The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Stories


The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

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The British Army.

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To an outsider, it looks like

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one single fighting force.

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In reality, it's divided into more than 40 independent regiments,

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each with its own culture and traditions.

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And if you want to understand the British Army,

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these regiments are the best place to start.

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In this programme, we go back over 300 years to meet a regiment

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borne out of the bloodshed of Scottish rebellion.

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# La pom pom pom pom! #

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That's the charge.

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BUGLE CALLS

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The signal to attack of a cavalry regiment

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that led the charge for the newly United Kingdom

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at one of the greatest battles in British history.

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It was glorious! It was colourful, it had an effect.

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And the Battle Of Waterloo was fought and won,

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and we were part of it.

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A regiment famous for its grey horses.

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Having a grey horse is a bit of a nightmare.

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Percy does seem to get covered in utter, utter crud.

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These men were the romantic heroes of the scarlet-clad cavalry.

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I have a skew-whiff bearskin.

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It's nothing to do with the shape of your head?

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Bound together by Scottish roots...

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which once carried them all the way to number one.

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Jimmy Saville met us at the door. Top of the Pops, this was,

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fighting with the Beatles.

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It's a modern tank regiment,

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but one still inspired

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by its cavalry past.

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That ethos, that spirit

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of speed, shock action, strike, manoeuvre,

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boldness, all the traditions of the cavalry

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went from horseback into main battle tanks.

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And that's how we see ourselves to this day.

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This is the British Army's senior Scottish regiment,

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the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

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The 10th of March 2011. Fallingbostel Camp, Germany.

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They're not glued on the Tarmac, are they?

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The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are gathering for the last time

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before their regiment deploys to Afghanistan.

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The nature of the army nowadays is such that

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it's pretty rare

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that you manage to get a whole regiment together in one place.

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So this is quite special for us.

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On the count of three. Straight at the camera lens...

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One...two...three.

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The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of 381 soldiers

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and 45 officers. One of ten armoured regiments in the British Army.

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In preparation for Afghanistan, the regiment has been training

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with new armoured vehicles called warthogs.

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It's the modern age and, well, things have changed.

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Just instead of horses, we use

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brand new vehicles.

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With this vehicle in particular, it could go almost anywhere.

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It's just a modern horse, really.

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I'd say they are manoeuvrable, fast, agile,

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and it can deal with any terrain. I think it's amazing!

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One of the regiment's jobs in Afghanistan will be to protect

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convoys of slow-moving supply vehicles.

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We see this as very much a traditional role for the cavalry.

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One task of our warthog squadron is to keep vulnerable areas

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and vulnerable points safe to allow the convoy to move through.

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We're all going to a spot of high ground

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where we can over-watch the convoy

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and, at the same time, look all about the areas for enemy activity.

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The Dragoons' last job of the day is always to check their vehicles.

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There's an old cavalry mantra that goes back hundreds of years,

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but we still live by it today,

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and it goes, very simply, "Horses, men, self".

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Horses or your vehicle come first.

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You need to make sure that that piece of equipment

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is fighting fit before you can achieve anything,

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and that's almost the essence of being a cavalry soldier.

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The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards can trace their roots back

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to Edinburgh in November 1681.

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Their first colonel was a ruthless royalist and ex-mercenary,

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Tam Dalyell, also known as "Bloody Tam".

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His 300 troops scoured the hills on horseback

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to hunt down the rebellious countrymen.

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Thousands of rebels were slaughtered and executed.

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It became known as "The Killing Time."

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The regiment's loyalty to the crown was rewarded in 1692

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when it became "Our Royal Regiment Of Scots Dragoons."

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To this day, it's the only regiment

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allowed to fly the Scottish royal flag.

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The ancient Royal Standard of Scotland

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flies outside regimental headquarters

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whenever the commanding officer is in the building or barracks.

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And stencilled on the side of the commanding officer's

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main battle tank is a picture of the Lion Rampant as well.

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Boys, if you're being a girl, if you want to put a jumper round your waist

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so we can at least have a hope of recognising you as such.

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OK, Ross is being the girl, so Ross then turns...

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In the mess, the officers regularly practise Scottish reels.

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SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE MUSIC

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Not too aggressive!

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Very good!

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As a Scottish regiment,

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it's very important that we keep these traditions alive.

