The 79th (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders)

The 79th (Highland–Cameronian Volunteers) Regiment was raised in 1793 by Sir Alan Cameron of Erracht. In 1804, it was known as the 79th Cameronian Highlanders, and in 1873 as the 79th (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) Regiment.

On 1 July 1881, the 79th became The 1st Battalion The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. A second Battalion was raised in 1897.

In 1961, the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).

The 79th

1855 – 79th

Burials in 1855:

11 May Pte James Wilson 79th Regiment aged 21 years.
5 Aug Pte Riehard Falconer 79th Regiment aged 16 years.

The 1st/The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

1892 1st/Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

Young Janet Murray — Janet Murray wife of QM Lt William Young died 2 June 1892, aged 34 years.
QM Lt William Young died at Cairo 13 Jan 1898, aged 48 yrs (Ta' Braxia Cemetery Pieta).

23 Feb 1892 The 1st/Cameron Highlanders left Edinburgh on 20 February 1892. It embarked at Portsmouth on 23 February and disembarked at Malta on 7 March.

The regiment had an average strength of 695 men, 609 admissions into hospital and 6 deaths. 7 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 28.50. The average sick time to each soldier was 25.01 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 17.13 days.

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders was quartered at Pembroke Camp for 9 months. It had detachments at Citta Vecchia for 3 months.

Baptisms in 1892:

15 May Mary Stuart Yeadon born 22 Mar 1892, daughter of Elizabeth Mary and L/Cpl Alexander Yeadon of Pembroke Camp.
14 Aug Frances Foud McGregor born 26 July 1892, daughter of Harriet and Sgt Thomas McGregor of Pembroke Camp.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1892:

1 June William Wakelen aged 6 months, son of F Wakelen.
22 June Raeburn aged 1 year 4 months.
6 July Mary Stuart Yeadon aged 3 months and 15 days, daughter of Coy Sgt Maj Alexander Yeadon.
21 July John Sharp aged 4 months, son of Alexander Sharp.
2 Aug L/Cpl Peter Bennett aged 20 years.
5 Aug Sgt William Black aged 25 years.
23 Sep Frances McGrigor aged 2 years 6 months, died at Pembroke Camp.
8 Oct Christopher Bain aged 18 years.
3 Nov David Nilsen aged 21 years.
10 Dec Bryce McAulay aged 25 years 6 months.
23 Dec J Taylor aged 27 years.

1893 1st/Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders had an average strength of 956 men. It had 732 admissions (765.7/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 11 deaths (11.51/1000 mean strength). 25 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 50.24. The average sick time to each soldier was 19.18 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 25.05 days.

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders was quartered at Pembroke Camp for 2 months and at Lower St Elmo Barracks for 10 months.

Baptisms in 1893:

12 Mar Annie Winslow born 24 Dec 1892, daughter of Catherine and Pte Charles Winslow.
16 Aug Dorothy Susan Lilian Jeffrey born 28 July 1893, daughter of Louisa and George Jeffrey of the Camerata Valletta.

Burials at Rinella Military Cemetery in 1893:

13 May Adam Manderston aged 19 years, died at Cottonera.
31 Aug James Brooks aged 25 years, died at Cottonera.
18 Oct John Montgomery aged 2 years 10 months, died at Cottonera.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1893:

3 Jan D Bruce aged 27 years.
28 Jan T Smith aged 20 years.
31 Jan L Jeffreys aged 20 years.
19 Mar John Warnock aged 21 years.
12 June Child Margaret Macaulay aged 1 year 3 months, daughter of L/Cpl James and Jessie Macaulay.
26 June Infant Agnes Jane McPherson aged 5 months.
6 July Infant Margaret Murray aged 3 weeks, daughter of William Murray.
4 Aug Infant Winifred Messenger aged 9 months, daughter of Sgt Messenger.
14 Aug Pte Matthew Allan aged 26 years.
25 Oct Infant Jessie Lahelen aged 5 hours.
28 Nov Robert McPhail aged 22 years.
17 Dec G Cook aged 21 years.

