Officer's dirk to the Seaforth Highlanders Ross-shire Buffs (2nd battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's). Brass mounted dirk. Bright single-edged blade notched along the back for much of its length. One side of the blade etched with maker's details Henry/Wilkinson/Pall Mall,/London, by Appointment of Prince of Wales’ Feathers’, motto 'Tyde What May' and crest (from the Clan HAIG), regimental motto: Cuidich'n Righ, crowned 'F' , regimental title 'Seaforth Highlanders Rossshire Buffs' and thistles.
On the other side of the blade etched thistles and 18 battle honours: Hindoostan, Assaye, Cape of Good Hope 1806, Maida, Java, South Africa 1835, Sevastopol, Persia, Koosh-AB, Lucknow, Central India, Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 78/80, Egypt 1882, Tel-El-Kebir.
Ebonised baluster grip carved with basket weave set with brass pins. foliate chape caved at base of hilt with above feather bonnet and crossed swords on one side, a thistle on the other. Brass mounts chased with thistles. Pommel set with a piece of faceted glass against orange foil. Original wood-lined black patent leather scabbard (minor crazing) with border engraved brass mounts applied with thistles, the locket on the top mount also with the figure of St. Andrew. Matching knife and fork en-suite. Blade 29,5cm.
The battle honour awarded to the Seaforth Highlanders (Duke of Albany's, Ross-shire Buffs) 72nd Highlanders and 78th Highlanders together afetr Tel-El-Kebir of 1882 was Chital, which took place in 1895. This places this dirk between 1883 and 1894. The ‘Prince of Wales’ Feathers’ and by Appointment appear after the royal warrant of Prince Albert Edward, eldest son of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII of the UK from 1901 to 1910, was granted on the 20th of March 1863.
Ref 47. Seaforth Highlanders Ross-shire Buffs - 2nd Battalion
1883 - 1894
Names of regiment through the year:
- 1793 - 1794: The 78th Highland Regiment. Formed 1793 by Francis Humberston Mackenzie, chief of the clan Mackenzie and a descendent of the earls of Seaforth, following the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802). Unusually, it was a two-battalion unit from its inception.The 2nd Battalion was formed in 1804 ans its only foreign posting was to the Cape of Good Hope, where it helped capture Cape Town from the Dutch in 1795, before being merged into 1st Battalion the following year. The 1st Battalion fought in the Netherlands (1794) and at Quiberon in Brittany (1795). It arrived in India for the first time in 1797, where it served in the Second Maratha War (1803-06), seeing action at Ahmednuggar (1803), Assaye (1803) and Gawilghur (1803).
- 1794 - 1881: Ross-shire Buffs
- 1881 - 1961: The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) upon amalgamation with the 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders follwing the Childers Reforms. The old 78th became the 2nd Battalion. The old 72nd became the 1st Battalion.
- 1961 - 1994: The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) upon amalgamation with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
- 1994 - 2004: The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) upon amalgamation with the Gordon Highlanders
- 2004 - Present: Royal Regiment of Scotland upon amalgamation with the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Battle honours:
- Second Anglo-Maratha War: Assaye
- Napoleonic Wars: Maida, Java
- Anglo–Persian War: Persia, Koosh-Ab
- Indian Rebellion of 1857: Lucknow
- Second Anglo-Afghan War: Afghanistan. 1879-80