"The Gallant Forty Twa" is a traditional Scottish song associated with the 42nd Foot regiment known as the Black Watch.Elizabeth Stewart & Alison McMorland. Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen: Travellers' Songs, Stories and Tunes of the Fetterangus Stewarts. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2012. p.317 It is generally dated to the mid-19th 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.Charles Messenger. A History of British Infantry: For Love of Regiment, Volume 2, 1915-1994. Pen and Sword, 1994. p.58
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
External links Clancy Brothers version Gulf Oil TV commercial using the melody