Donnini
14768011 Fus. Dennis Donnini, 4/5th Battalion,The Royal Scots Fusiliers (Easington Colliery, Co. Durham). In North-West Europe on 18th January,1945, a Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers supported by tanks was the leading Battalion in the assault of the German position between the Rivers Roer and Maas. This consisted of a broad belt of minefields and wire on the other side of a stream. As the result of a thaw the armour was unable to cross the stream and the infantry had to continue the assault without the support of the tanks. Fusilier Donnini's platoon was ordered to attack a small village. As they left their trenches the platoon came under concentrated machine gun and rifle fire from the houses and Fusilier Donnini was hit by a bullet in the head. After a few minutes he recovered consciousness, charged down thirty yards of open road and threw a 'grenade into the nearest window. The enemy fled through the gardens of four houses, closely pursued by Fusilier Donnini and the survivors of his platoon. Under heavy fire at seventy yards range Fusilier Donnini and two companions crossed an open space and reached the cover of a wooden barn, thirty yards from the enemy trenches. Fusilier Donnini, still bleeding profusely from his wound, went into the open under intense close range fire and carried one of his companions, who had been wounded, into the barn. Taking a Bren gun he again went into the open, firing as he went. He was wounded a second time but recovered and went on firing until a third bullet hit a grenade which he was carrying and killed him. The superb gallantry and self-sacrifice of Fusilier Donnini drew the enemy fire away from his companions on to himself. As the result of this, the platoon were able to capture the position, accounting for thirty Germans and two machine guns. Throughout this action, fought from beginning to end at point blank range, the dash, determination and magnificent courage of Fusilier Donnini enabled his comrades to overcome an enemy more than twice their own number. (LG 16/3/4
Caldwell
295536 Sjt Thomas Caldwell, 12th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers (Carluke). For most conspicuous bravery and initiative in attack near Audenarde on the 31st October, 1918, when in command of a Lewis gun section engaged in clearing a farmhouse. When his section came under intense fire at close range from another farm, Sit. Caldwell rushed towards the farm, and, in spite of very heavy fire, reached the enemy position, which he captured single-handed, together with 18 prisoners. This gallant and determined exploit removed a serious obstacle from the line of advance, saved many casualties, and led to the capture by his section of about 70 prisoners, eight machine guns and one trench mortar. (LG 3/1/1919)
Craig
2nd Lt. John Manson Craig, 1/4th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. For most conspicuous bravery on the occasion of an advanced post being rushed by a large, party of the enemy. This officer immediately organised a rescue party, and the enemy was tracked over broken country back to his trenches. 2nd Lt. Craig then set his party -to work removing the dead and wounded. During the course of this operation his men came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire. An N.C.O. was wounded, and the Medical. Officer who went out to his aid was also severely wounded. 2nd Lt. Craig at once went to their assistance and succeeded in taking the N.C.O. under cover. He then, returned for the Medical Officer, and whilst, taking him to shelter was himself wounded. Nevertheless, by great perseverance, hesucceeded in rescuing him also. As the enemy continued a heavy fire and in addition turned on shrapnel and high explosives, 2nd Lt. Craig scooped cover for the wounded and thus was the means of saving their lives. These latter acts of bravery occurred in broad daylight, under full observation of the enemy ,and within close range. 5 June 1917 in Egypt (LG 31/7/17)
Lauder
7709 Pte. David Ross Lauder, 1/4th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. For most conspicuous bravery when with a bombing party retaking a sap. Pte. Lauder threw a bomb, which failed to clear the parapet and fell amongst the bombing party. There was no time to smother the bomb, and Pte. Lauder at once put his foot on it, thereby localising the explosion. His foot was blown off, but the remainder of the party through this act of sacrifice escaped unhurt. 13 August 1915 at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey (LG12/1/1917)
Boughey
2nd Lt. Stanley Henry Parry Boughey, late 1/4th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. For most conspicuous bravery. When the enemy in large numbers had managed to crawl up within 30 yards of our firing line, and with bombs and automatic rifles were keeping down the fire of our machine guns, he rushed forward alone with bombs right up to the enemy, doing great execution and causing the surrender of a party of 30. As he turned to go back for more bombs he was mortally wounded at the moment when the enemy were surrendering. 1 December, 1917 at El Burf, Palestine (LG 13/2/1918)
 

