IR No. 87 - Keith's Highlanders

Inhaber
1759 Keith

Unit History
The regiment was formed in 1759 from a nucleus draft of 300 men from the 42nd Highlanders by Lt.Col. Robert Murray Keith. A total of eight companies were sent to Germany by late 1759 after the battle of Minden. Present at Eybach, Viesebeck, Warburg, Zierenberg, Kalle, Klosterkamp, Vellinghausen, Brucher Muhl, and Wilhemsthal. The Highland units were used as a light troops or raiders. The men received little formal training other than to advance with the bayonet. The soldier's backgrounds, extensive cattle raiding in the Highlands, made them well suited to their role in Germany. The unit was often combined with the 88th Foot (Campbell or Highland Volunteers) and both were heavily engaged in 'petit guerre' operations gaining a fearsome reputation.
The opening actions saw a company of the 87th being captured in Viesebeck. At Warburg, the two battalions were not really engaged. On the 5th September 1760, 150 highlanders took part in a successful raid on a French outpost at Zierenberg. They led the assault on the town. At the next skirmish at Klosterkamp on October 16th 1760, 150 highlanders tried to seize the convent, held by the Chasseurs de Fischer. The highlanders were quickly routed and badly knocked about.
At Vellinghausen, the regiment was heavily engaged on the evening of the 15th July 1761. Initially driven back, they recovered, counter-attacked and stabilized their position until morning. The next day they and the rest of Granby's infantry were ordered forward when another French assault fell into confusion. In the action, the highlanders succeeded in cutting off and capturing the Regiment de Rouge (No.10) but suffered fairly heavy losses.
As was common with the light units of the period, in 1763, after wars end, the unit was shipped, via the Netherlands, home and disbanded at Perth. Based on later paintings, it is presumed that the unit had green facings. The tartan's basic colour was probably green with narrow blue green vertical and horizontal stripes (see Osprey's The British Redcoat). Over these narrow stripes were pencil-thin black stripes. Pipers and musicians probably wore the Royal Stewart tartan. This is described as "scarlet, with medium stripes of dark green arranged in pairs, the pairs spaced widely apart. Over the green stripes were alternating thin over-stripes of yellow and white."

Comments
It seems once anyone collects a British army, the obligatory Highland unit appears. In my case, although I love the history of the 42nd and their adventures at Carillon (or was that misadventure?), I wanted a unit that fought in Europe. This unit fit the bill although it was surprisingly short-lived. The figures are Front Rank but from their Jacobite Rebellion series. Unit painted in 2003.

Sources
S. Reid, Highland Regiments in the Seven Years War, 18th Century Military Notes & Queries No. 4
Osprey’s British Redcoat 1740–93 (Warrior 19)