1894 1st/Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

1345 Sgt Robert Brown, A Coy 1st/Queen's Own Cameron Hldrs died 29 Dec 1894 aged 31 yrs. (Ta' Braxia Cemetery Pieta)

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders had an average strength of 956 men. It had 616 admissions into hospital with 2 deaths. 17 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 46.11. The average sick time to each soldier was 17.61 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 27.32 days.

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders was quartered at Lower St Elmo Barracks for 12 months.

Baptisms in 1894:

18 Apr Pte George Rutty of Valletta, born 24 July 1872, son of Sarah and Henry Rutty.
19 July Mabel Alice Messenger born 4 July 1894, daughter of Susan and Armourer Sgt Henry Charles Messinger of the Camerata Valletta.
12 Dec Rowland Pritchard son of Pte Pritchard of Fort St Elmo.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1894:

12 Mar Daniel McAheron aged 4 hours.
2 Nov 3411 Pte William Thomson aged 20 years 10 months.

1895 1st/Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

The 1st/Cameron Highlanders was quartered at Lower St Elmo Barracks for 6 weeks.

It had an average strength of 141 men with 71 admissions into hospital. Three invalids returned to England. Its average constantly sick was 5.93. The average sick time to each soldier was 15.51 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 30.79 days.

19 Feb 1895 The 1st/Cameron Highlanders embarked for Gibraltar, where it arrived on 24 February. It left Gibraltar for Egypt on 4 October 1897.

Baptisms in 1895:

11 Apr Charlotte Melita Winspear of Valletta, born 19 Mar 1895, daughter of Catherine and Pte Charles Winspear.

The 2nd/The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

1902 2nd/Cameron Highlanders

5853 Pte Thomas Love A Coy 2nd/Queen's Own Cameron Hldrs died 27 Sept 1902 aged 20 yrs. (Mtarfa' Military Cemetery)

30 Apr 1902 The 2nd/Cameron Highlanders arrived in Gibraltar on 28 October 1899. On 30 April 1902, it embarked for Crete where it arrived on 1 May.

4 May A Coy, C Coy and H Coy The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders disembarked from the Carthage at Malta. B Coy went to Cyprus on 9 May while three companies were based at Crete.

Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1902:

12 Oct Thomas Massen born on 13 September 1902, son of Rose and Pte Charles William Massen, resident at No 9 Married Quarters, Mtarfa.

Burials at Mtarfa Military Cemetery in 1902:

29 Sep Pte Thomas Love aged 19 yrs 8 mths.

1903 2nd/Cameron Highlanders

2 Mar 1903 The 2nd Battalion The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders embarked on the Ortona at Crete for Malta, arriving there on 10 March. It was replaced in Crete by the 1st/Royal Dublin Fusiliers from Malta.
B Coy embarked for Cyprus from Crete on 4 March 1903.

The Battalion was stationed at Fort Manoel.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1903:

24 July Pte John Brown Finnie, aged 27 years, of Fort Manoel.
15 Aug L/Cpl George Barrie, aged 25 years, of Fort Manoel.
27 Aug Still born female baby of Thomas Craig, of Fort Manoel.

1904 2nd/Cameron Highlanders

The 2nd/Cameron Highlanders was stationed at Fort Manoel. Its strength was 306 men.

16 Apr 1904 The 2nd/Cameron Highlanders embarked on the Soudan for Capetown arriving there on 9 May 1904.

Bibliography

Farmer J. S., 1984. The regimental records of the British Army Reprint Edition, Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Crecy Books.
Edwards T. J., 1980. Regimental Badges First Edition, Tonbridge, Kent: Ernest Benn Ltd.
TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
TNA:WO 379/15. Stations of Regiments 1901–1920.
TNA:WO 156/115. Register of burials in the military cemetery Rinella from January 1890 to January 1908.
TNA:WO 156/113. Register of burials September 1853 to June 1862.
Register No 13. Burials No 8, Pietà Cemetery 1887–1908.