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Inevitably, it turns a bit chaotic, but it's about having a good time

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and it's a very important part of what we do.

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About two thirds of the soldiers in the regiment are Scottish

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and, for some, the regiment is in the blood.

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My name is Captain Kev McDowell,

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currently the Quartermaster of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

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Primarily, I joined the regiment cos my father was in it.

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My name is Billy McDowell and I served with the regiment

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for the best part of 22 years, and I left as a rank of Staff Sergeant.

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I'm Trooper William McDowell and I'll be at the regiment in a couple of months.

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We have a great family tradition within the regiment.

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In fact, I had two brothers who served alongside me.

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Between us, including my two uncles,

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we've done 85 years' service within the regiment.

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In the early 18th century, the Scots Dragoons

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were called to the battlefields of Europe,

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taking up the cavalry charge for the first time.

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Previously, dragoons had always fought as infantry.

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Now, they would fight from the saddle to break the enemy lines.

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In May 1706, at the Battle Of Ramillies in Belgium,

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the regiment proved it had mastered the art of the charge.

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Led by the Duke of Marlborough,

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the Scots Dragoons routed the French cavalry.

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The charge was still practised in the early years of World War Two,

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when Jim Randall was a 24-year-old trooper in the regiment.

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If you had 30 horses

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cantering side by side, they soon

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became practically knee to knee,

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very close to each other.

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And one or two chaps would bite the dust.

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They still carried

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the cavalry sword,

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and performed the same drills as 18th-century dragoons.

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First, you would reach across, grasp the hilt of the sword,

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draw it from the scabbard, hold it overhead,

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and then drop it down to point at any enemy that might approach.

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Veteran bugler Bill Cross still remembers

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sounding the order to charge.

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# La pom pom pom pom. #

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That's the charge!

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BUGLE CHARGE CALL

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"Halt" was...

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# Pom pom pom. # That's "halt."

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And you used to practise going over a jump, blowing it!

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Horses are still an important part of regimental life.

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But now, they're only used for battling it out on the polo field

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and for ceremonial occasions.

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Grey horses like these were first used by the regiment 300 years ago.

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They gave the regiment a name that stayed with them for centuries.

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The Scots Greys.

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In grooming terms, having a grey horse is a bit of a nightmare.

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They do become a lot muddier than others.

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Percy does seem to hop into the fields

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and just find the muddiest bit

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and roll in it and just get covered in utter crud.

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And it's quite hard work to get it out of his coat.

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Just make sure the snaffle is behind...

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This kit is about 300 years old.

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These are original reigns from the Scots Greys

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and you can see they've got thistles embedded in the leather.

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Very tricky to clean, but very smart!

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In 1940, every new recruit still had to learn to ride.

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During our training, of course, we were inside a riding school.

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Some of the recruits had never sat on a horse's back before.

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I'd never been on a horse in my life!

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And, of course, I was scared stiff when I first went on.

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Then I had a horse bit me once.

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Bit me on the bloody nose!

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Quite a lot of them found themselves rolling on the floor.

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Also with the Scots Greys, they had to be scrubbed down

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and washed every Sunday morning, and you used to have to buy

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a tablet of soap, which cost me about... Lux.

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..to wash my horse's mane and tail, that's it!

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Stand still!

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If I were to poke this stick into your toe caps, it wouldnae really

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make a difference, as there's nae polish on it. There's no shine on it.

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The regimental Sergeant Major is preparing the troops

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for a royal visit from the regiment's Deputy Colonel in Chief,

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the Duke of Kent.

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We've got the Duke Of Kent's visit this week

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and this is the honour guard, so they need to be immaculate,

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cos this is the first eyes-on the royalty will get of the regiment.

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So things like boots not being well prepared are not a good start.

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Fluff under there as well.

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All right, Charty, it's not a race!

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For the royal visit, some of the soldiers will wear scarlets,

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a similar uniform to the one worn by the regiment in the 18th century.

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Quartermaster Kevin McDowell is in charge of the regimental wardrobe.

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Something quite unique to the Scots Dragoon Guards is the fact

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that we wear the white bearskin.

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This is normally worn by the likes of Corporal Harnetti

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when he's on the drum horse.

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If he's not on parade, then it's given to the drummer.

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Now, the story goes with this particular bear skin

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that it was made from this hide of a polar bear,

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which is still the rest of it in this box.

