British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle HonoursHodder, Reginald
History
British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle Honours
Hodder, Reginald
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army
The 1st Battalion of the Scottish Rifles are the descendants of the
Glasgow Cameronian Guard which was raised during the Revolution of 1688
from the Cameronians, a strict set of Presbyterians founded by
Archibald Cameron, the martyr. The 2nd Battalion is known as "Sir
Thomas Graham's Perthshire Grey Breeks." It received this name from the
fact that when Lord Moira ordered the regiment to be equipped and
trained as a Light Infantry Corps, their uniforms consisted of a red
jacket faced with buff, over a red waistcoat, with buff tights and
Hessians for the officers, and light grey pantaloons for the men. Both
battalions now wear dark green doublets and tartan "trews."
"The Slashers."
The Gloucestershire Regiment derives its name of "Slashers" from its
achievements in the battle of the White Plains in 1777. There is
another story, however, that the name arose from a report that, on one
occasion, a magistrate having refused shelter to the women of the
regiment during a severe winter, some of the officers disguised
themselves as Indians and slashed off both his ears. In Torres Straits
there is a reef which is marked on the charts as the "Slashers' Reef"
because, after the Khyber Pass disaster of 1842, the "Slashers" were on
the way from Australia to India when the transport conveying them
grounded on this reef. Their other name of the "Old Braggs" is derived
from their Commander, General Braggs, of 1734. In regard to this there
is the tradition of an order given by a wag of a Colonel when the "Old
Braggs" were brigaded with other regiments with Royal Titles. The order
runs:
"Neither Kings nor Queens nor Royal Marines,
But 28th Old Braggs;
Brass before and brass behind;
Ne'er feared a foe of any kind,--
Shoulder arms!"
"The Vein Openers."
The Worcestershire Regiment were dubbed "The Vein Openers" by the
people of Boston, (U.S.A.) in 1770, because they were the first to draw
blood in the preliminary disturbances before the war. After the
Peninsular War they were called "Old and Bold." Another name for them
is "Star of the Line," from the eight-pointed star on their pouches--a
distinction peculiarly their own. The 2nd Battalion were known as the
"Saucy Greens" from the colour of their facings and, presumably, their
extreme sauciness.
"The Young Buffs."
The 1st Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment derived their nickname
from a peculiar royal mistake. At the battle of Dettingen, King George
II., mistaking them for the "3rd Buffs," called out "Bravo Old Buffs!"
Being reminded that they were not the "Old Buffs" but the 31st, His
Majesty at once corrected his cry to "Bravo, Young Buffs!" and the name
has stuck to the battalion ever since. The 2nd Battalion was raised at
Glasgow in 1756 and takes its name of "Glasgow Greys" from that and the
facings of the uniform.
"The Red Feathers."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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