Medals of the Regiments:
The King's Own Scottish Borderers

 
  
King's Own Scottish Borderers Cap Badge
King's Own Scottish Borderers cap badge,
 "Kings Crown" version.
King's Own Scottish Borderers collar badge (top, enlarged)
 and shoulder title

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The King's Own Scottish Borderers

1689 - 2006
 
 
 
Titles
pre 1881post 1881
25th (The King's Own Borderers ) Regiment The  King's Own Scottish Borderers
( 1st and 2nd Battalions)
 
Earliest recognised formation: 1689, when it was raised as the Earl of Leven's Regiment at Edinburgh. The regiment was also known as the 25th (Sussex) Regiment of Foot during the period 1782-1805.
 
Mottoes: Nisi Dominus frustra = Unless the Lord be with us all is in vain; 
In veritate religionis confido = I believe in the truth of my faith;  
Nec aspera terrent = Nor do difficulties deter.
 
Battalions:Two battalions of regulars were operational 1795-1796, 1804-1816, 1860-1948.
Regimental Journal:  The Borderers Chronicle
 
WWI:Battle Honours; 66Victoria Crosses; 4.Died; 7740
WWII:    Battle Honours; 46?Victoria Crosses; Nil.Died; ????
 
Amalgamated:2006, with the The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Royal Scots, The Black Watch, The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons), and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 
 
 
 

Actions against the French Navy: "Glorious First of June" 1794 and the capture of two French ships, 14th March 1795. (Regiment serving as marines.)

Naval General Service Medal.  1793 - 1840

clasp:

1st June 1794

14 March 1795

number:2 *1 **
ship serving on:HMS Gibraltar. HMS St. George.
 

* Private Thomas Burchley and Private Luke Thayyers. (Thayyers probably a spelling error.)

**  Sergeant John Ward.

 

 
 
 

Egypt Campaign 1801. Capture of Martinique and Guadaloupe, 1809-10. United States invasion of Canada 1812-13.

Military General Service Medal 1793 - 1814 clasps:

Total medalsMax clasps

Egypt

Martinique

Guadaloupe

Fort Detroit

Chrystler's Farm

Nivelle

Nieve

Orthes

1266**34421041*1*1**1**1**
 

*This two clasp medal, (Fort Detroit and Chrystler's Farm) was awarded to Bartholomew Richardson serving with the Newfoundland Fencibles.

**generally 3 or less clasps to the regiment, the 6 clasp medal is to Surgeon Thomas Thompson ( Egypt Martinique Guadaloupe Nivelle  Nieve Orthes) although some of the clasps allegedly with the AMD. Another 8 clasp medal was also awarded to an officer on the staff list (not counted here)

Battle Honour : "Martinique 1809"

 
 
 

Fenian Raids Canada 1866-1870. 1st Battalion

Canada General Service Medal 1866-70

clasp:

Fenian Raid 1866

Fenian Raid 1870

number:994
 
 
 
 

Afghan War 1878 1st Battalion.

Afghanistan Medal 1878  -1880

clasp:...none...

Ali Musjid

total medals
number:9791*980**
 

*Ali Musjid clasp to Major F. S. Terry.  **not corrected for forfeited etc.

Battle Honour: "Afghanistan 1878-80"

 
Became "The Kings Own Scottish Borderers " in 1881. (1st and 2nd Battalions)
 

Operations against the Chin Tribe, Burma 1889-90. 1st Battalion.

India General Service Medal 1854 - 95

clasp:
Chin-Lushai 1889-90
number :?
 
 
 
 

Egypt & Sudan, Action at Gemaizah 1888  2nd Battalion.

Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-89

clasp:

Gemaizah 1888

number:?
 

Recipients also entitled to a Khedive's Star undated.

 

 
 
 

The Relief of Chitral 1895 and North West Frontier Operations 1897-98  2nd Battalion

India Medal 1895

clasp:

Relief of Chitral
 1895

Punjab Frontier
1897-98

Tirah 1897-98

number: ? ? ?
 

 

 

Battle Honours: Chitral, Tirah

 
 
 

Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902  1st Battalion. (served from January 1900 -end of war) with a body operating as Mounted Infantry (MI). Also volunteer companies provided by the militia battalions.