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And this, the story goes,

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was presented to the regiment by President Ronald Reagan.

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-How high do these belts go?

-Really high up.

-Really high up.

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Oh, you broke it, you broke it.

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This uniform is only worn by the regiment for ceremonial duties

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every couple of years.

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Now, which side does it go on?

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-Left.

-I think I have a skew-whiff bearskin.

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It's nothing to do with the shape of your head?

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How does it attach? And these sword loops feel like

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I've got a tail attached!

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You can't really do it yourself.

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I find it extraordinary to think that this is the kind of uniform

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that the regiment would have fought in and worked in on a daily basis,

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and they'll have had to go through this process

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of getting themselves ready every day.

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There's a lot of history with the uniforms we wear

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and everything means something, rather than just being clothing.

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The cross belt with the pouch on the back

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was used for carrying ammunition

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and the belt for carrying the sword whilst on horseback.

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Some people might not think it's right to wear polar bear,

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but it's part of the regimental history, so, yeah, I like it.

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By the early 19th century, the cavalry

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was capturing the public's imagination

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as the heroes and villains of romantic fiction.

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I think the stereotype for a cavalry officer,

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certainly the 19th-century stereotype,

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is of a figure who is dashing, charming, on the good side,

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but on the bad side, a sort of hard-drinking, gambling,

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womanising, roguish type of figure.

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And I think that most junior cavalry officers like to sort of aspire

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to this Flashman-esque stereotype of being very stylish,

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conducting themselves with dash and elan,

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and that's part of what makes us who we are.

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It was so embarrassing!

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Officers' mess dinners are always really traditional events.

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The first time you go to one, it is a little bit strange,

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and it's quite overwhelming, cos it's quite a formal atmosphere.

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But I think it gives you a sense of pride and duty.

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It's about maintenance of history and remembering where we've come from.

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This is the officers' last formal dinner

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before they deploy to Afghanistan.

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Traditionally, a Gaelic toast is proposed

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before the regiment goes to war.

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Deoch slainte na ban Righ. Slainte, Alba gu brath. Agus slainte

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nag u huiles gu leir, slainte mhath.

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In June 1815, under the command of the Duke of Wellington,

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the Scots Greys were preparing to fight Napoleon.

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They hadn't seen action for more than 20 years,

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but were about to take part in a battle that would decide

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the fate of Europe and come to define their reputation.

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Waterloo.

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On the 18th of June, the Scots Greys were positioned here, on this ridge.

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They formed part of a force of 900 cavalry.

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The Union Brigade.

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England, Scotland and Ireland,

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the three nations of the newly United Kingdom, were all represented

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and they were fighting together for the first time

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under the new Union Jack flag.

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Wellington's troops were formed up here along this ridgeline

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on the high ground, defending Brussels to the north,

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and Napoleon's troops were formed up down to the south.

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Faced with an army larger and more experienced than his own,

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Wellington's only hope was to hold his position

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until reinforcements arrived.

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Around 1:30, Napoleon launched 18,000 of his infantry troops,

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under the command of one of his best commanders,

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in the direction of La Haye Sainte.

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This put Wellington's line under serious pressure.

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Wellington's infantry began to give way, so he turned to his cavalry.

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BUGLE CALL

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Corporal John Dickson, of the Scots Greys, was in the left flank.

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He later wrote an account of the battle.

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"Immediately, Colonel Hamilton shouted out,

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"'Now then, Scots Greys, charge!'

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"and waving his sword in the air, he rode straight at the hedge in front,

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"which he took in great style.

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"At once, a great cheer rose from our ranks

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"and we too waved our swords and followed him.

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"I dug my spur into my brave old Rattler

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"and we were off like the wind."

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As they charged, they passed a fellow Scottish regiment,

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the Gordon Highlanders.

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"They shouted, 'Go at them, the Greys! Scotland forever!'

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"Many of the Highlanders grasped our stirrups

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"and in the fiercest excitement, they dashed along with us into the fight."

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In a matter of minutes,

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the cavalry had cut through hundreds of enemy soldiers,

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smashing the French line and pushing back the attack.

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The charge was described as, "the greatest thunderbolt ever launched by the British cavalry."

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Napoleon was overheard cursing "those terrible grey horses!"

