THE GALLANT GORDONS

To commemorate the action of the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders at the Dargai Heights, India on 20 October 1887, the London music firm of Francis, Day & Hunter published The Gallant Gordons, written by Albert Hall and composed by Orlando Powell. The Gordon Highlanders, records Sir William Lockhart in the 18 Februaryh edition of The Broad Arrow: ‘Went straight up the hill without check of hesitation. Headed by their pipers and led by Colonel Mathias, this splendid battalion marched across the open. It dashed through a murderous fire, and in forty minutes had won the heights, leaving three officers and thirty men killed or wounded on its way.’ The sheet music cover illustrated was designed by Frank Dadd and shows one of the Gallant Gordons being congratulated by two soldiers. One with green facings to his uniform grasps firmly the hand of the Highlander and the other with white places a congratulatory hand on his shoulder.