The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918Stirling, John
History
The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918
Stirling, John
World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Scottish regiments were, at various times during the war, in debt to
the Midlands of England for drafts of young soldiers, who soon got
the _esprit de corps_ of their Scottish units. This debt was, partly
at least, repaid when brigades were cut down to three battalions in
the beginning of 1918. At that time the 51st gave to the 61st (South
Midland) Division, three of its best battalions, the 9th Royal Scots,
5th Gordons, and 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. These formed
the 183rd Brigade; and, in his detailed description of the awful
struggle during the March Retreat, Battle of St. Quentin, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle gives the greatest possible credit to this brigade. The
whole Division did splendid work in the St. Quentin battle, and also
in the Lys battles in April. See 61st Division.
After the close of the Lys battles these three battalions were taken
from the 61st and, at Arras, joined the 15th, Scottish, New Army,
Division, which at Loos had earned a reputation it never lost. In
July the 15th, as part of the XXII. Corps, went to the south-west of
Soissons, in the French area, and came under the command of General
Mangin for the great counter-attack on the German salient, which
began on 18th July—the turning-point or day of the War. All three
battalions played a notable part in the Buzancy battle on 28th July
and following days, and paid their full share of the price for the
great distinction earned by the 15th Division on that occasion. No
higher compliment could have been paid by an Ally than the erection,
by the French 17th Division, of the monument at Buzancy to the fallen
of the 15th Division. See paragraph 12 of the despatch of 21st
December, 1918, and note in Messrs. Dent’s edition.
After Buzancy the 15th was taken to the Flanders border; its last
great fight was past.
The following units of the 51st Division were chosen for the Armies
of Occupation: 1/6th Black Watch, 1/4th and 1/5th Gordon Highlanders,
and 1/8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
NOTE.—Since the foregoing account was written, and revised by two
officers who served with the Division during the last three years
of the war, the most excellent _History of the 51st Division_, by
Major F. W. Bewsher (Blackwood and Sons), has been published. The
“casualties suffered” have, with kind permission, been mainly taken
from Major Bewsher’s work.
52ND (LOWLAND) DIVISION
FIRST LINE
After a long service on coast defence work in Scotland, the Division,
in the last half of May, 1915, sailed for the Mediterranean and
arrived at Alexandria early in June. Considerable intervals separated
the dates of despatch of the various battalions to the Dardanelles,
but the Division had practically all landed there before the first
week of July closed.
The 156th Brigade, which disembarked 13th-16th June, was in time to
take part in the action of 28th June. The Brigade was attached to the
29th Division and came into action on the right of the 87th Brigade.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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