Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

A history of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders It was in 1794 that the Duke of Argyll deputed his kinsman Campbell of Lochnell to raise a Regiment of Argyllshire Highlanders. In 1881 the Cardwell Reforms twinned the 91st with the 93rd, raised by Major General William Wemyss in 1800. The 93rd came into prominence in the Crimean War where it formed the Thin Red Line at Balaklava before seeing action in the Indian Mutiny, notably at the Relief of Lucknow where the Regiment won no less than six VCs. These two units were brought together to form the Argyll Sutherland Highlanders. The new Regiment was given an area comprising the counties of Argyll and Bute, Stirlingshire, Clackmannan, Renfrew and Dumbarton. They saw action in Palestine before taking part in Korea where Major Muir won the Regiment's last VC. They took part in the Suez operation in 1956, were on active service in Cyprus in 1958-9 and were among the last troops out of Aden in 1969 after their famous retaking of Crater.

On 1 July 1881 Viscount Cardwell's wholesale reorganisation of the British Army brought into existence Priness Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Both had existed as separate regiments even before their official incorporation into the British Army and on the face of it, this seemed a highly improbable union, Being separated both geographically and historically - they had never even served together in the same theatre. Yet, as history has shown, this unlikely combination proved to be a tremendous success. William McElwee tells the story of this most famous of regiments which has served with distinction in World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), and beyond.