Lachlan09

Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard (Royal Scots) - I understood this nickname came from the period in the early/mid-17th Century when they were hired out by Charles I to the French in their war against the Holy Roman Empire. At that time, they were known as Le Régiment de Douglas (after its Colonel, having previously been called Hepburn's Regiment after its founding Colonel, and in French service as Le Régiment de Hebron) and they had a great rivalry with the oldest French infantry regiment as to which regiment was more senior. According to the French version (which, as a Scot, I find highly spurious !), each side was telling increasingly taller tales than the other. The Jocks decided to top it once and for all by saying that their regiment was recruited from Caledonian Celts by the Romans and were guarding Christ’s tomb for Pontius Pilate when the rock rolled away and Jesus emerged, resurrected. The French responded by saying that if they had been guarding the tomb, no-one would have escaped !