Officer's dirk to the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot. Single edged blade with notched spine and etched decoration overall. One one side featuring scrollwork above the Royal crown and cipher (VR) within the garter (Honi soit qui mal y pense), the regimental title 'Royal Highland/42/The Black Watch', owner's badge (blank) and maker's markings Henry/Wilkinson/Pall Mall/London. On the reverse side of the blade, twelve battle honors: Corunna, Fuentes d'Onor, Pyrennes, Nivelles, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo, Alma, Sevastopol, Lucknow, surmounted by the Sphinx, superscived Egypt. Ebonised grip carved with interlace and set with gilt brass studs, gilt brass ferrule molded with thistles, pommel set with clear foil-backed cairngorm. Black leather scabbard retaining the suspension strap with matching knife and fork ensuite and engraved gilt brass mounts with applied panels of thistles. The top knife mount locket t with St. Andrew and his cross above the regimental numeral (42) in silver. Blade: 28cm.
Condition: Fine blade showing some very minor spotting/light scratches; grip with minor hairline cracks to the reverse, a few studs retain their gilt finish; ferrule and pommel retain much gilt finish. Scabbard with minor scuffing, the mounts with much gilt finish remaining.
Ref 12. 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
Between 1858 and 1873
The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment in the British Army also known as the Black Watch.
Originally titled Crawford's Highlanders or the Highland Regiment and numbered 43rd in the line, in 1748, on the disbanding of Oglethorpe's Regiment of Foot, they were renumbered 42nd and in 1751 formally titled the 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot.
The 42nd Regiment was one of the first three Highland Regiments to fight in North America.
In 1881 the regiment was named The Royal Highland Regiment (The Black Watch), being officially redesignated The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in 1931.
In 2006 the Black Watch became part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The regiment changed its name over the years as follows:
- 1748 to 1880 - 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
- 1881 to 1931 - The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) was amalgamated with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot.
- 1931 to 2006 - The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
- 2006 to now - The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS)