0:00:02 > 0:00:04The British Army.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06To an outsider, it looks like
0:00:06 > 0:00:07one single fighting force.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12In reality, it's divided into more than 40 independent regiments,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16each with its own culture and traditions.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And if you want to understand the British Army,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24these regiments are the best place to start.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30In this programme, we go back over 300 years to meet a regiment
0:00:30 > 0:00:34borne out of the bloodshed of Scottish rebellion.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37# La pom pom pom pom! #
0:00:37 > 0:00:39That's the charge.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41BUGLE CALLS
0:00:41 > 0:00:43The signal to attack of a cavalry regiment
0:00:43 > 0:00:47that led the charge for the newly United Kingdom
0:00:47 > 0:00:50at one of the greatest battles in British history.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53It was glorious! It was colourful, it had an effect.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And the Battle Of Waterloo was fought and won,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and we were part of it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02A regiment famous for its grey horses.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Having a grey horse is a bit of a nightmare.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Percy does seem to get covered in utter, utter crud.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16These men were the romantic heroes of the scarlet-clad cavalry.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17I have a skew-whiff bearskin.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19It's nothing to do with the shape of your head?
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Bound together by Scottish roots...
0:01:24 > 0:01:27which once carried them all the way to number one.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Jimmy Saville met us at the door. Top of the Pops, this was,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33fighting with the Beatles.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's a modern tank regiment,
0:01:36 > 0:01:37but one still inspired
0:01:37 > 0:01:39by its cavalry past.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42That ethos, that spirit
0:01:42 > 0:01:45of speed, shock action, strike, manoeuvre,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48boldness, all the traditions of the cavalry
0:01:48 > 0:01:51went from horseback into main battle tanks.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And that's how we see ourselves to this day.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58This is the British Army's senior Scottish regiment,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21The 10th of March 2011. Fallingbostel Camp, Germany.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24They're not glued on the Tarmac, are they?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are gathering for the last time
0:02:29 > 0:02:33before their regiment deploys to Afghanistan.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37The nature of the army nowadays is such that
0:02:37 > 0:02:39it's pretty rare
0:02:39 > 0:02:42that you manage to get a whole regiment together in one place.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45So this is quite special for us.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48On the count of three. Straight at the camera lens...
0:02:48 > 0:02:51One...two...three.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of 381 soldiers
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and 45 officers. One of ten armoured regiments in the British Army.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15In preparation for Afghanistan, the regiment has been training
0:03:15 > 0:03:18with new armoured vehicles called warthogs.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It's the modern age and, well, things have changed.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Just instead of horses, we use
0:03:27 > 0:03:29brand new vehicles.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32With this vehicle in particular, it could go almost anywhere.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It's just a modern horse, really.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45I'd say they are manoeuvrable, fast, agile,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and it can deal with any terrain. I think it's amazing!
0:03:52 > 0:03:56One of the regiment's jobs in Afghanistan will be to protect
0:03:56 > 0:04:00convoys of slow-moving supply vehicles.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03We see this as very much a traditional role for the cavalry.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06One task of our warthog squadron is to keep vulnerable areas
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and vulnerable points safe to allow the convoy to move through.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15We're all going to a spot of high ground
0:04:15 > 0:04:18where we can over-watch the convoy
0:04:18 > 0:04:23and, at the same time, look all about the areas for enemy activity.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33The Dragoons' last job of the day is always to check their vehicles.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36There's an old cavalry mantra that goes back hundreds of years,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38but we still live by it today,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42and it goes, very simply, "Horses, men, self".
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Horses or your vehicle come first.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48You need to make sure that that piece of equipment
0:04:48 > 0:04:51is fighting fit before you can achieve anything,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and that's almost the essence of being a cavalry soldier.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards can trace their roots back
0:05:02 > 0:05:05to Edinburgh in November 1681.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11Their first colonel was a ruthless royalist and ex-mercenary,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Tam Dalyell, also known as "Bloody Tam".
0:05:19 > 0:05:22His 300 troops scoured the hills on horseback
0:05:22 > 0:05:25to hunt down the rebellious countrymen.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Thousands of rebels were slaughtered and executed.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35It became known as "The Killing Time."
0:05:42 > 0:05:46The regiment's loyalty to the crown was rewarded in 1692
0:05:46 > 0:05:50when it became "Our Royal Regiment Of Scots Dragoons."
