List of battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Last updated

This is a list of battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968.

Contents

Original composition

When the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot, and 90th Perthshire Light Infantry amalgamated to form The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, seven pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway were integrated into the structure of the regiment. Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Organised as "rifle volunteer corps", they were independent of the British Army and composed primarily of the middle class. The only change to the regiment's structure during the period of 1881-1908 occurred in 1897, when the 5th Volunteer Battalion was disbanded as a result of poor discipline. [1]

BattalionFormedFormerly
Regular
1st16881st Battalion, 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot
2nd17941st Battalion, 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry)
Militia
3rd (Militia)18541st Battalion, 2nd Royal Lanark Militia [2]
4th (Militia)18542nd Battalion, 2nd Royal Lanark Militia [2]
Volunteers
1st Lanarkshire (Glasgow 1st Western) Volunteer Rifle Corps [1st VB]1859 [3] [4]
2nd Volunteer18592nd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps [5] [6]
3rd Lanarkshire (1st Glasgow Southern) Volunteer Rifle Corps [3rd VB]1860 [7] [8]
4th Volunteer 1859 4th Lanarkshire (Glasgow 1st Northern) Rifle Volunteer Corps [9] [10]
5th Volunteer18597th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps [11] [1]

Reorganisation

The Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) was formed in 1908, which the volunteer battalions joined, while the militia battalions transferred to the "Special Reserve". All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single sequential order.

BattalionFormerly
5th 1st Lanarkshire (Glasgow 1st Western) Volunteer Rifle Corps
6th2nd Volunteer Battalion
7th3rd Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Corps
8th 4th Volunteer Battalion

First World War

The Cameronians fielded 28 battalions and lost 7,106 officers and other ranks during the course of the war. [12] The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. As an example, the three-line battalions of the 5th Cameronians were numbered as the 1/5th, 2/5th, and 3/5th respectively, with the third line battalions, being redesignated reserve battalions in 1916. Many battalions of the regiment were formed as part of Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener's appeal for an initial 100,000 men volunteers in 1914. They were referred to as the New Army or Kitchener's Army. The New Army, 13th (Service) battalion, was referred to as a "Pals" battalion because it was predominantly composed of colleagues. The Volunteer Training Corps were raised with overage or reserved occupation men early in the war, and were initially self-organised into many small corps, with a wide variety of names. Recognition of the corps by the authorities brought regulation and as the war continued the small corps were formed into battalion sized units of the county Volunteer Regiment. In 1918 these were linked to county regiments. [13]

BattalionFormedServedFate
Regular [14] [15]
1st1688 Western Front
2nd1794Western Front
Special Reserve [14] [15]
3rd (Reserve)1854 Britain
4th (Extra Reserve)1854Britain
Territorial Force [14] [15]
1/5th 1859Western FrontSee Inter-War
1/6th1859Western Front
1/7th1860 Gallipoli, Western Front
1/8th 1859Gallipoli, Western FrontSee Inter-War
2/5th Glasgow, September 1914Britain, Ireland
2/6th Hamilton, September 1914Britain, Ireland
2/7thGlasgow, September 1914BritainAbsorbed by 2/6th Battalion, in January 1916
2/8th Glasgow, September 1914BritainAbsorbed by 2/5th Battalion in January 1916
3/5th
5th (Reserve) Battalion, from April 1916		Glasgow, November 1914BritainDisbanded, in December 1918
3/6th
6th (Reserve) Battalion, from April 1916		Hamilton, April 1915BritainAbsorbed by 5th (Reserve) Battalion, in September 1916
3/7th
7th (Reserve) Battalion, from April 1916		Glasgow, March 1915BritainAbsorbed by 5th (Reserve) Battalion, in September 1916
3/8th
8th (Reserve) Battalion, from April 1916		Glasgow, March 1915BritainAbsorbed by 5th (Reserve) Battalion, in September 1916
15th January 1917 from 10th (Scottish) Provisional Battalion (Territorial Force) BritainDisbanded, in July 1919
New Army [14] [15]
9th (Service)Hamilton, August 1914Western FrontDisbanded, 1919
10th (Service)Hamilton, September 1914Western FrontDisbanded, 1919
11th (Service)Hamilton, October 1914Western Front, Salonika Disbanded, 1920
12th (Reserve) Nigg, October 1914BritainConverted to 56th Training Reserve Battalion of the 12th Reserve Brigade, in September 1916
13th (Service)Hamilton, July 1915BritainAbsorbed by 14th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, in February 1916
Others [14] [15]
14th (Labour)June 1916Western FrontBecame Nos. 3 and 4 Companies, Labour Corps, in April 1917
16th (Transport Workers) Paisley, December 1916BritainDisbanded, in 1919
17th (Transport Workers)Hamilton, February 1917BritainDisbanded, in 1919
18th (Service) Aldershot, June 1918Western FrontDisbanded, in 1919
1st GarrisonHamilton, February 1916 India Disbanded, in 1920
Volunteer Training Corps [16]
1/1st Battalion Lanarkshire Volunteer RegimentCoatbridgeDisbanded post war
2/1st Battalion Lanarkshire Volunteer RegimentMotherwellDisbanded post war
3/1st Battalion Lanarkshire Volunteer RegimentLanarkDisbanded post war

