THE SCOTS GUARDS ARCHIVES

“The traditions of this Regiment mark you and mould you, and stay with you and never let you go. But as each man must know himself, so each generation must know its own times. The issues men faced in days before our own are not precisely or exactly the same issues which we face now. Their day was their day. Our day is our day. What they have handed on to us is an example and tradition. What we do with it is our responsibility.”

The Reverend David “Hutch” Whiteford, Chaplain to the Scots Guards from 1944 to 1953.

Regimental Historical Committee

The Regimental Historical Committee, which reports to the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel and to the Scots Guards Charity, manages the Regimental Archives. These records, relating to events in war and peace since 1642 and to individual officers and men, are housed at Regimental Headquarters in Wellington Barracks on behalf of past and present members of the Scots Guards. The Committee, whose members have complementary skills relevant to archive management, are assisted by a consultant professional archivist, much of whose work has been generously funded by the Clothworkers’ Company.

Scots Guards Archives

We are currently well advanced with a major programme both to catalogue the collections of archives and also to improve their storage and conservation to best-practice standards. In collaboration with Findmypast we have digitised relevant records held in the Scots Guards Archives for individual officers who joined between 1642 and 1938 and for soldiers who joined between 1799 and 1938. The final stage of this project is nearing completion and records of most individuals can already be found online via Findmypast.

Archive enquiries about individuals

If you wish to find out about a member of the Scots Guards who joined up to 1938 – please consult digitised records from the Scots Guards Archives and other relevant records from the National Archives via Findmypast.

If you are unable to research online for records up to 1938 or wish to ask about individual officers and soldiers of the Scots Guards who joined from 1939 onwards please email –  Ronald.Bromhead100@mod.gov.uk

We receive many enquires and currently only a one man archive, please allow 15 working days for a response.

Other historical enquiries

We regret that we do not have the resources to research events concerning the history of the Scots Guards or other matters relating to individuals which go beyond what is contained in their personal files.

If you wish to research the history of the Scots Guards and relevant military events, you might like to consult the following histories:

  • F. Maurice, The History of the Scots Guards from the Creation of the Regiment to the Eve of the Great War (2 volumes).
  • F. Loraine Petre and Others, The Scots Guards in the Great War 1914-1918.
  • R.L. Nicol, Till The Trumpet Sounds Again: The Scots Guards 1914-1919 in their own words (2 volumes).,/li>
  • D. Erskine, The Scots Guards 1919-1955.
  • D.M. Naylor, Among Friends: The Scots Guards 1956-1993.

Donations

New donations of records in all forms, including digital, are steadily being received into the Regimental Archives, as well as historical artefacts of Regimental interest, notably medals. The Scots Guards Charity is most grateful for such donations, which are always of importance to the history of the Regiment and to those who have at any time been Scots Guardsmen. If you would like to donate an item to our collections, please contact the Regimental Adjutant via email: adjutant@scotsguards.org or by writing to Regimental Adjutant, Headquarters Scots Guards, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1E 6HQ.