0:05:52 > 0:05:54To this day, it's the only regiment
0:05:54 > 0:05:58allowed to fly the Scottish royal flag.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00The ancient Royal Standard of Scotland
0:06:00 > 0:06:02flies outside regimental headquarters
0:06:02 > 0:06:06whenever the commanding officer is in the building or barracks.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11And stencilled on the side of the commanding officer's
0:06:11 > 0:06:14main battle tank is a picture of the Lion Rampant as well.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Boys, if you're being a girl, if you want to put a jumper round your waist
0:06:23 > 0:06:27so we can at least have a hope of recognising you as such.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31OK, Ross is being the girl, so Ross then turns...
0:06:31 > 0:06:35In the mess, the officers regularly practise Scottish reels.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE MUSIC
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Not too aggressive!
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Very good!
0:06:51 > 0:06:52As a Scottish regiment,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55it's very important that we keep these traditions alive.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Inevitably, it turns a bit chaotic, but it's about having a good time
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and it's a very important part of what we do.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13About two thirds of the soldiers in the regiment are Scottish
0:07:13 > 0:07:16and, for some, the regiment is in the blood.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18My name is Captain Kev McDowell,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22currently the Quartermaster of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Primarily, I joined the regiment cos my father was in it.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27My name is Billy McDowell and I served with the regiment
0:07:27 > 0:07:31for the best part of 22 years, and I left as a rank of Staff Sergeant.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I'm Trooper William McDowell and I'll be at the regiment in a couple of months.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38We have a great family tradition within the regiment.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42In fact, I had two brothers who served alongside me.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Between us, including my two uncles,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48we've done 85 years' service within the regiment.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58In the early 18th century, the Scots Dragoons
0:07:58 > 0:08:01were called to the battlefields of Europe,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03taking up the cavalry charge for the first time.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Previously, dragoons had always fought as infantry.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Now, they would fight from the saddle to break the enemy lines.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18In May 1706, at the Battle Of Ramillies in Belgium,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the regiment proved it had mastered the art of the charge.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Led by the Duke of Marlborough,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the Scots Dragoons routed the French cavalry.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37The charge was still practised in the early years of World War Two,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41when Jim Randall was a 24-year-old trooper in the regiment.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43If you had 30 horses
0:08:43 > 0:08:47cantering side by side, they soon
0:08:47 > 0:08:50became practically knee to knee,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52very close to each other.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And one or two chaps would bite the dust.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58They still carried
0:08:58 > 0:09:00the cavalry sword,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05and performed the same drills as 18th-century dragoons.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11First, you would reach across, grasp the hilt of the sword,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15draw it from the scabbard, hold it overhead,
0:09:15 > 0:09:21and then drop it down to point at any enemy that might approach.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Veteran bugler Bill Cross still remembers
0:09:34 > 0:09:36sounding the order to charge.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40# La pom pom pom pom. #
0:09:40 > 0:09:41That's the charge!
0:09:41 > 0:09:44BUGLE CHARGE CALL
0:09:44 > 0:09:48"Halt" was...
0:09:48 > 0:09:50# Pom pom pom. # That's "halt."
0:09:50 > 0:09:55And you used to practise going over a jump, blowing it!
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Horses are still an important part of regimental life.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09But now, they're only used for battling it out on the polo field
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and for ceremonial occasions.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Grey horses like these were first used by the regiment 300 years ago.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23They gave the regiment a name that stayed with them for centuries.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25The Scots Greys.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28In grooming terms, having a grey horse is a bit of a nightmare.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30They do become a lot muddier than others.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Percy does seem to hop into the fields
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and just find the muddiest bit
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and roll in it and just get covered in utter crud.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And it's quite hard work to get it out of his coat.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Just make sure the snaffle is behind...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46This kit is about 300 years old.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49These are original reigns from the Scots Greys
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and you can see they've got thistles embedded in the leather.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Very tricky to clean, but very smart!
0:10:59 > 0:11:04In 1940, every new recruit still had to learn to ride.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10During our training, of course, we were inside a riding school.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Some of the recruits had never sat on a horse's back before.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I'd never been on a horse in my life!
0:11:18 > 0:11:20And, of course, I was scared stiff when I first went on.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Then I had a horse bit me once.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Bit me on the bloody nose!
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Quite a lot of them found themselves rolling on the floor.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Also with the Scots Greys, they had to be scrubbed down
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and washed every Sunday morning, and you used to have to buy
0:11:47 > 0:11:50a tablet of soap, which cost me about... Lux.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54..to wash my horse's mane and tail, that's it!
