The Berwick Branch of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers’ Association commemorated the anniversary of the Raising of the Regiment in 1689 with a recent dinner at Marshall Meadows Country House Hotel on Friday, March 14.
Major Ken Fraser presided, with Brigadier Allan Alstead and Lt Colonel Colin Hogg in attendance.
The association was also very pleased to welcome Lt Colonel Matthew Munro, Commanding Officer of the Royal Scots Borderers from Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh, as well as his second-in-command, Major James Christie. A former KOSB Captain, Ed Swales, proposed the toast to the regiment.
Berwick upon Tweed was represented by former mayor Alan Bowlas and 60 former Borderers and their ladies, who enjoyed a superb night and are already looking forward to next year’s event, which will be held on March 20, 2015.
The regiment was created in 1689 as a crisis measure for the defence of Edinburgh against the Jacobites.
It was raised ‘by beat of drum’ along the Royal Mile (the High Street in the Old Town) of Edinburgh in the record time of two hours, with men flocking to join the Earl of Leven to safeguard the city.
In 2006, under infantry restructuring, the KOSB was merged with the Royal Scots to form the Royal Scots Borderers battalion of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The KOSB Association website has full details of other forthcoming events, including such major dates such as the dinner at Ednam House Hotel in Kelso and Ladies Day at Kelso races next month; and a wreath-laying ceremony and commemoration of Piper Daniel Laidlaw VC at Norham, in June.