The Lowland Brigade is a historical unit of the British Army which has been formed a number of times. It is traditionally Scottish as the name derives from the Scottish Lowlands.
The Lowland Brigade is a historical unit of the British Army which has been formed a number of times. It is traditionally Scottish as the name derives from the Scottish Lowlands.
There was a Lowland Brigade (the 44th, part of the 15th Scottish Division) in World War II; it fought in the Normandy invasion, and in North-West Europe.
After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially organised, and Infantry Depot B was the headquarters for the Scottish lowland regiments. [1]
In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Lowland Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single regular battalion at the same time. The Lowland Brigade was reformed on 14 July 1948, merging the depots of the following regiments: [2]
Under the Defence Review announced in July 1957, the infantry of the line was reorganised, leading to the transfer of the Highland Light Infantry from the Highland Brigade in 1958, and its amalgamation with the Royal Scots Fusiliers to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers on 20 January 1959. [3]
In 1958 the regiments adopted a common cap badge. This depicted the saltire of St. Andrew, on which was superimposed a thistle within a circlet inscribed with motto of the Order of the Thistle, nemo me impune lacessit. [4] From 1960 the Lowland Brigade was based at Glencorse Barracks. [5]
The various Territorial Battalions that were also part of the four Lowland Regiments were split off in 1967 and grouped together, eventually forming the 52nd Lowland Volunteers.
The Brigade continued to administer the four regiments until 1968. On 14 May that year The Cameronians were disbanded, having chosen this option rather than amalgamation. On 1 July the Lowland Brigade was amalgamated with the Highland Brigade to form the Scottish Division. [6]
The Infantry of the British Army comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles, including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.
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 Scottish Division was a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. It merged with the Prince of Wales' Division, to form the Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division in 2017.
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 Wessex Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of the Wessex area of south and south west England.
The Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of the Home Counties of south east England.
The East Anglian Brigade was an administrative brigade of the British Army from 1946 to 1968, that administered the regiments with recruiting grounds in East Anglia, and the East of England.
The Forester Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of the English Midlands.
The Mercian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the infantry regiments from the area of England between the Trent, Mersey and Severn rivers that roughly corresponded to the ancient kingdom of Mercia.
The Welsh Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh infantry regiments.
The Lancastrian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of northwest England.
The Yorkshire Brigade was an administrative brigade formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of Yorkshire, England.
The North Irish Brigade was a Brigade of the British Army which existed between 1948 and 1968; it consisted of the three regiments from Northern Ireland. After the Second World War there were 14 infantry depots in the United Kingdom, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially aligned, and Infantry Depot M at Omagh was aligned with the regiments from Northern Ireland.
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.
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 45th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars with 15th (Scottish) 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 Highland Brigade was an administrative brigade of the British Army from 1946 to 1968, that administered the regiments with recruiting grounds in the Scottish Highlands.