Multiple Eras The Kings Own Scottish Borderers

[dag]

Formed on 18 March 1689, by the Earl of Leven, in Edinburgh. The regiment, known as the Edinburgh Regiment of Foot, was created to defend Edinburgh from the forces of King James VII and it was said that 800 men joined the regiment in just two hours.

The regiment fought at the Battle of Killiecrankie in July 1689 and also at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, when it was known as Semphill’s Regiment of Foot.

 

When the British infantry was allocated numerical positions in the 'line' of Infantry, this regiment was numbered as the 25th regiment (based on its formation date) in 1751, and was known as the 25^th Edinburgh Regiment of Foot.

 

In 1805, the recruiting area was moved to the Scottish Borders region and the regiment became known as The 25^th (King's Own Borderers) Regiment of Foot.

 

Under the Childers Reforms of 1881 (when numbered British regiments were changed to named regiments based on their local “Regimental District”) the regiment became The King's Own Borderers on 1 July 1881. The regiment became The King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1887.

 

The Kings Own Scottish Borderers served in both World Wars and lost ninety percent of its seventh battalion at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. In 2006, the Kings Own Scottish Borderers Regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots to form the Royal Scots Borderers, which became the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

 

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Attached here is a badge (from my collection) of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, with a King’s crown, and dates to World War II. It is mounted on a piece of “Leslie” tartan.

 

 

 

 

[dag]

This is a Kings Own Scottish Borderers collar badge.

 

 

 

 

These are buttons, and a metal shoulder title, for the Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

 

 

 

 

Buttons changed from Kings Own Borderers (bottom) to Kings Own Scottish Borderers (top) in 1887.

 

 

 

 

Three eras of buttons: with Queen’s crown (bottom button, for Queen Victoria, 1901 or earlier); King’s crown (middle button, dating 1901-1952, for King Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, or George VI); and the Queen’s crown (top (anodized) button, dating 1952 or later).

 

 

 

[dag]

This button was from the estate of Major Hesketh Prichard. It was from the uniform of his father, Heskith Brodrick Prichard, born 1851 in Hereford, England, who was an officer (Lieutenant, Bengal Staff Corps) in the King’s Own Borderers (later The King’s Own Scottish Borderers), 2^nd Battalion, 25^th Regiment of Foot, serving in India & Afghanistan, 1871-1876. He died of typhoid in Afghanistan, six weeks before his son’s birth (5 Oct 1876).

 

 

[Proud Kraut]

Now that's what I call military tradition, excellent. Thanks for sharing your insignia and the unit's history!

 

Lars

[mikie]

Excellent! By sheer coincidence, I bought a King’s Own Scottish Borderers cap badge last night. I was inspired by your Scottish corner post and did some research wanting to add some Scottish badges to my collection. I was blown away by their WWII history and thought that was a good unit to start with. I'll put up some pictures when it comes in.

 

I have to admit I was a bit confused about the term "lug" used about these badges. I guessed that they are the loops on the back used for attachment.

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

Mikie

[dag]

Thanks for the comments.

 

As for "lugs", British badges have either "lugs" or "sliders" to hold them to the cap. Lugs work like button loops, badges typically have 2 or 3 (or more) that would go thru holes into the cap, and would have a pin on the inside to hold it in place. A "slider" would just slide in thru a slot in the cap. Lugs are much more common, most of mine are lugs, have only three or four sliders.

[mikie]

Hi,

My badge arrived in the mail yesterday. Here it is, hope it's a good one.

 

 

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

Comments welcome.

 

Mikie

 

[dag]

Nice badge Mikie. Looks good to me.

[Rakkasan187]

I was stationed in Berlin with the 502nd Infantry Regiment and at the time KOSB was also in Berlin.. Did a lot of training with them and had a great time serving with them..

 

Leigh

[hellcatm18]

Nice badges and history

[ed101]

happen to have a very nice bullion blazer patch.. has some green felt residue on the back