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Stand still!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04If I were to poke this stick into your toe caps, it wouldnae really
0:12:04 > 0:12:10make a difference, as there's nae polish on it. There's no shine on it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13The regimental Sergeant Major is preparing the troops
0:12:13 > 0:12:16for a royal visit from the regiment's Deputy Colonel in Chief,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18the Duke of Kent.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We've got the Duke Of Kent's visit this week
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and this is the honour guard, so they need to be immaculate,
0:12:23 > 0:12:28cos this is the first eyes-on the royalty will get of the regiment.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33So things like boots not being well prepared are not a good start.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Fluff under there as well.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41All right, Charty, it's not a race!
0:12:41 > 0:12:45For the royal visit, some of the soldiers will wear scarlets,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49a similar uniform to the one worn by the regiment in the 18th century.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55Quartermaster Kevin McDowell is in charge of the regimental wardrobe.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Something quite unique to the Scots Dragoon Guards is the fact
0:12:58 > 0:13:00that we wear the white bearskin.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03This is normally worn by the likes of Corporal Harnetti
0:13:03 > 0:13:05when he's on the drum horse.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08If he's not on parade, then it's given to the drummer.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Now, the story goes with this particular bear skin
0:13:10 > 0:13:14that it was made from this hide of a polar bear,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18which is still the rest of it in this box.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19And this, the story goes,
0:13:19 > 0:13:25was presented to the regiment by President Ronald Reagan.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- How high do these belts go? - Really high up.- Really high up.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Oh, you broke it, you broke it.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36This uniform is only worn by the regiment for ceremonial duties
0:13:36 > 0:13:39every couple of years.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Now, which side does it go on?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Left.- I think I have a skew-whiff bearskin.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's nothing to do with the shape of your head?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49How does it attach? And these sword loops feel like
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I've got a tail attached!
0:13:52 > 0:13:53You can't really do it yourself.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57I find it extraordinary to think that this is the kind of uniform
0:13:57 > 0:14:00that the regiment would have fought in and worked in on a daily basis,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and they'll have had to go through this process
0:14:03 > 0:14:05of getting themselves ready every day.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08There's a lot of history with the uniforms we wear
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and everything means something, rather than just being clothing.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13The cross belt with the pouch on the back
0:14:13 > 0:14:15was used for carrying ammunition
0:14:15 > 0:14:19and the belt for carrying the sword whilst on horseback.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Some people might not think it's right to wear polar bear,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26but it's part of the regimental history, so, yeah, I like it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30By the early 19th century, the cavalry
0:14:30 > 0:14:33was capturing the public's imagination
0:14:33 > 0:14:37as the heroes and villains of romantic fiction.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I think the stereotype for a cavalry officer,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44certainly the 19th-century stereotype,
0:14:44 > 0:14:49is of a figure who is dashing, charming, on the good side,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52but on the bad side, a sort of hard-drinking, gambling,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54womanising, roguish type of figure.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59And I think that most junior cavalry officers like to sort of aspire
0:14:59 > 0:15:02to this Flashman-esque stereotype of being very stylish,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05conducting themselves with dash and elan,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and that's part of what makes us who we are.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It was so embarrassing!
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Officers' mess dinners are always really traditional events.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The first time you go to one, it is a little bit strange,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and it's quite overwhelming, cos it's quite a formal atmosphere.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But I think it gives you a sense of pride and duty.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It's about maintenance of history and remembering where we've come from.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36This is the officers' last formal dinner
0:15:36 > 0:15:38before they deploy to Afghanistan.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Traditionally, a Gaelic toast is proposed
0:15:41 > 0:15:43before the regiment goes to war.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Deoch slainte na ban Righ. Slainte, Alba gu brath. Agus slainte
0:15:48 > 0:15:51nag u huiles gu leir, slainte mhath.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00In June 1815, under the command of the Duke of Wellington,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04the Scots Greys were preparing to fight Napoleon.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07They hadn't seen action for more than 20 years,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10but were about to take part in a battle that would decide
0:16:10 > 0:16:14the fate of Europe and come to define their reputation.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Waterloo.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23On the 18th of June, the Scots Greys were positioned here, on this ridge.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26They formed part of a force of 900 cavalry.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The Union Brigade.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31England, Scotland and Ireland,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36the three nations of the newly United Kingdom, were all represented
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and they were fighting together for the first time
0:16:38 > 0:16:41under the new Union Jack flag.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Wellington's troops were formed up here along this ridgeline
0:16:45 > 0:16:47on the high ground, defending Brussels to the north,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52and Napoleon's troops were formed up down to the south.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Faced with an army larger and more experienced than his own,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Wellington's only hope was to hold his position
0:17:00 > 0:17:01until reinforcements arrived.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08Around 1:30, Napoleon launched 18,000 of his infantry troops,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11under the command of one of his best commanders,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13in the direction of La Haye Sainte.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17This put Wellington's line under serious pressure.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Wellington's infantry began to give way, so he turned to his cavalry.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24BUGLE CALL
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Corporal John Dickson, of the Scots Greys, was in the left flank.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32He later wrote an account of the battle.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34"Immediately, Colonel Hamilton shouted out,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36"'Now then, Scots Greys, charge!'
