21st (Empress of India's) Lancers

 

 

Captain, 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers

 Mess Kit, c. 1900

 

The regiment was originally raised in Bengal by the East India Company in 1858 as the 3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry, for service in the Indian Rebellion. As with all other "European" units of the Company, it was placed under the command of the British Crown in 1858, and formally moved into the British Army in 1862, when it was designated as a hussar regiment and titled the 21st Regiment of Hussars.

In 1897 it was re-designated as a lancer regiment, becoming the 21st Lancers. The Indian origin of the regiment was commemorated in its "French grey" facings - this distinctive light blue/grey shade having previously been the uniform colour of the East India Company's eight regiments of Bengal Native Cavalry.

In 1898 the regiment served in Sudan during the Mahdist War, as the only British cavalry unit involved. It was there that the full regiment charged with lances in the classic cavalry style during the Battle of Omdurman. "Omdurman" was the regiment's only battle honour, giving rise to the satirical regimental motto of "thou shalt not kill." That same year, the regiment was given the title 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers, taking the name from Queen Victoria who was the Empress of India.

 

21st (Empress of India's) Lancers Mess Dress, 1901

By Richard Simkin
 

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Departed the collection in 2022.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

 

Other Ranks, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

 Glengarry Cap, c. 1939

 

The regiment was formed in 1881 as the Princess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders), by the amalgamation of the 91st (Princess Louise's Argyllshire) Regiment and the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment. The following year, the order of the "Argyll" and "Sutherland" sub-titles was reversed and the regiment became the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

The regiment was one of the six Scottish line infantry regiments, and wore the Sutherland district tartan (Government No. 1A) as its regimental tartan; this is a lightened version of the Black Watch (Government No. 1) sett.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was expanded to fifteen battalions during the First World War (1914–1918) and nine during the Second World War (1939–1945). The 1st Battalion served in the 1st Commonwealth Division in the Korean War and gained a high public profile for its role in Aden during 1967.