The Liverpool Scottish
Encyclopedia
The Liverpool Scottish, known diminutively as "the Scottish", is a unit of the British Territorial Army, raised in 1900 as an infantry
battalion
of the King's (Liverpool Regiment). The Liverpool Scottish became affiliated to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
in the 1920s and formally transferred to the regiment in 1937 with its identity preserved. Reflecting the Territorial Army's decline in size since the 1940s, the battalion was reduced to a company
in 1967, then to a platoon
of "A" (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment
in 1999. In 2006, the company was incorporated into the 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Service in the First World War
was extensive and the Liverpool Scottish was one of the first territorial battalions to arrive in France when it deployed in November 1914. Approximately 1,000 of more than 10,000 men who served with the Scottish died during the war. The first major battle of the Scottish during the war was on 16 June 1915 in what is officially known as "The First Action at Bellewaarde", which was designed to pin down German reserves
while other Allied forces were engaged elsewhere. The action is known to the Liverpool Scottish as the "Battle of Hooge". Hooge
being a village a few miles East of Ypres
in Belgium
.
The unit's most acclaimed soldier during the war was Noel Godfrey Chavasse
, who was awarded two Victoria Cross
es while attached from the Royal Army Medical Corps
. Chavasse remains one of only three people ever to have twice been awarded the decoration
, and the only recipient from the Liverpool Scottish.
Although expanded to two battalions during the Second World War
, the Liverpool Scottish did not serve abroad as intact battalions. Contingents were instead supplied to other battalions and the Army Commandos
. With the commandos, the Liverpool Scottish actively served in operations in Europe, including the Norwegian Campaign
and the St Nazaire Raid.
There had been a previous attempt to raise a formation of Scots in Liverpool. Heightened tension with France in the late 1850s had provided the impetus for the emergence of the Volunteer movement
. Three "Scottish" companies (one "Highland" and two "Lowland") were formed as the 19th (Liverpool Scottish) Lancashire Volunteer Rifle Corps, composed predominantly of the middle class
. Disputes between members over the use of kilts and the colour of their tartan
culminated in the 19th's fragmentation. By 1861, four companies of Liverpool Scottish existed within the 19th and 79th Corps. Neither corps survived: the 19th was subsumed by the Liverpool Volunteer Rifle Brigade while the 79th disbanded in 1863.
The Second Boer War
catalysed a renewed interest in establishing a unit composed of Scottish Liverpudlians. On 30 April 1900, the 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion was formed within the King's (Liverpool Regiment), with headquarters later being located at 22 Highgate Street, Edge Hill
. The Liverpool Scottish became one of four battalions in English infantry regiments to explicitly associate with the Irish and Scottish communities. The battalions were the London Scottish
, Liverpool Irish
and the London Irish Rifles
.
Traditional highland
attire adopted for the battalion's dress uniform included the Clan Forbes
pattern tartan
and the glengarry
headdress. A former major in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Christopher Forbes Bell, was appointed commanding officer and officially assumed command on 24 October. Bell was succeeded to command by Andrew Laurie Macfie in 1902.
In common with other volunteer battalions, the Liverpool Scottish organised a detachment for overseas service in South Africa during the Second Boer War
. The contingent of 22 volunteers under Lieutenant John Watson was dispatched in 1902 and attached to the 4th Service Company of the 1st Gordon Highlanders
. The battalion had already suffered its first fatatality after Lieutenant J.A. Bingham succumbed to wounds incurred at Klip River while serving with the Imperial Yeomanry
in February 1902. They had only limited duties, primarily occupying blockhouse
s, as the conflict was reaching its conclusion. Nevertheless, the British Army recognised the battalion's contribution with the reward of a battle honour
: "South Africa 1902".
The Liverpool Scottish acquired purpose-built accommodation for its headquarters in 1904 at Fraser Street, in Liverpool City Centre, which the battalion maintained until 1967. The construction of the building was partially subsidised by public donation (some £4,000) but its cost required additional funds generated through a three-day "bazaar
" hosted at St George's Hall
.
The Liverpool Scottish became the King's 10th Battalion in 1908 when Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane's
reforms established the Territorial Force, which grouped the volunteers and yeomanry
into 14 county-administered divisions and 14 mounted brigades. The Liverpool Scottish, renumbered the 10th, would by 1914 be subordinate to the South Lancashire Brigade, West Lancashire Division.
When war was declared in August 1914, the Liverpool Scottish mobilised and moved to Scotland
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Nicholl. Duplicate battalions were formed in Liverpool
from personnel unable to volunteer for overseas service. The second-line battalion, designated as the 2/10th to distinguish it from the original, was organised in October, the third-line in May 1915. They became responsible for the training of recruits and provision of drafts for overseas service. The 2/10th, raised and organised by Captain (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Adam Fairrie, was committed to the Western Front in 1917. The third-line remained in Britain for the duration of the war.
Considered by contemporaries to be socially élite and reasonably well-trained compared to other territorial units, the 1/10th volunteered for overseas service and became the seventh territorial battalion to be dispatched to the Western Front. The battalion took passage aboard the SS Maidan at Southampton
on 1 November 1914, completing its disembarkation at Le Havre
on the morning of the third with the Queen's Westminster Rifles
. The battalion's original strength - those who qualified for the 1914 Star
- became known as the "Maidaners" in reference to the vessel.
Assigned to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, the Liverpool Scottish occupied trenches in the Kemmel area, five miles south of Ypres
. The 1/10th suffered its first fatality on 29 November: Captain Arthur Twentyman, killed while attempting to return to British lines. The combination of severe winter and trench warfare
soon depleted the strength of the Liverpool Scottish. From an establishment of 26 officers and 829 men recorded in November, the battalion had dwindled to 370 able-bodied men by January 1915. Within weeks of the battalion's arrival, Major Blair, Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholl's successor, was replaced by J.R. Davidson
due to ill-health. Davidson would command the battalion, albeit interrupted by wounds sustained during the Somme Offensive, until 1917, when he returned to Liverpool to become the city's Chief Engineer.
Obsolete equipment and organisational differences with the regular army became some of the earliest challenges the battalion and other territorials contended with in France. The Scottish employed the long version of the Lee-Enfield
(MLE) rifle, which had been superseded by the SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) in the Regular Army. Unsuited to newer ammunition and the conditions of the Western Front, the 10th's MLEs began to be phased out by the SMLE in early 1915—a process that would not be entirely complete until 1916. Structurally different from their regular counterparts, territorial battalions were reorganised early in the war to conform with the regulars. Unlike the Regular Army, which had adopted a four-company system in 1913, territorial battalions were organised into eight companies. When the system was extended to the Liverpool Scottish, the battalion designated its consolidated companies "V", "X, "Y", and "Z". This contrasted with the more conventional "A" to "D" or "1" to "4"—considered by the battalion to be potentially confusing.
The battalion's first major engagement happened on 16 June 1915, at Hooge, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Ypres. The 9th Brigade, with the 7th Brigade in support, was chosen to conduct a three-phased attack with the ultimate intention being to reach trenches on the south-western edge of Bellewaarde Lake. Situated behind German lines was Bellewaarde Ridge, a tactically-important feature that overlooked British positions. At 0415, the first wave of troops moved on their objective and quickly secured the first-line trenches
, which continued to be shelled by British artillery
. The Liverpool Scottish and 1st Lincolnshire Regiment
, forming the second wave, then left their trenches to pass through the first wave of attackers and reach the German second-line. Although the advance was relatively unopposed, "V" Company encountered resistance on its front from machine-gun fire. After briefly suspending its advance, the company, reinforced by "Z", charged the opposing positions and took about forty prisoners.
On capturing the second-line, elements of the Liverpool Scottish decided to consolidate the shallow trenches that afforded little protection. The battle had quickly degenerated into a disorganised and chaotic affair, with British battalions losing cohesion and becoming mixed up with each other. An intensive German barrage decimated the occupants of the second-line trenches, while the 10th's temporary commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E.G. Thin, was wounded by gunfire. The remainder of the Liverpool Scottish continued onto the third-line with portions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers
and 1st Northumberland Fusiliers.
Consolidating the third-line proved difficult under relentless bombardment and determined opposition from the uncaptured right of the trench system. Some of the Liverpool Scottish nevertheless impulsively carried on beyond the third-line, towards a position called Dead Man's Bottom and probable death. The battalion's left flank became compromised in the afternoon by the retreat of the surviving Northumberland Fusiliers. The Liverpool Scottish eventually retreated first to the second-line, then to the more viable entrechments of the former German frontline. The battle persisted into the night, and abortive attempts were made by the Germans to retake the first-line trenches. For about 1000 yards (3,000 ft) of gained territory, the Liverpool Scottish had suffered heavy casualties: 79 killed, 212 wounded, and 109 missing from a pre-battle strength of 542 officers and other ranks
. A memorial
to this battle was erected in the area in 2000. An experienced Company-Quartermaster Sergeant, R.A. Scott Macfie, described the aftermath at camp in a letter to his father:
area. The Liverpool Scottish moved to the Somme in mid-July and relieved the 18th King's
near Montauban
on the 31st. After spending six days under constant artillery fire undertaking auxiliary duties in the vicinity of Bernafay and Trônes Woods, the Liverpool Scottish moved to Mansel Copse in preparation for an assault on Guillemont
. The village had already been subjected to two attacks
since the opening battles of the Somme. At 0420 on 8 August, brigades from the 2nd and 55th divisions began a concerted effort to take Guillemont. The operation failed with resultingly heavy losses. Despite that, the Liverpool Irish and part of the 1st King's managed to enter Guillemont, but became isolated. More than 700 men from the two battalions were killed, wounded, or missing, many becoming prisoners of war.