0:17:36 > 0:17:41"and waving his sword in the air, he rode straight at the hedge in front,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43"which he took in great style.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45"At once, a great cheer rose from our ranks
0:17:45 > 0:17:48"and we too waved our swords and followed him.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50"I dug my spur into my brave old Rattler
0:17:50 > 0:17:52"and we were off like the wind."
0:17:52 > 0:17:55As they charged, they passed a fellow Scottish regiment,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58the Gordon Highlanders.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02"They shouted, 'Go at them, the Greys! Scotland forever!'
0:18:02 > 0:18:04"Many of the Highlanders grasped our stirrups
0:18:04 > 0:18:08"and in the fiercest excitement, they dashed along with us into the fight."
0:18:12 > 0:18:14In a matter of minutes,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17the cavalry had cut through hundreds of enemy soldiers,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21smashing the French line and pushing back the attack.
0:18:21 > 0:18:28The charge was described as, "the greatest thunderbolt ever launched by the British cavalry."
0:18:28 > 0:18:34Napoleon was overheard cursing "those terrible grey horses!"
0:18:34 > 0:18:39On horseback, you've got that ability to manoeuvre around the battlefield
0:18:39 > 0:18:44when a battle might go either way and really seize the moment.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47BUGLE CALLS
0:18:47 > 0:18:51The bugle call sounded the halt and rally.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54But the Scots Greys pushed on towards the French artillery,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56spurred on by their commanding officer.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02"Colonel Hamilton rode up to us crying, 'Charge! Charge the guns!'
0:19:02 > 0:19:03"And we went off up the hill.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08"We got among the guns and we had our revenge. Such slaughtering!"
0:19:08 > 0:19:11James Hamilton was unstoppable.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16He was slashed by a French lancer on his wrists, but he carried on.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21He carried on against the odds, leading his regiment in battle,
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and he did so by gripping the reins of his charger in his teeth.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Hamilton was never seen again.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Now leaderless, the charge of the Greys continued.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38In the front rank was Sergeant Charles Ewart,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41one of the regiment's finest swordsmen.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Ewart saw a French Standard up ahead. Raising his blade,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50he made a bid to take the Imperial Eagle.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56"The enemy and I had a hard contest for it. He thrust for my groin,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59"I parried it off and I cut him through the head,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02"after which, I was attacked by one of the lancers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05"I cut him from the chin upwards through his teeth.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09"Next, I was attacked by a foot soldier with his bayonet,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11"but I parried him and cut him down through the head
0:20:11 > 0:20:15"so that I finished the contest for the eagle."
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Ewart is absolutely a hero.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27His tomb's on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And the first pub on the Royal Mile is named after him,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32so, aye, we all think he's a hero!
0:20:32 > 0:20:37BAGPIPES PLAY
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Edinburgh Castle is the regiment's home headquarters.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48Here, it displays the trophy of its proudest victory.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54This is the eagle captured from the French. Napoleon adopted
0:20:54 > 0:20:56these eagles for each of his regiments
0:20:56 > 0:21:00from the Roman legions, who carried the Imperial Eagle.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05The piece is in metal and covered in gilt, and it's quite heavy.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08This is a very special item for the regiment
0:21:08 > 0:21:11because of its significance from Waterloo.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18The gold-leafed eagle is so important to us
0:21:18 > 0:21:22because it's a symbol of the decisive manoeuvre, speed
0:21:22 > 0:21:28and enormous bravery that our forefathers performed on that day
0:21:28 > 0:21:32in June in 1815 on the battlefield at Waterloo.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It's what we are and who we are.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The French Imperial Eagle appears on the regiment's war memorial
0:21:39 > 0:21:45in Edinburgh, on horses' livery, epaulettes and on the cap badge.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The Scots Greys paid a heavy price for victory.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57Of the 391 who charged, 104 were killed and 98 wounded.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03But their sacrifice helped win the battle
0:22:03 > 0:22:08and brought peace to Europe after nearly 20 years of war.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14One piece rear...march!
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And we blew that one, didn't we?!
