Medals of the Gordon Highlanders.

Medals of the Regiments:
The Gordon Highlanders




Above: a rather "3 dimensional" officers badge in cast silver.	Above: other ranks in anodised aluminium
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	The Gordon Highlanders
	1787 - 1994


Titles
pre 1881			post 1881
75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot			1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders
92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot			2nd Battalion The Gordon Highlanders

Earliest recognised formation:	1787 for the 75th Regiment and 1794 for the 92nd Regiment (92nd initially numbered 100th)

Motto:	Bydand = Firm

Regimental Journal:	The Tiger and the Sphinx

WWI	Battle Honours; 57	Victoria Crosses; 4.		Died; 8870
WWII	Battle Honours; 26	Victoria Crosses; 1.		Died; ????

Amalgamated:	1994 with the Queens' Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), to become "The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)."

Fourth Mysore War 1799 75th Regiment
Seringapatam Medal 1799 (Honourable East India Company)
numbers:	?

Egypt Campaign 1801 and the Peninsula War 1808 - 1814 92nd Regiment
Military General Service Medal. 1793 - 1814 clasps:
Total Medals	Max clasps	Egypt	Corunna	Talavera	Guadaloupe	Fuentes d' Onor	Ciudad Rodrigo	Badajoz	Salamanca	Vittoria	Pyrenees	St. Sebastian	Nivelle	Nive	Orthes	Toulouse
308	9	79	139	12	1	128	1	4	2	198	168	1	62	106	117	131

Two officers of the 75th Foot are also recorded as entitled to a MGS; Lt W. A. Hardcastle ( British officers in the Portuguese army list) and Bde Maj. George Watts, (staff officer list).

Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo 1815 92nd Regiment.
Waterloo Medal 1815
Number:	598

First Kaffir War 1834 - 1835 75th Regiment
South Africa Medal 1834-53
Number:	128

Crimean War 1854 - 1856 92nd Regiment

Crimea Medal 1854 -56

The regiment did serve in the Crimea in 1855 but arrived after the qualifying period for the medal - although three 92nd officers on the staff list qualified; Brigade Major K. D. Mackenzie (Alma, Inkermann and Sebastopol), ADC Hon. W. Charteris (Alma, Sebastopol) and ADC Captain A. Mc I. McDonald (Alma, Inkermann and Sebastopol)

India Mutiny 1857

India Mutiny Medal. 1857 -59

75th Regiment

clasp:

....none....

Delhi

Lucknow

Relief of Lucknow

numbers:

101

453

370

92nd Regiment

numbers:

498

Afghan War 1878 92nd Regiment.

Afghanistan Medal 1878 -1880

clasp:

...none...

Charasia

Kabul

Kandahar

Total Medals

numbers:

842**

* vast majority of survivors awarded 3 clasp medals

** not corrected for forfeited etc.

General Roberts' march, Kabul to Kandahar 9-31 August 1880 92nd Regiment.

Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880

658

Became "The Gordon Highlanders" in 1881. (1st and 2nd Battalions.)

Egyptian Campaigns 1882-89 1st Battalion

Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-89

The First Campaign 1882

Clasp

...none...

Tel-el-Kebir

total medals

Number:

108*

773*

881*

*22 men on the supplementary roll have no indication if a clasp was awarded or not, and are counted here as no clasp medals. Several forfeited medals have not been subtracted from these figures. Figure includes three attached officers: Capt.& Paymaster W. H. Mortimer APD., Surgeon J. Tidbury AMD., and Chaplin F.W.J. Agassey who were awarded medals with clasps. The number of no clasp medals would probably be reduced by the second campaign below.

Sudan & The Nile Expedition 1884-5

Clasp

Suakin 1884

El-Teb

Tamaai

El-Teb_Tamaai

The Nile 1884-85

Number:

493

729

850

The Relief of Chitral 1895 and North West Frontier Operations 1897-98 1st Battalion

India Medal 1895

Clasp:

Relief of Chitral
1895

Punjab Frontier
1897-98

Tirah 1897-98

Number:

839

Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902 1st & 2nd Battalions, with detachment operating as mounted infantry. (MI)

Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, with or without the King's South Africa Medal 1901 - 1902

Common clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; also:

1st Btn

2nd Btn.

1st Btn

clasp;

Elandslaagte

Defence of Ladysmith

Relief of Ladysmith

Tugela Heights

Relief of Kimberley

Paardeberg

numbers;

1st Btn

clasp;

Driefontein

Johannesburg

Diamond Hill

Wittebergen

Belfast

numbers;

Officers

NCOs and Men

KIA & DOW

Death from
disease

Wounded

KIA & DOW

Death from disease

Wounded

Missing / POW

1st Battalion

181

2nd Battalion

173

Mohmand Expedition, North West Frontier 1908 1st Battalion

India General Service Medal 1908

clasp:

North West Frontier 1908

numbers:

The Great War 1914 - 1918 (raised 21 battalions; 10 served overseas:- )

Generally awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal, most men overseas prior to 1/1/1916 also a 1914 or 1914-15 Star.

