er-Kebir, Egypt 1882, Suakin 1885, Modder River, South Africa 1899–1902
*First World War:
** ''Western Front'': Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Ypres 1914
Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
, Langemarck 1914, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Givenchy 1914
Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion design, fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by de ...
, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Festubert 1915
Festubert () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France southwest of Lille. The village was on the Western Front during the First World War and was largely destroyed in the May 1915 Battle of Festuber ...
, Loos, Somme 1916 1918, Flers–Courcelette, Morval, Pilckem, Poelcapelle, Cambrai 1917 1918
The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...
, St. Quentin, Albert 1918, Bapaume 1918, Arras 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...
, Havrincourt, Canal du Nord, Selle, Sambre
The Sambre () is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Meuse, which it joins in the Wallonian capital Namur.
The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne department. ...
, France and Flanders 1914–18
*Second World War:
**''North-West Europe'': Stien, Norway 1940, Quarry Hill, Estry, Venlo Pocket, Rhineland
The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...
, Reichswald, Kleve
Kleve (; traditional ; ; ; ; ; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Netherlands, Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Cleves was capital of a county and lat ...
, Moyland, Hochwald, Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
, Lingen, Uelzen
Uelzen (; ), officially the Hanseatic City of Uelzen (), is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the district of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a Hanseatic town and an independent municipality.
Uelz ...
, North-West Europe 1944–45
**''North Africa'': Halfaya 1941, Sidi Suleiman, Tobruk 1941, Gazala, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...
, Defence of Alamein Line, Medenine, Tadjera Khir, Medjez Plain, Grich el Oued, Djebel Bou Aoukaz 1943 I, North Africa 1941–43
**''Italy'': Salerno
Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
, Battipaglia
Battipaglia () is a municipality (''comune'') in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy.
The town is renowned for its production of buffalo mozzarella and is one of the most productive agricultural centers in the Sele ...
, Volturno Crossing, Rocchetta e Croce, Monte Camino, Campoleone, Carroceto, Trasimene Line, Advance to Florence, Monte San Michele, Catarelto Ridge, Argenta Gap, Italy 1943–45
*Post World War II: Tumbledown Mountain ( Falkland Islands 1982), Gulf 1991
Alliances
* – 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
* –
Freedom of entry
*Wantage
Wantage () is a historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Berkshire, it has been a ...
granted on 2 August 2010
Order of precedence
See also
* Armed forces in Scotland
* Military history of Scotland
Historically, Scotland has a long British military history, military tradition that predates the Acts of Union 1707, Act of Union with England in 1707. Its soldiers today form part of the armed forces of the United Kingdom, more usually referre ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Scots Guards page on British Army website
The Guards Museum (history of the Foot Guards)
Scots Guards Association Homepage
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Guards regiments
Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Falklands War
Regiments of the British Army in World War II
Regiments of the British Army in World War I
Regiments of the British Army in the Crimean War
1642 establishments in Scotland
Military units and formations established in 1642
Military units and formations of the Second Boer War
ja:近衛兵 (イギリス)#スコッツガーズ