0:22:16 > 0:22:18LAUGHTER
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Get back there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25The regiment is getting ready for the final parade before Afghanistan.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Left...turn!
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Sergeant Chart and Corporal Harnetty will have a ceremonial role
0:22:33 > 0:22:35in the parade.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38It's always good to get the horses out, get their kit on,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42get dressed in the regalia so when the Duke of Kent arrives,
0:22:42 > 0:22:49we'll be off to the side, on the horses...um...
0:22:49 > 0:22:50looking pretty!
0:22:57 > 0:23:01The Scots Greys' last mounted action came in 1940 in Palestine,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03when they formed patrols
0:23:03 > 0:23:05to help keep peace between the Arabs and the Jews.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I have wonderful memories of those days.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I can see, in my mind's eye,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20the whole regiment of 300 horsemen
0:23:20 > 0:23:25winding its way down the Jordan valley.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29A year later, the regiment received the order
0:23:29 > 0:23:31to give up its horses for tanks.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I didn't want to lose the horses.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39I hated the thought of having to travel
0:23:39 > 0:23:41in a motor vehicle of any sort
0:23:41 > 0:23:45because lots of the chaps, including myself,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49had never driven a motor vehicle in their lives.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02In 1945, the Scots Greys fought their way into Germany.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10When the war ended, the regiment remained with NATO forces to counter
0:24:10 > 0:24:15the Soviet threat. The regiment is still based in Germany today.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24On the 2nd of July 1971,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27the Scots Greys united with a fellow cavalry regiment,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30the 3rd Carbiniers.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34'The new cap badges are fitted, hats replaced,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'and the new regiment is formed.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:44Together, they took the name the "Royal Scots Dragoon Guards."
0:24:44 > 0:24:45To mark the occasion,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50the regiment's band recorded an album, A Farewell To The Greys.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54We recorded it in the gymnasium with blankets round the walls.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56RCA was the record company.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And at end, they said, "Have you got anything else to put on record?"
0:24:59 > 0:25:04We said, "Well, we've got this new tune called Amazing Grace.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07"Can we put that on?" They said, "If you must."
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It was played once by BBC and, of course, after that,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14they rang up RCA, and said, "You have a hit on your hands."
0:25:14 > 0:25:18MUSIC: "Amazing Grace" by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Amazing Grace sold four million copies worldwide.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33On the 11th of April 1972, it reached number one in the UK charts,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35where it stayed for five weeks.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Now what I suggest is take a pass at it, straighten it all out,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42take a solo pass, so we've got a choice...
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The regiment's band is now recording a new album.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49So, here we go. A slightly straighter version.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52A new take, new pass and we're off.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I'm 21 now, I started playing the pipes when I was four.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I'm just mad for it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15For some strange reason, I wanted to play the pipes.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Obviously, I like being a soldier,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22but piping is my thing, to be honest.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25To get paid for doing something I enjoy is superb.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Royal Scots Dragoon Guards!
0:26:40 > 0:26:42March on the Standard!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The final parade in Germany before deployment to Afghanistan.
0:26:47 > 0:26:54His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent is here to bid the troops farewell.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57I come and see them whenever I can and it's always a great pleasure
0:26:57 > 0:26:59to come back, cos they're my old regiment.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02I think when you've belonged to an organisation like this,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04it's something that you feel you belong to for life.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09And although, in my case, it's now getting on for 30 years or more
0:27:09 > 0:27:14since I actually left, I still feel that I'm a member of the regiment
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and that they're my friends.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19This is my first tour.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21We've done a lot of training for it,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23and we've waited our turn, should we say.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25So I'm really looking forward to going.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The guys are really like family, so it's worth fighting for each other,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and you know that each man's got each other's back.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38My son, Kevin, and all the lads that are in the regiment,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41at the moment have gone through a lot more than I have.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45And our heart, mine and my wife's, go out to them every time they're on a tour.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50And I don't think people realise how much it does mean having a family,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52which is the regiment to people like myself,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54around you when they are away,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57because although they are away, the regiment still keeps in contact
0:27:57 > 0:28:01with people like me and my wife, telling us what our sons are up to.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The history and the traditions of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
0:28:08 > 0:28:10are all around us.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15And when you're about to deploy on what will be a demanding tour,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19by anyone's measure, the pride that my soldiers
0:28:19 > 0:28:23and officers have in their regiment, that bond,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26that ethos, that strength that comes from being a member of a proud
0:28:26 > 0:28:32and honourable organisation, that will see them through.
0:28:32 > 0:28:39And, to me, that sums up what this fine regiment is all about.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:52 > 0:28:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk