GORDON HIGHLANDERS
History of the Regiment
Two hundred years of service, sacrifice, and steadfast courage — from the hills of Aberdeenshire to the battlefields of the world. “Bydand” — Steadfast.
1794 — THE BEGINNING
The Formation of the Regiment
1794
Alexander Gordon — 4th Duke of Gordon
The Gordon Highlanders were raised in 1794 as the 100th Regiment of Foot by Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. With Britain in desperate need of men, Gordon recruited from the Clan Gordon castles and estates of the north-east of Scotland — the heart of his territory.
1794
Duchess Jane & the Recruiting Campaign
Gordon's wife, Duchess Jane, is said to have donned military uniform and joined her husband's recruiting campaign across the north-east — reportedly offering a kiss to every man who signed up. In 1798, the regiment was renumbered the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, reflecting its growing precedence.
TWO CENTURIES OF SERVICE
A Regiment Forged in Battle
1794–1815
French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars
The Gordons saw immediate action across Europe — in France, Copenhagen, and Egypt. They fought with distinction throughout the Napoleonic Wars and famously took part in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, cementing their reputation as one of Britain's finest fighting regiments.
1800s
India, Egypt, Sudan & South Africa
The 19th century took the Gordon Highlanders across the empire — to India, back to Egypt, to Sudan, and to South Africa. Their extraordinary 320-mile march through Afghanistan, completed in just 23 days, became one of the most celebrated feats in British military history. The Gordons also served with distinction during the Boer Wars.
1914–18
The Great War — 29,000 Casualties
The scale of the First World War dwarfed anything the regiment had previously experienced. The Gordon Highlanders' ranks swelled to 50,000 men across regular, territorial, and reserve battalions. With nine battalions on the Western Front, the regiment suffered 29,000 casualties — 9,000 of them killed. The losses were felt in every corner of the north-east of Scotland.
1940
Dunkirk & North Africa
After an initial evacuation from Dunkirk in June 1940 as part of the 51st Highland Division, the Gordons returned to battle in North Africa. Their exploits at El Alamein were described as reminiscent of Waterloo, carried into battle atop tanks rather than horses. It was the Gordons who pierced the German line at Misurata in Libya, leading the charge to Tripoli.
1944
D-Day — Normandy
On D-Day, the 5th/7th Gordons of the 51st Highland Division were among the first boots on the ground at Normandy, followed by the 1st and 2nd Gordons. Their reputation as tough, uncompromising fighters was confirmed in every engagement: “The Gordon Highlanders, men from Aberdeen and the North East, are tough, hard fighters who are never daunted by difficulties.”
1945–90
Post-War Service
The regiment's service continued long after 1945 — in Palestine, Germany during the Cold War, Cyprus in the 1950s, Africa on garrison duties, and Northern Ireland during The Troubles from 1972 to 1990. The Gordon Highlanders were never far from the world's conflicts.
1994
Bicentenary & Amalgamation
September 17, 1994 marked 200 years since the regiment was raised — but also the day the Gordon Highlanders ceased to exist as an independent regiment. Despite a fierce campaign that gathered over 225,000 signatures and the support of north-east MPs, politicians, and communities, the decision stood. On September 14, 1994, at Telford Bridge over the River Spey at Craigellachie, the Gordon Highlanders marched from the Banffshire side to meet the Queen's Own Highlanders descending from Moray — and both regiments marched together into history as The Highlanders.
2006
The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Highlanders were themselves amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006, becoming the 4th Battalion. The Gordon Highlanders' proud battle honours and traditions live on through the regiment — and through the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, which preserves the memory of all who served.
THE FAR EAST — 1937 TO 1945
Singapore & the Road to Captivity
In 1937, the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders were posted to the Far East, stationed in Singapore as part of the British garrison defending Malaya. When Japan entered the war and swept south through the peninsula, the Gordons fought a fighting retreat before Singapore fell in February 1942.
Those taken prisoner joined the tens of thousands of Allied soldiers who became Far East Prisoners of War. From Singapore they were dispersed across the Japanese empire — to Thailand, Burma, Borneo, Japan, and beyond — forced to work as slave labour on the Death Railway, in mines, and in factories. Many did not survive. Those who did carried the scars for the rest of their lives.
1937
POSTED TO SINGAPORE
1942
FALL OF SINGAPORE
3½
YEARS IN CAPTIVITY
1945
LIBERATION
“You're nae a soldier if you're nae a Gordon.”
— OLD SCOTTISH SAYING