Medals of the Regiments:
The Royal Scots Fusiliers

 

© Images Copyright ©

Royal Scots Fusiliers Cap Badge Royal Scots Fusiliers Collar Badge
The Royal Scots Fusiliers badge;  a fused grenade bearing the Royal Arms. Collar Badge
Kipling and King 620 

 
 

 

 

The Royal Scots Fusiliers
1678 - 1959
 
 
 
Titles
pre 1881 post 1881
21st (Royal Scots Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot The Royal Scots Fusiliers
   
 
Earliest recognised formation: 1678, when raised as the Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot, became the Scots Fusiliers in 1685. Also known as the North British Fusiliers up to 1877.
 
Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit = No one provokes me with impunity.
 
Regimental Journal:  The Journal of the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
 
WWI: Battle Honours; 58 Victoria Crosses; 4 Died; 5600
WWII:    Battle Honours;  51 Victoria Crosses; 1 Died;  ????
 
Amalgamated: 1959, with  The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment), to form The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment)
 
 
A  2nd Battalion was operational 1804-1816.( disbanded 1816, not resurrected again until 1857)
 No Military General Service Medals 1793-1814 are recorded for this regiment.
*

Crimean War  1854 - 1856  Known during this period as the"21st North British Fusiliers"

Crimea Medal 1854 -56

 
Clasp: → ..none...

Alma

Balaklava

Inkermann

Sebastopol

Total Medals
Number: → ? >933 534 >786 ? ?
 
 

Battle Casualties;

Action. DOW"Wounded" Dangerously
Wounded 		Severely
Wounded		 Slightly
Wounded 		Missing
The Battle of the Alma 1 - - - - - -
First bombardment of Sebastopol, first battle of Inkermann and minor actions 2- 3 - - - -
The Battle of Inkermann 151 90 - 4 2 6
The Assault on the Quarries - -- - - - -
The First Attack on the Redan 3 -- 4 3 14 -
The Final Attack on the Redan 1- - - 1 6 -
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and final bombardments of Sebastopol and minor actions 10- - 2 18 19 3
The Magazine Explosion at the French Siege Train - - - - 1 - -
              

Grand Total: 208     

 

Men who served in the Crimea also eligible for:

Turkish Crimea Medal 1855

 

Battle Honours: Alma; Inkermann; Sevastopol.

 

 
 
 

South Africa: Kaffir and Zulu Wars 1877-79 2nd Battalion (1879)

South Africa Medal 1877-79

 
clasp: ...none....

1879

 total
number: 153 862 1015*
 

* 16 returned to the mint.

 

Battle Honour:  South Africa 1879

 
2nd Battalion served during the First Anglo-Boer War 1880-1881, no campaign medals issued.
1881: 21st Regiment of Foot now becomes The Royal Scots Fusiliers
 

Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885-87,  2nd Battalion

India General Service Medal 1854 - 95

clasp:
Burma 1885-7
number: ?
 

Battle Honour: Burma 1885-7

 
 
 

North West Frontier Operations 1897-98  both battalions present

India Medal 1895

       
clasp:
Punjab Frontier
1897-98

Samana 1897

Tirah 1897-98

battalion: 1st 2nd 1st 1st 2nd
number: ? ? ?* ? ?
 

*Maxim Gun Detachment.

 

Battle Honour: Tirah

 
 
 

South African War 1899 - 1902 or "Boer War"   2nd Battalion, November 1899- end of the war, with a detachment serving as Mounted Infantry (MI). The 1st Volunteer Battalion also provided men.

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:

 
        MI    
clasp:
Relief of Mafeking

Relief of Ladysmith

Tugela Heights

Wittebergen

?  
number: 26* ? ? ? ?  
             