Amid reports that the Liverpool Irish were holding out in Guillemont, orders were issued for the 55th Division to renew the attack the next day. Resuming the battle on the night of the 8th had been considered before the decision to attack in the early hours of the 9th. The Liverpool Scottish, which had been in reserve on the 8th, was to advance along a front of 400 yards (1,200 ft) with the 1/5th Loyals on its left flank, penetrate the German frontline, and establish itself on Guillemont's eastern boundary. In the prelude to the battle, the Liverpool Scottish waited behind lines, constantly moving to avoid sporadic German bombardment. Further difficulties arose for the battalion when it attempted to navigate to its starting positions through unfamiliar territory, compounded at one stage by the absence of guides. While the battalion reached its destination at 0400, just 20 minutes before the attack was to begin, the Loyals did not arrive until an hour later. Final orders were received late, giving Colonel Davidson only minutes to brief his company commanders.
A five-minute artillery bombardment preceded "Zero" hour, which provoked an immediate counter-barrage. At 0420, the Liverpool Scottish went over the top from the same positions that the 164th Brigade had the previous day. The barrage enveloped the Liverpool Scottish in no man's land
, which, combined with machine-gun fire, stifled the battalion's progress. Lieutenant-Colonel Davidson personally rallied his battalion, seeking to regain momemtum, but was wounded during the repulsed attack. Two further attempts by the remnants of the battalion to reach the frontline yielded no success. Few had entered the German trenches, the majority having been obstructed by uncut barbed wire. Of the 20 officers and about 600 other ranks engaged at Guillemont, 74 had been killed, 174 were wounded, and 32 were unaccounted for. Most of the missing would later be confirmed killed. Another attempt was made days later by the 1/9th King's. The village would not be captured until September. Among the wounded was Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse
, attached to the Liverpool Scottish from the Royal Army Medical Corps
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
. He became the battalion's first and only recipient, and had previously been awarded the Military Cross
for his conduct at Hooges.
In the subsequent battles of Ginchy
and Morval
, the 1/10th was engaged in a purely supporting role: trench networks were constructed and improved near Delville Wood
, and the dead collected and buried. A party of two officers and 100 other ranks was attached to the 1/3rd West Lancashire Field Ambulance during the Battle of Morval. After bivouacking at Pont Rémy, the battalion transferred with its division to the relatively quiet Ypres Salient
in October. The routine of alternating between the front line, being in support, and in reserve preoccupied the battalion until the Third Battle of Ypres in July 1917. Casualties were nevertheless sustained by the battalion during this period, invariably as a result of shelling and sniping.
The battalion was subsequently returned to the Ypres salient, positioned at Wieltje. On 31 July 1917, a new offensive around Ypres was launched to try and penetrate the German lines, advance to the Belgian coast and capture German submarine bases. The Liverpool Scottish experienced some of the heaviest resistance in 166th Brigade's area, taking heavy losses around the fortified farms. The battalion remained in some captured German trenches until they were relieved on 3 August. Captain Chavasse died of wounds the next day having again tended to wounded soldiers. His actions earned him a posthumous Bar
to his Victoria Cross, one of only three men to be so decorated, and the sole double recipient of the First World War.
In September the Scottish moved south to Epehy, thirteen miles south of Cambrai, where its division took part in the Battle of Cambrai in November.
(Operation Michael), signifying the beginning of Germany's final attempt to achieve a decisive victory before significant American forces arrived on the Western Front. By the 25th, substantial gains in territory had been made in the direction of Amiens
. Although prepared for a possible attack, the Liverpool Scottish and the 55th Division did not participate in the desperate Allied defence until the next phase of the offensive, Operation Georgette
.
