2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were formed in 1881 when the 91st Regiment of Foot
was amalgamated with the 93rd Regiment of Foot
to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
.
followed by service in South Africa
and then back to the United Kingdom
in 1910.
followed by Hong Kong
, China
and by 1933 they were in India again, where they were to remain until mid 1939 when they sailed to Malaya.
a brilliant officer who was aware of the need for jungle warfare training in order to defeat the Japan
ese, who were becoming more obviously aggressive in the region. In the months before the invasion of southern Thailand
and Malaya in 1941, Stewart took his battalion into the harshest terrain he could find and developed tactics to fight effectively in those areas. This training that the 2nd Argylls went through would make them arguably the most effective unit in General Percival's Malayan Command, earning them the nickname 'the jungle beasts'.
. The survivors were sent back to Singapore where they were amalgamated with the Royal Marine survivors from the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse. The reformed battalion was named the 'Plymouth Argylls' (in reference to the Argylls affiliation to the Plymouth Argyle Football team
and that all the Marines were from the Plymouth Division) and took part in the final battles for the island of Singapore, surrendering on the 15 February 1942. Many Argylls died in captivity as P.O.W's or in the jungle trying to avoid capture. Two Argyll soldiers even managed to avoid capture throughout the war in Northern Malaya, where they had remained since the Battle of Slim River. Only 22 of the Plymouth Marines (out of 210) and 52 Argylls reached Ceylon.
A few Argylls managed to escape to India
, including Lt.Col.Stewart, where they lectured on Jungle warfare tactics. After this the evacuees became part of No.6 GHQ Training Team which organized training exercises and lectures for the 14th Indian Infantry Division
and British 2nd Infantry Division
.
On the 5 May 1942 the 15th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was converted into a new 2nd Battalion. This battalion fought in the European Theatre of Operations as part of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.
91st Regiment of Foot
The 91st Regiment of Foot was a Line Regiment of the British Army . It was first formed in 1759 and in 1881 became the 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.- Early formations :...
was amalgamated with the 93rd Regiment of Foot
93rd Regiment of Foot
The 93rd Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the British Army . In 1881 during the Childers Reforms it was united with the 91st Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders .- The 93rd Regiment :The 93rd Regiment was raised three times before it became the...
to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
.
Early history
While the 1st Battalion served overseas the 2nd Battalion remained on home service until 1892 when they moved to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
followed by service in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and then back to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1910.
First World War
On 14 August 1914 the 2nd Battalion landed at Boulogne and were attached to the 19th Brigade, 6th Division by 12 October 1914. The 2nd Argylls spent the rest of the war fighting in France.Interwar years
During this period the 2nd Battalion remained on home service until 1927 when they were shipped to JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
followed by Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and by 1933 they were in India again, where they were to remain until mid 1939 when they sailed to Malaya.
Second World War
The 2nd Battalion, at the beginning of this war, was commanded by Lieut.Col. Ian MacAlister StewartIan MacAlister Stewart
-Early life:Stewart was born in 1895, part of the Stewart family of Appin in Argyllshire. Stewart was born in Surore, Poone , India where his father, Lt.Col Alexander Kenneth Stewart, 12th of Achnacone, was a medical officer in the Poona Horse before his parents returned to Scotland. Stewart...
a brilliant officer who was aware of the need for jungle warfare training in order to defeat the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, who were becoming more obviously aggressive in the region. In the months before the invasion of southern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Malaya in 1941, Stewart took his battalion into the harshest terrain he could find and developed tactics to fight effectively in those areas. This training that the 2nd Argylls went through would make them arguably the most effective unit in General Percival's Malayan Command, earning them the nickname 'the jungle beasts'.
Plymouth Argylls
The 2nd Battalion fought a strong rear guard action during the retreat down the west coast of Malaysia until they suffered many casualties and the battalion was practically destroyed during the Battle of Slim RiverBattle of Slim River
The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the west coast of Malaya.-Background:...
. The survivors were sent back to Singapore where they were amalgamated with the Royal Marine survivors from the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse. The reformed battalion was named the 'Plymouth Argylls' (in reference to the Argylls affiliation to the Plymouth Argyle Football team
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
and that all the Marines were from the Plymouth Division) and took part in the final battles for the island of Singapore, surrendering on the 15 February 1942. Many Argylls died in captivity as P.O.W's or in the jungle trying to avoid capture. Two Argyll soldiers even managed to avoid capture throughout the war in Northern Malaya, where they had remained since the Battle of Slim River. Only 22 of the Plymouth Marines (out of 210) and 52 Argylls reached Ceylon.
A few Argylls managed to escape to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, including Lt.Col.Stewart, where they lectured on Jungle warfare tactics. After this the evacuees became part of No.6 GHQ Training Team which organized training exercises and lectures for the 14th Indian Infantry Division
14th Indian Infantry Division
For the World War I formation see 14th Indian DivisionThe Indian 14th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II...
and British 2nd Infantry Division
British 2nd Infantry Division
The 2nd Division is a regular division of the British army, with a long history. It dates its existence as a permanently embodied formation from 1809, when it was established by Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley , as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War...
.
On the 5 May 1942 the 15th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was converted into a new 2nd Battalion. This battalion fought in the European Theatre of Operations as part of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.
External links
- History of the Plymouth Argyll Battalion http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/regiments/Plymouth_Argyll_Royal_Marines/html/history.htm