Battalion →

1/4

1/5

1/6

1/7

1
Garrison

6/7**

8/10***

date of first overseas service.
(first theatre red x )

14/8
1914

7/10
1914

20/2
1915

3/5
1915

10/11
1914

3/5
1915

10/5
1915

?/7
1915

?/1
1917

France & Flanders

Italy

India

Star
possible ?

1914 or 1914-15

or 1914-15 only

died
Extracted from : "Soldiers / Officers Died in the Great War" (consider approximate - in addition 83 officers are recorded with 'battalion not shown' and 53 more with battalions not listed here)

1992

1380

1149

858

947

810

239

198

355

531

* The second battalion was in Egypt when war broke out and returned first to the UK
** The 1/6th and 1/7th battalions were amalgamated 6/10/18
*** 8th and 10th battalions were amalgamated 11/5/16

Regular

Territorial Force

New Armies

Garrison.

Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19
109 officers and men of the Gordon Highlanders also qualified for this medal.

Third Afghan War 1919.

India General Service Medal 1908

clasp:

Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919

numbers:

Afridi and Red Shirt Rebellions 1930 -1931.

India General Service Medal 1908

clasp:

North West Frontier 1930-31

numbers:

WW2 1939 - 1945 battalions that served overseas

Battalion →

1st

2nd

4th

5th

6th

5/7th

campaign ↓

France and
Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk )

x
Surrendered: St. Valery 12/6/40

North Africa & Middle East

Far East

x
Surrendered: Singapore 14/02/42

Sicily / Italy

N.W. Europe

Notes.

7/8/40
reformed in the UK

POW Labour Burma-Siam Railway 42-45

reformed in the UK

MG Battalion. Successfully evacuated from Dunkirk 6/1940
Converted to
Anti-Tank Regiment, RA in the UK.

Successfully evacuated from Dunkirk 6/1940

WW2 Stars common to the Battalion (excluding 39-45 star )
Key: A = Africa, P = Pacific, B = Burma, I = Italy, F&G = France and Germany

stars:

A, I, F&G

P / F&G

A, I.

A, I, F&G

clasps:

8th Army

1st Army

8th Army

Most also entitled to the 1939-45 War Medal and many the Defence Medal

Re-establishment of order post WW2, South East Asia 1945 -46

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

Clasp:

S.E. Asia 1945 -46

Number:

1948; 1st and 2nd Battalions amalgamated into the "1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders"

The Malaya Emergency: Operations against Communist insurgents. 1948-60 1st Battalion (1951-52)

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

Clasp:

Malaya

Number:

The Cyprus Emergency 1955 - 1960 1st Battalion (1955-56)

General Service Medal 1918-62

clasp:

Cyprus

numbers:

Indonesian Confrontation, North Borneo 1962-1966 1st Battalion (1965)

General Service Medal 1962-

clasp:

Borneo

numbers:

Northern Ireland "The Troubles" 1969- 1st Battalion (several tours 1972 -1990 )

General Service Medal 1962-

clasp:

Northern Ireland

numbers:

Gulf War to liberate Kuwait 1990-1991 detachment, 1st battalion (Bandsmen deployed with 32 Field Hospital RAMC)

Gulf Medal 1990-91

clasp:

....none....

16th Jan to 28th Feb 1991

numbers:

* together with the bandsmen of the Cheshire Regiment

Selected Links
The Regimental Museum



Selected Bibliography; The Gordon Highlanders, 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot and the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot.