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 possible:

 
   MIMI
clasp:
Paardeberg
Johannesburg
Diamond Hill
Wittebergen
number:????
 

Casualties:

Officers NCOs and Men
KIA & DOW Wounded Death from disease KIA & DOW Death from disease Wounded Missing / POW
 
7 5 4 45 81 90 18
 

VCs: 1

Battle Honours: "Paardeberg", "South Africa 1900-1902"

 
 
 

The Great War 1914 - 1918  (raised 14 battalions; 8 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 1 21/41/5 267810 4
7/8 3
(Heavy losses at Loos 25/9/15)
date of first overseas service.
 (first theatre red x )
17/11
1914
15/8
1914
4/6
1915
29/5
1915
12/5
1915
10/7
1915
10/7
1915
11/6
1918
France & Flandersxxxxxxxx
Gallipolix xx    
Egypt & Palestinex xx    
Star
possible ?
1914 or 1914-15  x      
or 1914-15 onlyx xxxxx 
         
died
Extracted from : "Soldiers / Officers Died in the Great War" (consider approximate - in addition 79 officers are recorded with 'battalion not shown'  or battalions not shown here)
14031402664534134535128919
640
 

1 The first battalion was in India when war broke out. Moved to Egypt 17th Nov - 14th Dec then on to the UK arriving 28th Dec 1914. Returned to Egypt 30th March 1915.
2 Arrived Mudros 29/5/15 proceeded to Gallipoli 6/6/1915
3 7th and 8th battalions amalgamated, 28/5/1916
4 Formed in France from the 10th (Garrison) Battalion which in turn had been formed from the 9th Garrison Guard Battalion.

RegularTerritorial ForceNew Armies

Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19
27 officers and men of the King's Own Scottish Borderers also qualified for this medal.

 

VCs: 4.

 

Battle Honours:  Mons; Aisne 1914; Ypres 1914, 1915, 1917, 1918; Loos; Somme 1916, 1918; Arras 1917, 1918; Soissonais-Ourcq; Hindenburg Line; Gallipoli 1915-16; Gaza. Le Cateau; Retreat from Mons; Marne 1914, 1918; La Bassée 1914; Messines 1914; Nonne Bosschen; Hill 60; Gravenstafel; St Julien; Frezenberg; Bellewaarde; Albert 1916, 1918; Bazentin; Delville Wood; Pozières; Guillemont; Flers-Courcelette; Morval; Le Transloy; Ancre Heights; Vimy 1917; Scarpe 1917, 1918; Arleux; Pilckem; Langemarck 1917; Menin Road; Polygon Wood; Broodseinde; Poelcapelle; Passchendaele; Cambrai 1917, 1918; St Quentin; Lys; Estaires; Hazebrouck; Kemmel; Bapaume 1918; Drocourt-Quéant; Epéhy; Canal du Nord; Courtrai; Selle; Sambre; France and Flanders 1914-18; Italy 1917-18; Helles; Landing at Helles; Krithia; Suvla; Scimitar Hill; Rumani; Egypt 1916; El Mughar; Nebi Samwil; Jaffa; Palestine 1917-18.

 
 
 

Operations against the Waziris and Mahsuds, North West Frontier 1919 - 24  1st Battalion

India General Service Medal 1908

clasp:
Waziristan 1921-24
numbers:?
 
 
 
 

Jewish / Arab Unrest,  Palestine 1936 - 39 1st  Battalion

General Service Medal 1918 -62

clasp:
Palestine
number:?
 
 
 
 

WW2 1939 - 1945  

Battalion →1st2nd4th5th6th7th
campaign ↓      
France and
Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk )
x xx  
North Africa & Middle East      
Far East x    
Sicily / Italy      
N.W. Europex xxxx
 

Notes.

  "Force S Assault Group S1" 
Sword Beach-
Normandy 6/6/44
Burma   1st Airlanding Brigade 10/12/41- 31/8/45
 Decimated at Arnhem.
 
