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Post-war Army reductions led to the disbandment of the 6th and 7th Battalions in 1946, and the 2nd Battalion in 1947. Between 1945 and 1947 the 1st Battalion was on internal security duties in Palestine.  In
1951 1st KOSB – National Service men amongst its numbers - was posted
to Korea. There it fought an arduous
campaign against the Chinese and North Korean armies in extreme climatic
conditions. On the night of 4th/5th November 1951 the Battalion was
holding a position on a narrow, ridge in the Kowang-San
region. Throughout the day the soldiers had been subjected to a
concentrated barrage of shell and mortar fire, and, as night fell, the
Chinese infantry advanced an entire division of 6000 men. The positions
of the forward companies were overrun, but the Battalion stood its ground,
and the Chinese attack petered out. An intial casualty check after the attack
revealed that 7 Borderers had been killed, 44 were missing and 87 were
wounded. On returning to Hong Kong a full casualty check revealed that 31 Borderers had been killed, 90 were wounded
and 20 had been taken Prisoners of War. Intelligence reports indicated that over 1000 Chinese had been
killed. Pte. Bill Speakman was awarded the VC for his part in the battle,
and 2nd Lt. W. Purves the DSO – the only National Service officer to
have won this honour. In Malaya during the Emergency (1955-59), the 1st Battalion was engaged in action in the jungle against Communist terrorists. From 1962 to February 1964 it was on internal security operations in Aden. In May 1964 it was recalled to Aden in aid of the Federal army, which was fighting Yemeni insurgents in the Radfan Mountains. In the following year the Battalion was in Borneo, patrolling the Malaysia-Indonesia border. 
From 1970 onwards, 1 KOSB spent a great deal of time in Northern Ireland , the last tour in 2004 – 2006. In addition, the Battalion and detachments were involved in operations and exercises throughout the world, from Belize (1978) to Cyprus (1999-2001). The Regimental Tercentenary in 1989 was marked by a year of celebration and pageantry, culminating in an unforgettable Parade through Edinburgh on Minden Day. On New Year's Day 1991, with the Battalion on block leave and key officers abroad, the order came to mobilise for service in the Gulf. Within 24 hours the entire Battalion had been recalled, and 21 days later they were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby/Desert Storm. After a period of training in Saudi Arabia they moved into battle positions on the 23 rd February, crossing into Iraq on the 26 th and into Kuwait at the beginning of March. Their principal role was the processing and guarding of POWs. A new Battle Honour, ‘ Gulf 1991', was awarded. In May 2003 the Battalion was deployed to southern Iraq to help maintain law and order in the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. As well as providing a measure of security and stability in the Maysan Province , they helped out in the frequent crises brought about by shortages of fuel, water and electricity, and in the general task of reconstruction. There were constant fire fights with gangs of insurgents and criminals, and at the end of their tour in November 2003, the Battalion had added an OBE, a CGC an MC and 5 MIDs to the list of honours and awards won by the Regiment over the years. ..... Regimental Victoria Crosses > >
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