| Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge | |
| Active | 1881–1959 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Light infantry |
| Part of | Highland Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Hamilton Barracks (1881–1921) Maryhill Barracks,Glasgow (1921–1959) |
| Nickname | "Hell's Last Issue" The regiment was nicknamed 'The Glesga Keelies' during the Peninsular Wars. |
| March | Quick-Sean Triubhas (Whistle o'er the Lave o't) Slow -Garb of Old Gaul |
| Mascot | Elephant |
| Anniversaries | Assaye (September 23) |
| Insignia | |
| Hackle | White |
| Tartan | MacKenzie Tartan |
TheHighland Light Infantry (HLI) was alight infantryregiment of theBritish Army formed in 1881. It took part in theFirst andSecond World Wars, until it was amalgamated with theRoyal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form theRoyal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) which later merged with theRoyal Scots Borderers, theBlack Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), theHighlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) and theArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders to form theRoyal Regiment of Scotland, becoming the2nd Battalion of the new regiment.
The regiment was formed as part of theChilders Reforms on 1 July 1881 by the amalgamation of the71st (Highland) Light Infantry (as the 1st Battalion) and the74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot (as the 2nd Battalion) as the city regiment ofGlasgow, absorbing localMilitia andRifle Volunteer units. Its exact status was ambiguous: although the regiment insisted on being classified as a non-kilted Highland regiment, it recruited mainly from Glasgow inLowland Scotland.[1]
The 1st battalion was posted to South Africa in October 1899, after the outbreak of theSecond Boer War. The battalion served throughout the war, which ended in June 1902. The battalion of 700 men leftDurban for Egypt on theSS Plassy in January 1903,[2] and was subsequently stationed there in the following years.[3]
The 2nd Battalion saw action at theBattle of Tell El Kebir in September 1882 during theAnglo-Egyptian War: LieutenantWilliam Edwards was awarded theVictoria Cross for his actions during the battle.[4] The battalion was stationed in England from 1883, but moved to India the following year. In February 1900 the battalion departed fromColombo to return home,[5] and in October 1902 they were posted toJersey,[6] but three months later they were reassigned toAlderney.[7]
Following heavy British losses in the early part of the Second Boer War in 1899, many of the militia battalions were embodied for active service, including the 3rd battalion Highland Light (formerly the 1st Royal Lanark Militia), under the command of Lieutenant-ColonelWilliam Story. The battalion served throughout the war, and 890 officers and men were reported to return home on the SSDoune Castle in September 1902, after the war had ended earlier that year.[8]
In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming theTerritorial Force and the latter theSpecial Reserve;[9] the regiment now had two Reserve and five Territorial battalions.[10][11]
The 1st Battalion landed atMarseille as part of the Sirhind Brigade in the3rd (Lahore) Division in December 1914 for service on theWestern Front[12] and entered the trenches nearFestubert.[13] It fought in theBattle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, theBattle of St Julien in May 1915 and theSecond Battle of Ypres later in May 1915.[14] It then moved toMesopotamia in December 1915[12] and saw action at theSiege of Kut in Spring 1916 and theBattle of Sharqat in October 1918.[14]
The 2nd Battalion landed atBoulogne-sur-Mer as part of the5th Brigade in the2nd Division in August 1914 for service on the Western Front.[12] It saw action at theBattle of Aisne in September 1914, theBattle of Ypres in November 1914, theBattle of Loos in October 1915, theBattle of the Somme in Summer 1916, theBattle of Arras in April 1917, theBattle of Cambrai in December 1917 and the advance to theHindenburg Line in September 1918.[14]
The 1/5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, the 1/6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion and the1/7th (Blythswood) Battalion landed atCape Helles inGallipoli as part of the157th Brigade in the52nd (Lowland) Division in July 1915; after being evacuated toEgypt in January 1916 they moved to Marseille in April 1918 for service on the Western Front.[12] The 1/9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion landed in France as part of the5th Brigade in the2nd Division in November 1914 for service on the Western Front.[12]
