1902 - 1914: Edwardian Era

The Gordons were briefly stationed at Calcutta and garrisoned Fort William. The men occupied their time with training and musketry during the cool hours of the day as well as occasional expeditions. Various sporting pastimes were played a great deal while in Calcutta, including football, boxing and (unusually for an infantry regiment) polo.

After the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary a Durbar was held to allow their proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India. A five-week tour filled with festivities preceded the Durbar. Regiments of foot, horse, camel and artillery all took part in the Royal Review on 14 December. The Gordons were among the eight Regiments who were posted to Delhi for a grand simultaneous presentation of The Colours. Furthermore, two sergeants and twenty-five other ranks from the Gordons formed part of a special guard around the royal pavilion, which was lit up by electricity for the first time.

The Gordons garrisoned the city as part of a combined force of British and Indian infantry battalions and an Indian cavalry regiment. The Regiment occupied their time with training and musketry. The presence of other Highland Regiments in Northern India let to many sporting activities and competitions to be organised.

On 7 December 1912, the Battalion embarked Bombay, reaching Cairo 10 days later. Their strength was 19 officers and 770 other ranks. Their home was the Kasr-el-Nil Barracks on the banks of the River Nile. There were no Mounted Infantry in Egypt. Instead, there was a Camel Corps to which the Battalion sent a platoon under Lieutenant Sworder. In the summer of 1914 as war loomed, the Camel Corps patrolled the border with Turkey. On 16 August the news came that the Battalion were to be “in readiness to move to England at an early date, taking mobilization stores and married families.”