Begun on 9 April, Operation Georgette shifted the focus to the devastated town of Ypres
, in Flanders
. The bombardment which preceded the attack was of considerable scale and included phosgene
gas shells, causing severe casualties among the Liverpool Scottish.
The Liverpool Scottish were involved in the defence of the Givenchy sector during the Battle of Estaires, sustaining such losses that they absorbed the 2/10th Battalion that had landed in France in February 1917. After the Spring Offensive was halted, the Western Front entered its final phase—a series of Allied drives from August to November known as the Hundred Days Offensive. The Liverpool Scottish fought one of its last actions of the war, at La Bassée Canal, in October.
The final month of the war offered little respite to the battalion. In the days leading up to the Armistice of 11 November, the Liverpool Scottish helped to secure numerous villages without opposition and crossed the River Scheldt
on 9 November. On the day of the Armistice, the Liverpool Scottish were situated at Villers-Notre-Dame. With the 165th and 166th brigades, the battalion had been readied to assault German positions obstructing passage into the town of Ath
. Such a prospect was averted, however, when the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers
attacked and seized one of the bridges before it could be demolished.
was sparsely populated. Although it had its numerical designation omitted, the battalion's identity was preserved and headquarters at Fraser Street, Liverpool were retained. During a royal
visit to Livepool in 1938, George VI
presented the battalion with new colours at Everton Football Club's
Goodison Park
stadium.
After the Territorial Army began to expand following a Government announcement in March 1939, the Liverpool Scottish formed a second battalion. Mobilisation was later authorised, but both battalions would remain in Britain for the duration of the Second World War
. The 2nd Battalion converted to artillery in 1942 as the 89th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
. In addition, the Liverpool Scottish supplied drafts to other units, principally to the Cameron Highlanders, and formed contingents for the embryonic "Independent Companies" that became the Army "Commandos".
The Liverpool Scottish contributed a troop
to the composite No. 4 Independent Company, which also contained troops from the King's Regiment and South Lancashires, collectively under the command of Major J.R. Paterson — an officer from the Scottish. Formed on 21 April 1940, at Sizewell
, the company soon after embarked aboard the Ulster Prince, bound for Norway to join the Allied campaign
against Germany. After landing in early May, No. 4 Company relieved a French force and occupied positions near Mosjoen. The company, in conjunction with others, operated under the aegis of Scisserforce, commanded by Brigadier Colin Gubbins
. When a German landing cut off Mosjoen from the north on 11 May, No. 4 Company had to be evacuated by a Norwegian steamer and transported to Sandnessjøen
, then to Bodø
with No. 5 Company.
By the 24th, Allied troops had established a line of defence near the town of Pothus to facilitate the defence of Bodø against Germany's northern advance. While his forces were engaged in battle, Brigadier Gubbins was informed that the British Government had decided to evacuate northern Norway. The withdrawal of Allied forces commenced on 29 May, with Nos. 1 and 4 Companies being embarked on two destroyers carrying other passengers, including administrative personnel and wounded.
After returning to Britain, the Liverpool Scottish troop obtained approval from the Government to readopt the kilt as an integral part of its Battle Dress
. The Commando units and the independent companies consolidated later in the year into "Special Service" battalions, administered by a single brigade. For various reason, the system proved unpopular and in 1941 the battalions were sub-divided, reverting to distinct Commando units. The 1st Special Service Battalion, which had absorbed No. 4 Company, became Nos. 1 and 2 Commando - the later including a number of the Liverpool Scottish, designated as 5 Troop.
In March 1942, the troop participated with 2 Commando in the raid on St Nazaire, codenamed Operation Chariot. Conceived to neutralise the western French port as an Atlantic sanctuary for the battleship Tirpitz
, Operation Chariot involved 611 men, the antiquated lend-lease
destroyer Campbeltown
, and numerous small craft. The Campbeltown was converted into a platform designed to deliver 9600 pounds (4,354.5 kg) of explosives, and her appearance was reconfigured to resemble a German destroyer.
occurred in 1947; however, the battalion soon reverted to a standard infantry role. Economic constraints and alignment towards nuclear weapons and other military technology necessitated the reorganisation and rationalisation of the Territorial Army in the 1960s. Most battalions were reduced to cadre
-strength or disbanded. Although the Liverpool Scottish avoided extinction, the battalion disbanded and reconstituted into two separate infantry and artillery units: "V" Company, 51st Highland Volunteers
, and "G" Troop of "R" (King's) Company, The West Lancashire Regiment, RA. Both maintained their headquarters at Forbes House, Score Lane, in Childwall
, Liverpool. While the troop disbanded with "R" Battery in 1969, the company remained an integral component of the 51st Highland until 1992.