The 10th and 11th (Service) Battalions landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the28th Brigade in the9th (Scottish) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[12] The 12th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the46th Brigade in the15th (Scottish) Division in July 1915 for service on the Western Front.[12] The 14th (Service) Battalion landed in France as part of the120th Brigade in the40th Division in June 1916 for service on the Western Front.[12]
The 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Glasgow), the 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glasgow) and the 17th (Service) Battalion (3rd Glasgow) landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the97th Brigade in the32nd Division in November 1915 for service on the Western Front.[12] The 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glasgow), which was formed from former members of the Glasgow Battalion of theBoys' Brigade and was known as the GlasgowBoys' Brigade Battalion is particularly remembered for an incident at the Frankfurt trench at theBattle of the Ancre, the last offensive of thebattle of the Somme, where around 60 men of D company were surrounded and cut off behind enemy lines. Relief attempts failed, but the men of the Frankfurt trench refused to surrender. After refusing to surrender, the Germans stormed the trench and found only 15 wounded men alive, three of whom died soon afterwards. GeneralSir Hubert Gough praised their stand under Army Order 193.[15] Members of the 17th (Service) Battalion were painted by thewar artistFrederick Farrell inFlanders in 1917.[16]
The 18th (Service) Battalion (4th Glasgow) landed in France as part of the106th Brigade in the35th Division in February 1916 for service on the Western Front.[12]
In 1923, the regiment's title was expanded to theHighland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment).[17]David Niven was commissioned into the regiment in 1930 and served with the 2nd Battalion.[18]
The 1st Battalion landed in France in September 1939 as part of the127th (Manchester) Brigade in the42nd (East Lancashire) Division for service with theBritish Expeditionary Force and then took part in theDunkirk evacuation in June 1940.[19] As part of the71st Infantry Brigade in the53rd (Welsh) Division, it later took part in theNormandy landings in June 1944 and saw action at theBattle of the Bulge in January 1945, theBattle of the Reichswald in March 1945 and the final advance intoGermany.[19]
The 2nd Battalion moved toEgypt early in the war and saw action at theBattle of Keren in March 1941.[19] It then transferred to theWestern Desert and, as part of the10th Indian Infantry Brigade of the5th Indian Infantry Division, saw combat at theBattle of Knightsbridge in June 1942 and theBattle of Fuka in July 1942.[19] It took part in theAllied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and, after a period inYugoslavia,Albania andGreece, took part in the final advance into Northern Italy.[19]
_Division%2c_during_the_assault_on_Tilburg%2c_Holland%2c_28_October_1944._B11419.jpg)
The 5th and 6th Battalions landed in France as part of the157th Brigade in the52nd (Lowland) Division in June 1940; after evacuation fromCherbourg later in the month, they landed in Belgium in October 1944 and took part inOperation Infatuate in November 1944 and the subsequent capture ofBremen in April 1945.[19]
The 11th Battalion was converted to armour in 1942, becoming the 156th Regiment in theRoyal Armoured Corps, but with the men retaining their Highland Light Infantry cap badges on the black beret of the RAC.[20]
The Highland Light Infantry was amalgamated with theRoyal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form theRoyal Highland Fusiliers. The regular 1st battalions of the two Regiments combined atRedford Barracks,Edinburgh to form the 1st Battalion of the new regiment (1 RHF).[21]
The HLI's full dress in 1914 was an unusual one; comprising a dark greenshako with diced border and green cords, scarletdoublet with buff facings and trews of the Mackenzie tartan.[22] Officers wore plaids of the same tartan, while in drill order all ranks wore white shell jackets with trews and green glengarry caps.[23]
The HLI was the only regular Highland regiment to weartrews for full dress, until 1947 when kilts were authorised. An earlier exception was theGlasgow Highlanders who wore kilts and were aterritorial battalion within the HLI. The regiment had worn the tartan trews with khaki-drab tropical service uniform until 1900.[24]
The battle honours were as follows:[11]
Borne on theregimental colours, representing actions fought by the 71st and 74th Regiments of Foot or the Highland Light Infantry prior to 1914:
Ten representative battle honours for each of theFirst andSecond World Wars borne on thequeen's colours:
Colonels-in-chief of the Regiment were:[11]
Colonels of the Regiment were:[11]
