The Gallant Forty Twa

"The Gallant Forty Twa" is a traditional Scottish song associated with the 42nd Foot regiment known as the Black Watch.^[1] It is generally dated to the mid-nineteenth century, although it may have been based on an older tune from Ulster. It was reportedly sung by soldiers from the regiment during the Dunkirk evacuation.^[2]

The song was revived by the Irish folk group The Clancy Brothers in the 1960s. It has also been recorded by Ryan's Fancy and Andy Stewart.

References

1. Stewart & McMorland p.317
2. Messenger p.58

Bibliography

• Elizabeth Stewart & Alison McMorland. Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen: Travellers' Songs, Stories and Tunes of the Fetterangus Stewarts. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2012.
• Charles Messenger. A History of British Infantry: For Love of Regiment, Volume 2, 1915-1994. Pen and Sword, 1994.