Inter-War

By 1920, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to the Supplementary Reserve in 1924; however, its battalions were effectively placed in 'suspended animation'.

BattalionFate
5th Amalgamated with 8th Battalion, to form 5th/8th Battalion, in August 1921. [4]
8th Amalgamated with 5th Battalion, to form 5th/8th Battalion, in August 1921. [10]

As World War II approached, the Territorial Army was reorganised in the mid-1930s, many of its infantry battalions were converted to other roles, especially anti-aircraft.

BattalionFate
5th/8thConverted to 56th Searchlight Regiment, in November 1938. Formed duplicate 8th Battalion (57th Searchlight Regiment) in 1939.

Second World War

The regiment's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914–1918. National Defence Companies were combined to create a new "Home Defence" battalion, In addition six battalions of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment, wearing its cap badge. One Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) troop was formed from a local battalion to defend a factory. [17] Due to the daytime (or shift working) occupations of the men in the LAA troop, it required eight times the manpower of an equivalent regular unit. [18]

BattalionFormedServedFate
Regular
1st1688 Burma, Chindits [19] See Post-World War II
2nd1794 Dunkirk, Sicily, Italy, North West Europe [19] See Post-World War II
Supplementary Reserve
3rd1854See Post-World War II
4th1854See Post-World War II
Territorial Army
6th (Lanarkshire)1859Dunkirk, North West Europe [19] See Post-World War II
7th1860Dunkirk, North West Europe [19] See Post-World War II
9th1939Britain, France, North West Europe [19] [20] Disbanded, in August 1945 [21]
10th (Lanarkshire)1939Britain [22] Amalgamated with 6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion, in January 1947
11th (Home Defence)1939Britain [19] [23] Amalgamated with 13th (Home Defence) Battalion, to form 30th (Home Defence) Battalion, in 1941
12th1940Britain [19] [24] Disbanded, in 1943
13th (Home Defence)1940Britain [19] [25] Amalgamated with 11th (Home Defence) Battalion, to form 30th (Home Defence) Battalion, in 1941
30th (Home Defence)1941Britain [19] Disbanded, in 1943
Others
50th (Holding)1940Britain [19] Disbanded, in 1940
Home Guard [26]
BattalionHeadquartersFormation Sign (dark blue on khaki)BattalionHeadquartersFormation Sign (dark blue on khaki)
1stLanarkLK 12ndAirdrieLK 2
3rdWishawLK 34thHamiltonLK 4
5thRutherglenLK 56thMotherwellLK 6
Home Guard Light Anti-Aircraft units [17]
Formation Sign
(dark blue on khaki)		Headquarters or LocationAA Formation and Designation
LK 3Mossend, Murex LtdA Troop LAA

Post-World War II

In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded.

BattalionFate
1stAmalgamated with 2nd Battalion on the 19 September 1949, without a change in title [27]
2ndAmalgamated with 1st Battalion on 19 September 1949 [28]
6th (Lanarkshire)Amalgamated with 7th Battalion on 30 June 1950, to form 6th/7th Battalion [6]
7thAmalgamated with 6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion on 30 June 1950, to form 6th/7th Battalion [8]

Disbandment

After the 1966 Defence White Paper, the Cameronians decided to disband rather than be amalgamated. This meant that only the Territorial elements of the regiment, carried on the lineage, until 1997 when the last remaining company was rebadged and the Cameronians came to an end.

