Headquarters 51st Infantry Brigade & Headquarters Scotland 51st (Scottish) Brigade 51st (Highland) Infantry Brigade 51st Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 1914–1918 1983–present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | Regional Command (British Army) |
Garrison/HQ | Redford Barracks, Edinburgh [1] |
Nickname(s) | The Fighting 51st |
Engagements | First World War |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Brigadier Jody Davies MBE |
HQ 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland is a Regional Point of Command, Brigade of the British Army.
Although it takes its name and identity directly from, the 51st (Highland) Division, it is also a descendant of the 52nd Lowland Division.
The 51st Brigade began as a formation of the 17th (Northern) Division during the First World War. It spent the entirety of the war with the Division on the Western Front. [2]
Following the complete reorganisation of the Territorial Army into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) in 1967 following the 1966 Defence White Paper, the old regional brigades and divisions were disbanded. Among the formations which disappeared was the 51st (Highland) Division/District, which had overseen the Scottish Highlands. [3]
The brigade level of command for the Territorial Army, was eliminated in the 1967 reforms, leaving little or no direction in doctrine or training from above. This was resolved in 1982 with the recreation of several territorial brigades, however these new formations were purely administrative headquarters for training. In 1982, the 51st (Highland) Infantry Brigade was formed with headquarters at Queen's Barracks, Perth taking control overall all the TA units within the Scottish Highlands. [3]
If mobilised, 51st (Highland) Infantry Brigade would oversee Highland Zone, which encompassed the following TAORs: Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Highland (region), Grampians, Tayside, Fife, and Central Region. These TAORs were further divided into several Key Points (KPs), which would nominally be guarded by Home Defence battalions, but also the new Home Service Force. [4] 51st (Highland) Brigade encompassing the Scottish Highlands: Argyll (part of Strathclyde), Central Scotland, Kingdom of Fife, Tayside, Grampian, Highland, Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland. 51st Infantry Brigade's primary role was that of mobile defence of the UK, with a particular emphasis on defending the military infrastructure at the UK end of the Greenland-Iceland-UK (G-I-UK) Gap alongside 52 Brigade. [5]
On 1 April 2002, 51 (Scottish) Brigade took on the regional responsibility for the whole of Scotland, instead of just the Highlands, with its headquarters originally at Forthside Barracks in Stirling and its Regional Training Centre situated at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh. This enabled 52 (Lowland) Brigade, which previously administered all Lowland TA units, to be specifically reorganised to parent Regular light role infantry battalions for operational deployments. 51st (Scottish) Brigade also co-ordinated operational deployments within its regional area of responsibility, such as in scenarios requiring Military Aid to the Civil Community. [6]
In April 2012, with the disbandment of 2nd Division, the brigade came under the control of the new Support Command based in Aldershot. [7] On 31 March 2014, it was renamed 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland, and took on regional responsibilities as part of the Army 2020 reorganisation. [8] It is now located at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh.
These include: [9]
The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The 52nd Lowland Volunteers is a battalion in the British Army's Army Reserve or reserve force in the Scottish Lowlands, forming the 6th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the senior Reserve line infantry battalion in the British Army. It is one of two Reserve battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, along with 51st Highland, a similar unit located in the Scottish Highlands.
The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), officially abbreviated "QO HLDRS," was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. It was in existence from 1961 to 1994.
The 51st Highland Volunteers is a battalion in the British Army's Army Reserve or reserve force in the Scottish Highlands, forming the 7th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 7 SCOTS. It is one of two Reserve battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, along with 52nd Lowland, a similar unit located in the Scottish Lowlands.
The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming is a British Army training establishment that provides instruction on Scottish pipe band music to military pipers and drummers.
Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks is a military installation located on Colinton Road, near the Edinburgh City Bypass, east of the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. The barracks are set to close in 2029.
A Scottish regiment is any regiment that at some time in its history has or had a name that referred to Scotland or some part thereof, and adopted items of Scottish dress. These regiments were created after the Acts of Union in 1707 between England and Scotland, either directly serving Britain during its various wars, or as part of the military establishments of Commonwealth countries. Their "Scottishness" is no longer necessarily due to recruitment in Scotland nor any proportion of members of Scottish ancestry.
The Glasgow Highlanders was a former infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, later renamed the Territorial Army. The regiment eventually became a Volunteer Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry in 1881. The regiment saw active service in both World War I and World War II. In 1959 the Highland Light Infantry was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers. The Glasgow Highlanders was later amalgamated into the 52nd Lowland Volunteers in 1967.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) is the senior and only current Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an individual regiment. However, three regular battalions maintain their former regimental pipes and drums to carry on the traditions of their antecedent regiments.
The 19th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the British Army. As the 19th Infantry Brigade, it fought in the First and Second World War.
The 52nd Infantry Brigade was a formation of the British Army, which was first formed in 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army. The brigade was disbanded in 1919, but reformed in British India during the Second World War and disbanded in 1945. It was again formed in 1982, and existed until 2010.
Walcheren Barracks is a drill hall located at Hotspur Street in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland. It is located adjacent to the site of the former Maryhill Barracks.
153rd Infantry Brigade was a formation of Britain's Territorial Force/Territorial Army that was part of 51st (Highland) Division in both World Wars. From its origins in the 19th Century Volunteer Force it was based in Aberdeen and was composed of Highland battalions. It served on the Western Front in World War I, and after it was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux early in World War II it was reformed from its 2nd Line and saw action in North Africa, Sicily and North West Europe. It continued serving postwar until the reduction of the Territorial Army in the 1960s.
The Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is a military band in the Territorial Army and one of three military bands in the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The band is based at the East Claremont Street drill hall in Edinburgh and is administered by 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. The other two bands in the Regiment are the regular Regimental Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which is based at Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh and is administered by the Royal Corps of Army Music, and the other is the territorial Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which is based at Queen's Barracks in Perth and administered by 51st Highland, 7th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
In September 1939, the British Army was in process of expanding their anti-aircraft and mobile assets. Among these new changes was the formation of Anti-Aircraft Command which was formed on 1 April 1939, and the 1st Armoured Division formed in 1937. The list below will include the British Army units, colonial units, and those units which were in the process of formation.
The 157th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army. The brigade fought in both the First and the Second World Wars, assigned to 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.
Forthside Barracks is a military installation in Stirling, Scotland.
The page contains the current structure of the British Army. The British Army is currently being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure.
This is a list of active military units, bases and barracks of the British Armed Forces in Scotland since the Treaty of Union 1707, when the Kingdom of Scotland united with the Kingdom of England to the create the Kingdom of Great Britain. As a result, Scottish armed forces were merged together with the English armed forces into the British military.