Friday, February 29, 2008

2nd Royal North British Dragoons (Scots Greys)

Inhaber
1756 Campbell

Unit History
In 1681 various troops of Scots dragoons were regimented as the Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons. In 1694, the unit began the tradition of using dapple grey horses. The Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons was mounted on grey horses in 1694. By 1702 they were using unofficial titles such as Grey Dragoons and Scots Regiment of White Horses. In 1707, they were renamed Royal North British Dragoons and the term 'Scots Greys' was in common use. The unit's informal name was 'the Scots Greys' or 'the Greys' due to their lineage and the colour of their horses, however, in 1866, the name, Royal Scots Greys, was adopted for the regiment. Deemed a regular unit whose motto was 'Nemo me impane lacessit' (Nobody assails me with impunity).
The unit was present at Dettingen in 1745. The regiment generally wore the fronted mitre cap but, in the German campaigns of the Seven Years War, it wore regular hats and was sent over as part of the first German contingent. At this time, the unit was the only dragoon unit that had a white cartridge strap as all others wore a buff strap. The unit was engaged at Bergen, Minden, Warburg, Villinghausen, and Wilhelmstal.
At Bergen, April 1759, the regiment was in the centre column of the Anglo-Allied army. The infantry in the column was fed into the assaults on Bergen and beaten back while the cavalry protected their flank.
At Warburg, July 31, 1760, the regiment was in the brigade under the command of the Marquis of Granby. His brigade included the Royal Horse Guards, and the 1st King's Dragoon Guards, and the 3rd Dragoon Guards.
At Villinghausen, July 16, 1761, the regiment was part of the main cavalry corps which included both the Hanoverian Grenadiers zu Pferd and the Malachowski Hussars (No. 7).

Comments
This is one of my ‘Bergen’ units. Most gamers of the Napoleonic period (at least those of us with an Anglo-Saxon background) have been stirred by the account of the Scots Greys at Waterloo. Given the chance to have the unit in the SYW period, it is natural that they would appear. The dapple grey horses were also a challenge that I could not pass up and I must have been successful because the horses and therefore unit is loved by my daughters. Both always choose this unit to fight on their side. Unit painted in the spring of 2004.

Sources
Image:
http://www.war-art.com/dettingen.htm
Flag: Osprey’s British Colours & Standards 1747-1881 (1) Cavalry (Elite 77)
Text: J. Mollo, Uniforms of the Seven Years War 1756-63, Blandford Press, page 189.

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