BattalionFate
1stDisbanded, on 14 May 1968 [27]
6th/7thBecame D Company (The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)), 52nd Lowland Volunteers, and B Company (6th/7th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)), Royal Scots and Cameronians Territorials, on 1 April 1967

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52nd Lowland Volunteers</span> Military unit

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)</span> Infantry regiment of the British Army, 1881–1968

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Regiment and the 90th Perthshire Light Infantry. In 1968, when reductions were required, the regiment chose to be disbanded rather than amalgamated with another regiment, one of only two infantry regiments in the British Army to do so, with the other being the York and Lancaster Regiment. It can trace its roots to that of the Cameronians, later the 26th of Foot, who were raised in 1689. The 1881 amalgamation coincided with the Cameronian's selection to become the new Scottish Rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rifleman</span> Infantry soldier armed with a rifle

A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the rifled musket. By the mid-19th century, entire regiments of riflemen were formed and became the mainstay of all standard infantry, and rifleman became a generic term for any common infantryman.

The British Army is listed according to an order of precedence for the purposes of parading. This is the order in which the various corps of the army parade, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest. Under ordinary circumstances, the Household Cavalry parades at the extreme right of the line. Militia and Army Reserve units take precedence after Regular units with the exception of The Honourable Artillery Company and The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers.

The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms.

The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the Territorial Force in 1908. Most of the regiments of the present Army Reserves Infantry, Artillery, Engineers and Signals units are directly descended from Volunteer Force units.

The 156th Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army. The brigade saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.

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.

221st Mixed Brigade was a Scottish Home Service formation of the British Army that served under various titles throughout World War I.

The 195th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army raised during the Great War. The brigade was part of the Territorial Force and created as a 2nd Line of the 156th Brigade and part of the 65th Division, itself formed as a 2nd Line of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. The brigade was initially composed of four battalions of the Cameronians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poplar and Stepney Rifles</span> Military unit

The 17th Battalion, The London Regiment , was a unit of Britain's Territorial Force formed in 1908 from Volunteer corps dating back to 1859. It saw considerable service on the Western Front, at Salonika and in Palestine during World War I. It served as an infantry regiment during World War II before conversion to an artillery unit in 1947 and subsequent amalgamation in 1967.

The 144th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War and again in the early stages of the Second World War before being reduced to a reserve brigade and remained in the United Kingdom for the rest of the war. In both world wars the brigade served with 48th Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Cyclist Battalion</span> Military unit

The Highland Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. Formed as part of the Volunteer Force in 1860, it became a Volunteer Battalion of the Black Watch in 1881. In 1909 it became an independent unit and served in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War. In 1920 it was converted as part of the Highland Divisional Signals.

The Glasgow Brigade was an infantry formation of Britain's Volunteer Force from 1890 to 1902. It was the forerunner of two formations of the Territorial Force that saw service in both World Wars.

The 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers was a Scottish Volunteer unit of the British Army. Originally raised in Glasgow from 1859, it later became a battalion of the Cameronians. During World War I it served on the Western Front and in Ireland. Converted into an anti-aircraft regiment just before World War II, it served during The Blitz and in the campaign in North West Europe, and continued in air defence role in the postwar years until 1955.

The 4th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps was a Scottish Volunteer unit of the British Army. Originally raised in Glasgow in 1859, it later became a battalion of the Cameronians. During World War I it served at Gallipoli, in Egypt and Palestine, and on the Western Front. Converted into an anti-aircraft regiment just before World War II, it served throughout the war and continued in an air defence role in the postwar years until 1950.

References

  1. 1 2 "5th Volunteer Battalion, The Cameronians". Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) – Militia Battalions". Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 292. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 "5th Battalion, The Cameronians". Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 302. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 "6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion, The Cameronians [and all Cameronians successors]". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 307. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 "7th Battalion, The Cameronians". Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 310. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  10. 1 2 "8th Battalion, The Cameronians". Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 315. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Researching a First World War soldier" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  13. ↑ Westlake, Ray (2020). Guide to the Volunteer Training Corps 1914-1918. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. pp. 4–7. ISBN   9781783315390.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "Unit History: Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  16. ↑ Westlake p. 120
  17. 1 2 Whittaker p. 124
  18. ↑ Whittaker p. 23
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The Story of the Regiments - World War II" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "9th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Second World War" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  21. ↑ "History of the 9th Battalion". Archived from the original on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "10th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Second World War" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  23. ↑ "11th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Second World War" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  24. ↑ "12th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Second World War" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "13th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Second World War" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  26. ↑ "History of the Home Guard" . Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  27. 1 2 "1st Battalion, 26th Regiment of Foot / 1st Battalion, The Cameronians". Archived from the original on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  28. ↑ "90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry) / 2nd Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)". Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2020.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.