Lineage of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
Brief regimental history
The regiment now known as the King's Own Scottish Borderers was raised in Edinburgh by David Leslie, the 3rd Earl of Leven in March 1689, and recruited "by beat of drum" along the High Street in the Old Town (the Royal Mile) as an emergency measure to defend the city against the Jacobites.
The regiment was received with great enthusiasm and was recruited with a speed that has been described as "unparalleled in our military annals". One report states that 800 men were recruited and armed within the space of two hours, and another suggests that the complete recruitment of 1000 men took four hours.
The work of these few hours was to last for over three centuries until the regiment became part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006.
Lineage of KOSB battalions to September 1914
The lineage illustrates the history of four King's Own Scottish Borderers battalions to the outbreak of WW1 (details of 4th KOSB (T.F.) have been omitted for reasons of image clarity). The 4th KOSB (T.F.) evolved over a similar timescale and manner to the 5th KOSB (T.F.), and ultimately by the amalgamation of the 1st Roxburgh and Selkirk Volunteer Rifle Corps with the 2nd (Berwickshire) Volunteer Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers.
The 2nd KOSB had two early incarnations (late 18th and early 19th centuries, respectively), but was disbanded on each occasion. The forerunner of the 2nd KOSB that served in WW1 was formed in March 1860 in Preston.
The dates given for the lineage of the 3rd (Reserve) KOSB are those published by the Scottish Military Historical Society.
A fuller review of the regimental history is provided by The King's Own Scottish Borderers Association and Museum