 
 

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

 F&GBF&GF&GF&GF&G
       
 

Battle Honours: Dunkirk 1940; Odon; Caen; Arnhem 1944; Flushing; Rhine; Bremen; Ngakyedauk Pass; Imphal; Irrawaddy. Cambes; Cheux; Defence of Rauray; Esquay; Troarn; Mont Pinçon; Estry; Aart; Nederrijn; Best; Scheldt; Venraij; Meijel; Venlo Pocket; Roer; Rhineland; Reichswald; Cleve; Goch; Ibbenburen; Lingen; Dreirwalde; Uelzen; Artlenberg; North-West Europe 1940, 1944-5; North Arakan; Buthidaung; Kanglatongbi; Ukhrul; Meiktila; Kama; Burma 1943, 1945.

 
 
 

Jewish / Arab Unrest,  Palestine 1945 - 48 1st  Battalion

General Service Medal 1918 -62

clasp:
Palestine 1945-48
number:?
 
 
 
1948;  2nd Battalion Disbanded
 

Korean War 1950 - 1953 1st Battalion

Queen's Korea Medal

number:?
 
 
Casualties / Honours and Awards.  (extracted from "The 38th Parallel" Peter Gaston: Pub A.D. Hamilton Glasgow 1976  and the separate POW roll compiled by the same individual )

(Attached men included in these figures)

CasualtiesKIA or DOWWoundedPOW
 53?35
 
Honours and AwardsOBEMBEBEMDSOMCDCMMM
 1215448
 

Battle Honours: Korea 1951-52, Kowang-San, Maryang-San.

 
 
 

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

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

clasp:

Malaya

number:?
 
 
 

 Radfan 1964  1st Battalion

General Service Medal 1962-

clasp:

Radfan

number:?
 
 
 
 

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

General Service Medal 1962-

clasp:

Borneo

numbers:?
 
 
 
 

Northern Ireland "The Troubles"  1969- 1st Battalion (numerous tours 1972 -2004 )

General Service Medal 1962-

clasp:

Northern Ireland

numbers:?
 
 
 
 

Gulf War to Liberate Kuwait  1990-1991 1st Battalion

Gulf Medal 1990-91

clasp:....none....
16th Jan to 28th Feb 1991
number:2490
   

General Service Medal 1962-

  
clasp:

Kuwait

number:?
   
 

Battle Honour: Gulf 1991

 
 

Iraq War, or Second Gulf War 2003-  1st Battalion

Iraq Medal 2003-

clasp:....none....
19th Mar to Apr 2003
numbers:??
 
 
 

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Selected Links

The Regimental Museum. The Barracks, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1DG

?
 
 

Selected Bibliography; The King's Own Scottish Borderers / 25th Regiment.

 
AuthorTitlePublisher
Capt. R. T. Higgins. The Records of The King's Own Borderers, or Old Edinburgh Regiment.   xvi, 382 pp. London: Chapman and Hall, 1873.
Capt. Stair Gillon.The K.O.S.B. in the Great War.   xiv, 488 pp., portraits, plates, plans, maps in end-pocket.London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. 1930.
Gavin Richardson.For King and Country and the Scottish Borderers.  The story of 1/4th (Border) Battalion, TF, K.O.S.B. on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. Based on first hand accounts by survivors and on diaries, letters, newspapers, books and documents. iv, 100 pp.   
Capt. Hugh Gunning.Borderers in Battle. The War Story of The King's Own Scottish Borderers, 1939-1945.  287 pp., portraits, plates, maps.Berwick-upon-Tweed: Martin's Printing Works, Ltd., 1948
Capt. J. GossA Border Battalion. The History of the 7/8th (Service) Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers.   xx, 367 ppEdinburgh: [T. N. Foulis], privately printed, 1920.
foreword by Lt-Col. E. D. Jackson, introduction by the War CommitteeIV (Bn. K.O.S.B.) 1939-45,  small oblong 8vo, illustrations, 216 pp., c.1946. 
J. F. M. MacDonald.The Borderers in Korea.  71 pp., maps, illustrations.Berwick upon Tweed: Martins, n.d.
By F. Claude Waller. From Bordon to Loos with the 6th Service Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers. Privately Printed. Winchester, 1917.
Robert WoollcombeAll the Blue Bonnets.  The History of the King's Own Scottish Borderers 208ppLondon. Arms and Armour Press 1980.
   

 

General bibliography for this page.

 
Author/CompilerTitlePublisher
Officers of the Regiment.Unpublished rolls in the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc.-
   
 Additional bibliography same as Northumberland Fusiliers page  
 

 

 

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