* This entitlement was to the small body of men from the 2nd Battalion that formed a component of Barton’s Fusilier Brigade, together with; 2nd Royal Fusiliers (27 ORs),  2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers (20 ORs), 1st Royal Welch Fusiliers (1 officer and 25 ORs).

 

Casualties:

Officers NCOs and Men
KIA & DOW/ DOD Wounded Missing / POW KIA & DOW Death from disease Wounded Missing / POW
 
4/4 11 7 54 65 145 37
 


VCs 1;  Ravenhill

 

Battle Honours: Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1900-1902

 
 
 

The Great War 1914 - 1918  ( 18 battalions; 10 served overseas:- )

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

Battalion → 1  2* 1/4 1/5 6 7 8 11*** 12**** 1st Garrison
6/7** Ayr & Lanark Yeo.
date of first overseas service.
 (first theatre red x )		 14/8
1914		 6/10
1914		 7/6
1915		 7/6
1915		 11/5
1915		 9/7
1915		 20/9
1915		 5/5
1918		 14/1
1917		 ?/2
1916
France & Flanders x x x x x x x x x  
Gallipoli     x x            
via Mudros.
Egypt & Palestine     x x         x  
Macedonia             x      
India                   x
Star
possible ? 		1914 or 1914-15 x x                
or 1914-15 only     x x x x x      
VCs at a glance:                
died
Extracted from : "Soldiers / Officers Died in the Great War" (consider approximate - in addition the regiment as a whole lost an additional  99 officers who are recorded with 'battalion not shown'  or with battalions not shown here, or who we have  not yet allocated a battalion.)		 1676 1584 462 444 299 247 163 60 154 26
573
 

* At Gibraltar when war declared, returned to England.

** 13/5/16:  6th and 7th battalions amalgamated to form 6/7th Battalion

*** 27/4/18 became "Garrison Guard Battalion", this designation dropped 7/18

**** Formed in Egypt on that date from the dismounted Ayrshire and Lanarkshire Yeomanry

 
Regular Territorial Force New Armies Garrison.
 

Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19
10 officers and men of the Royal Scots Fusiliers also qualified for this medal.

 


VCs: 4;    Boughey,   Lauder,   Craig,    Caldwell.

 

Battle Honours: Great War: Mons; Marne 1914; Ypres 1914, 1917, 1918; Somme 1916, 1918; Arras 1917, 1918; Lys; Hindenburg Line; Doiran 1917, 1918; Gallipoli 1915-16; Palestine 1917-18.  Le Cateau; Retreat from Mons; Aisne 1914; La Bass& 1914; Langemarck 1914; Gheluvelt; Nonne Bosschen; Neuve Chapelle; Aubers; Festubert 1915; Loos; Albert 1916, 1918; Bazentin; Delville Wood; Pozieres; Flers-Courcelette; Le Transloy; Ancre Heights; Ancre 1916; Scarpe 1917, 1918; Arleux; Messines 1917; Pilckem; Menin Road; Polygon Wood; St Quentin; Bapaume 1918; Rosieres; Estaires; Hazebrouck; Bailleul; Bethune; Scherpenberg; Drocourt-Queant; Canal du Nord; Courtrai; Selle; France and Flanders 1914-18; Macedonia 1916-1918; Helles; Rumani; Egypt 1916-17; Gaza; El Mughar; Nebi Samwil; Jerusalem; Jaffa Tell'Asur.

 
 
 

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

General Service Medal 1918 -62

clasp:

Palestine

numbers: ?
 
