VE Day: Special salute for old Scottish regiment who lost 1,000 men during war

A rallying call had been made for donations for the regiment which had a “special niche” in the minds and affections of Border people, a newspaper report of the day said.

“They have a warm pride in the Regiment, for they feel that it belongs to their beloved Borderland, and so is their very own,” the article which launched the fund said.

It added: “The war is not finished. Grim battles are being fought on several fronts. Brave Borderers are in the thick of it, falling, sacrificing, enduring, to win victory for freedom — our freedom.

“Let’s do our utmost, in our respective spheres, to back them up while the fight is on. And when victory is won, let us see to it that they receive just and generous treatment in peace from the country and countryside they have saved.”

READ MORE: When is VE Day? This is when we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe

More than 1,000 men of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers were killed while fighting in Europe and beyond during World War Two, with the regiment involved in the key stages of the conflict ahead of the German surrender on May 8, 1945 and the fall of Nazism.

This Saturday, the ‘Border people’ will pay tribute to the regiment once more at the 80th anniversary of VE Day, with a series of events arranged in Kelso to commemorate the end of World War Two in Europe.

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In the lead up to May 8, 1945, battalions had crossed the River Rhine into Germany as part of Operation Plunder and fought their way into Bremen in the north of Germany, with fierce street fighting reported.

In the port city, KOSB were involved in the liberation of the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory, which engineered planes for the Luftwaffe and used the forced labour of French and Dutch prisoners.

The regiment had suffered long and hard losses during World War Two, not least during the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944 when the 7th KOSB became glider-borne troops with the 1st Airborne Division.

READ MORE: Stunning portraits of Scots World War Two fighters released

The battalion found itself surrounded by an enemy force both superior in numbers and equipped with tanks. Gallantry gave way to a terrible loss of men.

When the order to retreat from Arnhem was given on 25th September, a 740 - strong battalion had been reduced to four officers and 72 soldiers. Of KOSB fighters engaged in the operation, 90 per cent were killed or taken prisoner.

Lieutenant General John Cooper of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who has helped to arrange the commemoration in Kelso, described his involvement in arranging VE Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration as an "honour"

Lieutenant General Cooper said: "Our own local Regiment, The King's Own Scottish Borderers fought in Europe in 1940 and then five of our battalions advanced from Normandy to the Baltic in the liberation of Europe in 1944-45.

“We suffered 1,099 men killed and many thousands more wounded in Europe.

“We will commemorate not only those fallen Borderers but all those killed in Europe, including from our sister Regiments, the men and women of The Royal Navy, The Royal Air Force, our Allies and the many millions of civilians who perished. They died for our democratic way of life and for the freedom we enjoy today.”

The 6th Battalion landed on the Normandy beaches on June 15, 1944 and took part in the battles around Caen and the River Odon.

Then, the 4th and 5th Battalions fought throughthe Low Countries in the autumn of 1944, taking part on the strongly contested assault landings on Walcheren Island, at the mouth of the Scheldt in the Netherlnaders.

Pushing on, the battalions took part in Operation Veritable in early 1945 to clear the area between the rivers Roer and Rhine of entrenched German forces. Troops then crossed the Rhine as part of the massive Operation Plunder, which signalled the last significant set piece in Europe, before pushing onto Bremen.

Lieutenant-Colonel Turner of the KOSB, of Kelso, was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order following the crossing of the Rhine and the capture of the port city of Bremen, which had suffered heavy aerial bombardment during the war, over two days of fighting from April 24, 1945.

He led troops to secure a series of important crossroads and junctions, which led to the city’s barracks, with “skillfull fighting in a built-up area”.

“Undoubtedly, the great elan of this attack had caused the enemy to lose heart and vacate their strong positions in the barracks,” a report of the day said.

More than 100 prisoners of war were taken in the city.

As the end game of war played out, the 6th Battalion was fighting on the German and Danish border.

“We were fighting the Germans wherever we were, We were advancing as fast as we could to make sure that Denmark and that part of northern Germany stayed in the west as opposed to falling to Soviet forces coming from the east,” Lieutenant General John Cooper said.

In May 1945, a company of the 7th Battalion was in Oslo to accept the surrender of German forces.

The KOSB and Royal Scots merged in 2006 as part of wider reform of historic Scots regiments and became The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (RRS).

On Saturday, Kelso will make way for a parade of veterans and cadets accompanied by the Military Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Veterans Pipes and Drums of the King's Own Scottish Borderers and Kelso Pipe Band.

The Parade will include a Drumhead Service of Remembrance led by military padre, Rev Stephen Blakey.

Events will run throughout the afternoon in the square with the commemoration then moving to Floors Castle, the home of the Duke of Roxburghe, with residents and visitors invited to attend.

There a Beating Retreat ceremony, which will include the sound of the Last Post, will be held.

The salute will be taken by the Duke.

The Duke of Roxburghe said: “The family and the whole team here at Floors Castle are excited to host the culmination of the VE Day celebrations for the Scottish Borders.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to be part of the commemoration for such an important day, both for the history of our nation and for Europe.

“It is personally poignant since I, and the past four generations of my family, have served in the Armed Forces, with my Grandfather in the Second War and my Great Grandfather in the Boer and Great War. I am sure it will be a fantastic day for the town, and be a fitting tribute to the dedication, service and sacrifice of so many.”