Author	Title	Publisher
Lt.-Col. C. Greenhill Gardyne.	The Life of a Regiment; The History of the Gordon Highlanders from its Formation in 1794 to 1816. xxi, 525 pp., plates, illustrations, plans, maps. 6 coloured plates of uniform.	Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1901.
Lt.-Col. C. Greenhill Gardyne.	—Vol. 2. From 1816 to 1898, including An Account of the 75th Regiment from 1787 to 1881. . xxvii, 415 pp., plates, illustrations, plans, maps. 81" 2 coloured plates of uniform.	Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1903.
Lt.-Col. A. D. Greenhill Gardyne.	— [Vol. 3]. From 1898 to 1914. xix, 521 pp., portraits, plates, illustrations, plans, maps.	London: The Medici Society Ltd., 1939
Cyril Falls.	—Vol. 4. The Gordon Highlanders in the First World War, 1914-1919. xv, 276 pp., sketch maps	Aberdeen: The University Press, 1958.
Wilfrid Miles.	— Vol. 5. The Gordon Highlanders, 1919-1945.. xv, 422 pp., portraits, plates, maps.	Aberdeen: The University Press, 1961
Richard Cannon, Esq.,	Historical Record of the Ninety-Second Regiment, originally termed " The Gordon Highlanders " and numbered the Hundredth Regiment; containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1794 and of its subsequent Services to 1850. xliii, 150 pp., plates, plan. 2 coloured plates of uniform and 1 of colours.	London: Parker, Furnivall, & Parker, 1851.
James Cromb	The Valour Story of a Century: Battle History of the Gordon Highlanders. 68 pp. 8vo.	Edinburgh: John Menzies & Co., 1894
James Milne.	The Gordon Highlanders; being the Story of these Bonnie Fighters. 110pp., portraits, plates.	London: John MacQueen, 1898.
Rev. A. M. Maclean.	With the Gordons at Ypres. [1st Battn.]. 70 pp. 71"	Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1916.
Wolmer Whyte.	The Gay Gordons. The Story of the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. 46 pp	London: John Dicks [1905].
Lieut.-Col. F. H. Neish.	Historical Diary of The Gordon Highlanders. 55 pp	Dundee: John Leng & Co. Ltd., 1914
John Malcolm Bulloch	The Gordon Highlanders. The History of their Origin, together with a Transcript of the First Official Muster. vii, 67 pp. Coloured plate of uniform. 500 copies printed.	Banff: Banffshire Field Club, 1913
J. M. Bulloch.	The Gordon Highlanders Casualties in the Peninsular Campaign . 20 pp. 350 copies printed.	Banff: Banffshire Field Club, 1915
J. M. Bulloch.	The Gordon Highlanders Second Battalion (as quartered in Banff, 1811-12). , 4 pp. 50 copies printed.	[Buckie: W. F. Johnston & Sons, 1915]
J. M. Bulloch	Gordon Highlanders Roll of Honour at Quatre Bras and at Waterloo. Privately printed. 8 pp. 50 copies printed.	[Aberdeen: Rosemount Press], 1915.
J. M. Bulloch.	Gordon Highlanders wounded at Waterloo.Privately printed. 8 pp. 60 copies printed.	[Aberdeen: Aberdeen Daily Journal Office], 1916.
J. M. Bulloch.	Gordon Highlanders Muster Roll at the period of Waterloo. Privately printed, 1927. 13 pp. 80 copies printed.	[Aberdeen: Aberdeen Press and Journal Office].
J. M. Bulloch.	Battlefield Discipline as it was enforced on the Gordon Highlanders One Hundred years ago. Privately printed. 8 pp. 50 copies printed.	[Buckle: W. F. Johnston & Sons], 1915.
J. M. Bulloch.	The Making of the West Indies: The Gordon Highlanders as colonists. By 46 pp.	Buckle: W. F. Johnston & Sons, 1915.
Anon	The 11th Battalion Gordon Highlanders [1914-1916]. 115 pp., portraits, plate.	Glasgow: Published for the 11th Battalion Gordon Highlanders by Maclure, Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1916.
Capt. and Hon. Major James Ferguson.	Records of the 3rd (The Buchan) Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders. Compiled by [6], 64, xx pp.	Peterhead: David Scott, 1894.
Rev. Peter Adam. [Ed]	The Lads of the Don." Donside Gordon Highlanders, "D" Company, Alford, 24th August, 1904. 76 pp., portraits, plates. [4th Vol. Btn.]	Aberdeen: "Aberdeen Daily Journal" Office, 1904.
Major Patrick Leslie Davidson.	Records of the 5th (Deeside) Highland Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders. Compiled by 2nd edition. 74 pp.	Aberdeen: printed for private circulation by Cornwall, 1898.
Capt. D. Mackenzie. With a Foreword by Lieut.-Gen. Sir G. M. Harper.	The Sixth Gordons in France and Flanders (with the 7th and 51st Divisions). xiv, 241 pp., portraits, plates, maps.	Aberdeen: printed for the War Memorial Committee at the Rosemount Press, 1921.
Alexander Rule, With an Introduction by J. M. Bulloch.	Students under Arms; being the War Adventures of the Aberdeen University Company of the Gordon Highlanders. . xv, 220 pp., map.	Aberdeen: The University Press, 1934
Felix Barker.	Gordon Highlanders in North Africa and Sicily, August 1942 to October 1943. A Short Account of a Battalion [5/7th] during the Two Campaigns. 32 pp., map.	Sidcup: The Bydand Press, 1944


General bibliography for this page.

Author/Compiler	Title	Publisher
Officers of the Regiment.	Unpublished rolls in the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc.	-


	and other sources as listed on the Northumberland Fusiliers page