 
 
 
 

WW2 1939 - 1945   5 Battalions served overseas

Battalion → 1st 2nd 4/5th* 6th 11th
campaign ↓          
France and  Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk )		   x x x  
North Africa & Middle East   x      
Burma x        
Sicily / Italy   x      
N.W. Europe   x x x x
 

 
Notes. In India at the start moved to the UK
29th Inf. Bde. 18/7/40-25/5/45:
Madagascar & East Africa 5/5/42-16/10/42
Burma 12/2/44-6/6/44 and 3/8/44-13/5/45		 17th Inf. Bde. 4/10/39-31/8/45
Madagascar 5/5/42-10/6/42
India 22/6/42-13/9/42
Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt 20/9/42-30/6/43
Sicily, Italy 10/7/43-4/7/44 & 16/2/45-3/3/45
Egypt , Palestine, Syria 8/7/44-13/12/44
NW Europe 5/3/45-31/8/45		 156 Inf. Bde. 3/9/39-31/8/45
France 12/6/40-16/6/40
NW Europe 13/10/44-31/8/45		 GHQ BEF 6/40

44th Inf Bde. 28/12/42-31/8/45

NW Europe 17/6/44-31/8/45

 147th Inf Bde. 8/9/42-31/8/45

NW Europe 12/6/44-31/8/45

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

*4th and 5th amalgamated in 1921 to form 4th/5th Battalion

 


VCs 1; Donnini  (posthumous)

 

 

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

 

Battle Honours: Ypres-Comines Canal; Odon; Falaise; Scheldt; Rhine; Bremen; Landing in Sicily; Garigliano Crossing; North Arakan; Pinwe. Defence of Arras; Somme 1940; Withdrawal to Seine; Fontenay le Pesnil; Cheux; Defence of Rauray; Mont Pincon; Estry; La Vie Crossing; La Touques Crossing; Aart; Nederrijn; Best; Le Havre; Antwerp-Turnhout Canal; South Beveland; Lower Maas; Meijel; Venlo Pocket; Roer; Rhineland; Reichswald; Cleve; Goch; Dreirwald; Uelzen; Artlenberg; North-West Europe 1940, 1944-5; Sicily 1943; Sangro; Minturno; Anzio; Advance to Tiber; Italy 1943-4; Madagascar; Middle East 1942; Razabil; Schweli; Mandalay; Burma 1944-5.

 
1948: Regulars reduced to a single battalion (the 1st)
 

The Malaya Emergency: Operations against Communist insurgents. 1948-60 1st Battalion (1954-57)

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

clasp:

Malaya

number:?
 
 
 
 
 

The Cyprus Emergency 1955 - 1960  1st Battalion (June - October 1958)

General Service Medal 1918-62

clasp:

Cyprus

numbers:?
 

CO: Lt. Col. M. J. Evetts

 
 
 

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Selected Links

The Regimental Museum. (Located in )   

 
 
 

Selected Bibliography;

 
Author Title Publisher
Compiled by Richard Cannon, Esq. Historical Record of the Twenty-First Regiment, or The Royal North British Fusiliers; containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1678, and of its subsequent Services to 1849.  64 pp. London: Parker, Furnivall, & Parker, 1849
Compiled from various authentic sources by James Clark, late Sergeant. Historical Record and Regimental Memoir of The Royal Scots Fusiliers, formerly known as the 21st Royal North British Fusiliers; containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1678 and its subsequent Services until June 1885.   185 pp.  Edinburgh: Banks & Co., 1885.
 Lieut.-Col. Percy Groves. History of the 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers (formerly The 21st Royal North British Fusiliers), now known as the Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1678-1895. 72 pp. Edinburgh: W. & A. K. Johnston, 1895.
John Buchan The History of The Royal Scots Fusiliers (1678-1918)  502 pp. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd. [1925].
Col. J. C. Kemp The History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1919-1939. 423 pp. Glasgow:  Robert Maclehose & Co. Ltd., 1963
D.C. Dodd ? The 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1939-46. . 160 pp. Ayr: T. Gemmell & Son Ltd., 1962

 

Additional Bibliography for this Page.

 
Author/Compiler Title Publisher
Officers of the Regiment. Unpublished rolls in the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc. -
Stiles, Richard G.M.L. Mayhem in the Med: A Chronicle of the Cyprus Emergency Savannah 2005 ( London)
  Additional bibliography same as Northumberland Fusiliers page  
     
     
 

 

 

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