History of the Regiment
The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders were raised in 1794. They served in the South Africa Peninsula, Waterloo and India. The 93rd Sutherland Highlanders were raised in 1799. They saw service in New Orleans, Crimea (including Balaklava, where they earned the nickname of the Thin Red Line) and during the Indian Mutiny, where they won seven Victoria Crosses. In 1881 the two regiments amalgamated to form The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). After amalgamation, battalions of the regiment served in: Boer War India and the Far East The Regiment had twenty six battalions in World War I and nine in World War II. Since the Indian Mutiny, members of the Regiment have earned a further nine Victoria Crosses. Since World War II the 1st Battalion has served in Palestine, Korea, British Guiana, Berlin, Suez, Cyprus, Malaya and Singapore, Borneo, Aden, Germany, Falkland Islands, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Highlights from History
South Africa (Zululand)
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The Argylls have a new role
In September 2003, the 1st Battalion moved to Howe Barracks in Canterbury - one of the best barracks owned by the Army - where they expect to stay for the next 5-6 years. The aim is to rapidly reorganise and retrain for a new role as Air Assault Infantry in the 16 Air Assault Brigade. Low level training took place both within the United Kingdom and the Argylls have worked abroad with the latest RAF and Army helicopters in realistic and demanding scenarios
Although the Brigade already has three Airborne Battalions (from the Parachute Regiment); The Argylls will be the only Air Assault Battalion in the Army . Typical tasks might be rapidly deploying into a peace-keeping situation, seizing important objectives behind enemy lines (such as airfields) or giving support to Apache Attack Helicopters .
This is one of the Army’s latest pieces of equipment and in order to operate deep behind enemy lines it also requires re-fuelling and re-arming bases behind enemy lines. One task could be to protect these bases.
As the only Air Assault Infantry Regiment in the Army’s most rapidly deployable brigade, The Argylls must truly be prepared for any eventuality. The only way to prepare for any eventuality is by realistic training and having first access to the latest equipment.
As an Air Assault Infantry Battalion the Argylls will consist of four rifle companies - the fighting element of the Battalion - and various support elements . Within these support elements can be found a large number of trades - from snipers to heavy machine gunners to signallers to anti-tank specialists to drivers . There is a wide enough variety of jobs to appeal to all members of the Battalion .
For example, The Argylls maintain their very own Pipes and Drums, who although trained to a very high standard of piping and drumming, are equally proud of their skills as machine gunners, just as they as proud to be Highlanders as Air Assault Infantrymen .
The attached pictures outline some of the larger pieces of equipment that will be available to 16 Air Assault Brigade . The key is that any piece of equipment should be light, rapidly deployable (either by helicopter or aircraft) and mobile off-road . As part of Britain’s rapid deployment forces, Argylls will be first in line to receive any new pieces of equipment purchased by the Army, for example the under-slung grenade launcher for the rifle .
There is no selection process to be a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders but as has been mentioned the Battalion will conduct an intensive training programme in order to change role .The principle behind this programme will be to conduct achievable, progressive training for all soldiers in the Battalion concentrating on the skills required to become Air Assault Infantrymen.
In early 2004, the 1st Battalion is preparing for a new role in Iraq - training the local Security Forces.
