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The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment is the oldest Scottish
Regiment in the British Army having been formed in May 1740 with
six companies raised from four clans considered loyal to the government
- those of Campbell, Grant, Fraser and Munro. It was originally
raised to combat banditry, blackmail and extortion which was rife
in the highlands during the late 17th and early 18th
centuries. The name "Black Watch" is thought to have come
from this period, when the watch patrolled the highlands at night
to prevent crime. Another theory is that the name derived from the
dark tartan which contrasted against the bright red of the soldiers'
coatees. By the time of the Waterloo campaign, the 42nd
was already a famous and proven Regiment having fought in North
America, Flanders, the West Indies, Egypt, Gibraltar and throughout
the Peninsula Campaign (1809-1814). Many battles and campaigns later,
the Black Watch continue to serve in the British Army to this day.
Website: http://vicnet.net.au/~rhra42
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