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On horseback, you've got that ability to manoeuvre around the battlefield

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when a battle might go either way and really seize the moment.

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BUGLE CALLS

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The bugle call sounded the halt and rally.

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But the Scots Greys pushed on towards the French artillery,

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spurred on by their commanding officer.

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"Colonel Hamilton rode up to us crying, 'Charge! Charge the guns!'

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"And we went off up the hill.

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"We got among the guns and we had our revenge. Such slaughtering!"

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James Hamilton was unstoppable.

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He was slashed by a French lancer on his wrists, but he carried on.

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He carried on against the odds, leading his regiment in battle,

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and he did so by gripping the reins of his charger in his teeth.

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Hamilton was never seen again.

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Now leaderless, the charge of the Greys continued.

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In the front rank was Sergeant Charles Ewart,

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one of the regiment's finest swordsmen.

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Ewart saw a French Standard up ahead. Raising his blade,

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he made a bid to take the Imperial Eagle.

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"The enemy and I had a hard contest for it. He thrust for my groin,

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"I parried it off and I cut him through the head,

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"after which, I was attacked by one of the lancers.

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"I cut him from the chin upwards through his teeth.

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"Next, I was attacked by a foot soldier with his bayonet,

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"but I parried him and cut him down through the head

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"so that I finished the contest for the eagle."

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Ewart is absolutely a hero.

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His tomb's on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle.

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And the first pub on the Royal Mile is named after him,

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so, aye, we all think he's a hero!

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BAGPIPES PLAY

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Edinburgh Castle is the regiment's home headquarters.

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Here, it displays the trophy of its proudest victory.

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This is the eagle captured from the French. Napoleon adopted

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these eagles for each of his regiments

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from the Roman legions, who carried the Imperial Eagle.

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The piece is in metal and covered in gilt, and it's quite heavy.

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This is a very special item for the regiment

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because of its significance from Waterloo.

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The gold-leafed eagle is so important to us

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because it's a symbol of the decisive manoeuvre, speed

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and enormous bravery that our forefathers performed on that day

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in June in 1815 on the battlefield at Waterloo.

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It's what we are and who we are.

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The French Imperial Eagle appears on the regiment's war memorial

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in Edinburgh, on horses' livery, epaulettes and on the cap badge.

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The Scots Greys paid a heavy price for victory.

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Of the 391 who charged, 104 were killed and 98 wounded.

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But their sacrifice helped win the battle

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and brought peace to Europe after nearly 20 years of war.

0:22:030:22:08

One piece rear...march!

0:22:110:22:14

And we blew that one, didn't we?!

0:22:140:22:16

LAUGHTER

0:22:160:22:18

Get back there.

0:22:180:22:21

The regiment is getting ready for the final parade before Afghanistan.

0:22:210:22:25

Left...turn!

0:22:250:22:26

Sergeant Chart and Corporal Harnetty will have a ceremonial role

0:22:300:22:33

in the parade.

0:22:330:22:35

It's always good to get the horses out, get their kit on,

0:22:350:22:38

get dressed in the regalia so when the Duke of Kent arrives,

0:22:380:22:42

we'll be off to the side, on the horses...um...

0:22:420:22:49

looking pretty!

0:22:490:22:50

The Scots Greys' last mounted action came in 1940 in Palestine,

0:22:570:23:01

when they formed patrols

0:23:010:23:03

to help keep peace between the Arabs and the Jews.

0:23:030:23:05

I have wonderful memories of those days.

0:23:100:23:13

I can see, in my mind's eye,

0:23:130:23:16

the whole regiment of 300 horsemen

0:23:160:23:20

winding its way down the Jordan valley.

0:23:200:23:25

A year later, the regiment received the order

0:23:250:23:29

to give up its horses for tanks.

0:23:290:23:31

I didn't want to lose the horses.

0:23:310:23:35

I hated the thought of having to travel

0:23:350:23:39

in a motor vehicle of any sort

0:23:390:23:41

because lots of the chaps, including myself,

0:23:410:23:45

had never driven a motor vehicle in their lives.

0:23:450:23:49

In 1945, the Scots Greys fought their way into Germany.

0:23:570:24:02

When the war ended, the regiment remained with NATO forces to counter

0:24:060:24:10

the Soviet threat. The regiment is still based in Germany today.

