Scots at war on STV player

http://player.stv.tv/programmes/scots-at-war/2010-01-26-2100/

Haven't watched it yet but might be good

 

Thanks for posting that. I have just started watching it and it looks good so far.

 

Just finished watching it. Interesting but blatantly biased. IMO it is worth watching but consider it as = to a recruiting video regarding objectivity.

 

Couldn't get it here. Was it lots of CCTV footage from Sauchiehall St?

 

Yes, sadly thought the same. Lots of potential but ........!

 

Of course it was biased, it does what it said on the tin

Personally I enjoyed it and it is true, you learn something new every day. I didn't know about the injuns "adopting" prisoners

 

Biased? In what way?

Its called Scots at war...it talked about Scots at war...

I actually found it totally the opposite..for example, its about the only programme I have watched that actually stated that Culloden was not a Scots V English battle, it was Government supporters against non government supporters, both sides fielding mainly Scottish but also French and Dutch troops, with a few English as well...same with Killicrankie.

I thought they were very open and frank about the early scots regiments and there use by the French..

The only bit I got annoyed at was when they talked about the Scots Greys and how they performed a decisive charge against the French that turned the battle. They left out the bit about the Gordons holding onto there stirrups and "getting in there" to take over a thousand French prisoners and kill many more. The Greys rode through the French, the Gordons (and Black Watch) did the real damage...

..and I am not biased

 

I don't think it lived up to its potential. About half of the programme was spent telling us what was coming next.

I was disappointed about the clips of the RAF Regt which suggested that they were Scots at War, and the "reconstruction" of Afghanistan which was nothing more than building work inside KAF.

 

Ahem...don't wish to detract from the Scots Grey history and that lovely painting too...but the charge of the Union Brigade did not mean that everyone belonged to a co-operative working men's organisation! Along of the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons and their pedestrian passengers were the Skins and the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons.

The charge has been bigged up over the years but it didn't "turn the battle". It was another "Great British Cavalry Feck-up of the 19th Century". Unleashed against a disorganised infantry corps, the charge initially went well. It is estimated 5000 French casualties were inflicted but tactically it didn't change the price of fish.

However heavy cavalry is hard to stop once unleashed and the Brigade got into a bit of trouble. The Scots Greys apparently ignored the “recall” and losing impetus charged on in disordered groups. Some of these got to the French batteries across the valley but their horses were blown. Two regiments of the French cavalry, a lancer (4th) and Chasseurs a Cheval (Hussars) piled in and did terrible excution.

Out of the initial strength of 1186, 572 other ranks and 35 officers were killed including the brigade commander Major General Ponsonby. Ponsonby incidentally was a 5th Dragoon and an Irish aristocrat. This was the action in which Sgt/Ensign Ewart captured an eagle so earning immortality and the right to have a pub on the Royal Mile* named after him!






*I know, it is on the Lawnmarket really and yes it is a cack pub and yes given the choice I would rather eat or drink in the Jolly Judge, the Deacon or the Bow Bar if I was up that end of town with a droughth on me.

 

In that it was entirely uncritical. I did enjoy it BTW, but saying the charge of the Scots Greys was pivotal at Waterloo is a tad fanciful IMO.

Don't get me wrong, I am not denigrating the Scottish contribution in British military history, but that programme gave the impression that they never put a foot wrong.

 

It isn't the mass contributions of the Scots but rather the individuals who made huge significant contributions - particularly during the Victorian era, from Napier to Gordon. So many battlefield commanders - like Sir Colin Campbell VC for example - proved fearless, enduring and above all else kept the mission on track despite the perhaps more rarified concepts of the English generals?

 

For those that missed it, History Channel are repeating it on 7 March at 2100.