0:24:100:24:15

On the 2nd of July 1971,

0:24:210:24:24

the Scots Greys united with a fellow cavalry regiment,

0:24:240:24:27

the 3rd Carbiniers.

0:24:270:24:30

'The new cap badges are fitted, hats replaced,

0:24:300:24:34

'and the new regiment is formed.'

0:24:340:24:37

Together, they took the name the "Royal Scots Dragoon Guards."

0:24:380:24:44

To mark the occasion,

0:24:440:24:45

the regiment's band recorded an album, A Farewell To The Greys.

0:24:450:24:50

We recorded it in the gymnasium with blankets round the walls.

0:24:500:24:54

RCA was the record company.

0:24:540:24:56

And at end, they said, "Have you got anything else to put on record?"

0:24:560:24:59

We said, "Well, we've got this new tune called Amazing Grace.

0:24:590:25:04

"Can we put that on?" They said, "If you must."

0:25:040:25:07

It was played once by BBC and, of course, after that,

0:25:070:25:11

they rang up RCA, and said, "You have a hit on your hands."

0:25:110:25:14

MUSIC: "Amazing Grace" by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

0:25:140:25:18

Amazing Grace sold four million copies worldwide.

0:25:240:25:28

On the 11th of April 1972, it reached number one in the UK charts,

0:25:280:25:33

where it stayed for five weeks.

0:25:330:25:35

Now what I suggest is take a pass at it, straighten it all out,

0:25:350:25:39

take a solo pass, so we've got a choice...

0:25:390:25:42

The regiment's band is now recording a new album.

0:25:420:25:45

So, here we go. A slightly straighter version.

0:25:450:25:49

A new take, new pass and we're off.

0:25:490:25:52

I'm 21 now, I started playing the pipes when I was four.

0:26:080:26:11

I'm just mad for it.

0:26:110:26:13

For some strange reason, I wanted to play the pipes.

0:26:130:26:15

Obviously, I like being a soldier,

0:26:180:26:20

but piping is my thing, to be honest.

0:26:200:26:22

To get paid for doing something I enjoy is superb.

0:26:220:26:25

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards!

0:26:350:26:38

March on the Standard!

0:26:400:26:42

The final parade in Germany before deployment to Afghanistan.

0:26:440:26:47

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent is here to bid the troops farewell.

0:26:470:26:54

I come and see them whenever I can and it's always a great pleasure

0:26:540:26:57

to come back, cos they're my old regiment.

0:26:570:26:59

I think when you've belonged to an organisation like this,

0:26:590:27:02

it's something that you feel you belong to for life.

0:27:020:27:04

And although, in my case, it's now getting on for 30 years or more

0:27:040:27:09

since I actually left, I still feel that I'm a member of the regiment

0:27:090:27:14

and that they're my friends.

0:27:140:27:16

This is my first tour.

0:27:160:27:19

We've done a lot of training for it,

0:27:190:27:21

and we've waited our turn, should we say.

0:27:210:27:23

So I'm really looking forward to going.

0:27:230:27:25

The guys are really like family, so it's worth fighting for each other,

0:27:250:27:28

and you know that each man's got each other's back.

0:27:280:27:32

My son, Kevin, and all the lads that are in the regiment,

0:27:330:27:38

at the moment have gone through a lot more than I have.

0:27:380:27:41

And our heart, mine and my wife's, go out to them every time they're on a tour.

0:27:410:27:45

And I don't think people realise how much it does mean having a family,

0:27:450:27:50

which is the regiment to people like myself,

0:27:500:27:52

around you when they are away,

0:27:520:27:54

because although they are away, the regiment still keeps in contact

0:27:540:27:57

with people like me and my wife, telling us what our sons are up to.

0:27:570:28:01

The history and the traditions of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

0:28:040:28:08

are all around us.

0:28:080:28:10

And when you're about to deploy on what will be a demanding tour,

0:28:100:28:15

by anyone's measure, the pride that my soldiers

0:28:150:28:19

and officers have in their regiment, that bond,

0:28:190:28:23

that ethos, that strength that comes from being a member of a proud

0:28:230:28:26

and honourable organisation, that will see them through.

0:28:260:28:32

And, to me, that sums up what this fine regiment is all about.

0:28:320:28:39

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:28:500:28:52

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0:28:520:28:54

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