During company exercises in Cyprus in 1974, Greek Cypriots seeking enosis
with Greece deposed the island's government - an action illicitly supported by the Greek Junta and followed by the Turkish invasion
. Unable to intervene in the ethnic conflict, the Liverpool Scottish were eventually evacuated from Akamas
, through Greek-controlled territory, to the British base at Akrotiri
. Post-Cold War
restructuring incorporated "V" Company into the 5th/8th (Volunteer) Battalion of the King's Regiment, successor to the King's Regiment (Liverpool). Further reorganisation in 1999 reduced the Scottish to a platoon
of A (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment
. The platoon relocated to Townsend Avenue, Norris Green
, where territorial infantry in Liverpool
are concentrated.
In 2006, the King's Regiment amalgamated with two others to become the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The regiment's 4th Battalion was formed by the integration of the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers
with the King's companies of the King's and Cheshire Regiment. The Liverpool Scottish Platoon remained a part of the retitled "A" (Ladysmith) Company. Individuals from the platoon have been attached to other units deployed on operational tours in Bosnia
, Afghanistan
, and Iraq
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the King's (Liverpool Regiment). The Liverpool Scottish became affiliated to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
in the 1920s and formally transferred to the regiment in 1937 with its identity preserved. Reflecting the Territorial Army's decline in size since the 1940s, the battalion was reduced to a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
in 1967, then to a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of "A" (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment
King's and Cheshire Regiment
The King's and Cheshire Regiment was a regiment of the British Territorial Army, with HQ in Warrington, Cheshire.The regiment was the territorial battalion of the regular King's Regiment and Cheshire Regiment...
in 1999. In 2006, the company was incorporated into the 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Service in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was extensive and the Liverpool Scottish was one of the first territorial battalions to arrive in France when it deployed in November 1914. Approximately 1,000 of more than 10,000 men who served with the Scottish died during the war. The first major battle of the Scottish during the war was on 16 June 1915 in what is officially known as "The First Action at Bellewaarde", which was designed to pin down German reserves
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
while other Allied forces were engaged elsewhere. The action is known to the Liverpool Scottish as the "Battle of Hooge". Hooge
Hooge Crater Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
Hooge Crater Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front....
being a village a few miles East of Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
The unit's most acclaimed soldier during the war was Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC was a British medical doctor and British Army officer who is one of only three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice....
, who was awarded two Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es while attached from the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
. Chavasse remains one of only three people ever to have twice been awarded the decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
, and the only recipient from the Liverpool Scottish.
Although expanded to two battalions during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Liverpool Scottish did not serve abroad as intact battalions. Contingents were instead supplied to other battalions and the Army Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
. With the commandos, the Liverpool Scottish actively served in operations in Europe, including the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
and the St Nazaire Raid.
1900–1914
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement 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...
. Three "Scottish" companies (one "Highland" and two "Lowland") were formed as the 19th (Liverpool Scottish) Lancashire Volunteer Rifle Corps, composed predominantly of the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
. Disputes between members over the use of kilts and the colour of their tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
culminated in the 19th's fragmentation. By 1861, four companies of Liverpool Scottish existed within the 19th and 79th Corps. Neither corps survived: the 19th was subsumed by the Liverpool Volunteer Rifle Brigade while the 79th disbanded in 1863.
The Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
catalysed a renewed interest in establishing a unit composed of Scottish Liverpudlians. On 30 April 1900, the 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion was formed within the King's (Liverpool Regiment), with headquarters later being located at 22 Highgate Street, Edge Hill
Edge Hill, Liverpool
Edge Hill is a district of Liverpool, England. It is located to the south east of Liverpool city centre, bordered by the city centre, Kensington, Wavertree and Toxteth. Edge Hill University was founded here, but moved to Ormskirk in the 1930s.-History:...
. The Liverpool Scottish became one of four battalions in English infantry regiments to explicitly associate with the Irish and Scottish communities. The battalions were the London Scottish
London Scottish (regiment)
The London Scottish is a unit of the British Army. Formerly a regiment, the unit is now a company of The London Regiment.-Founding of the regiment:...
, Liverpool Irish
Liverpool Irish
The Liverpool Irish is a unit of the British Territorial Army, raised in 1860 as a volunteer corps of infantry. Conversion to an anti-aircraft regiment occurred in 1947, but the regimental status of the Liverpool Irish ceased in 1955 upon reduction to a battery...
and the London Irish Rifles
London Irish Rifles
The London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
.
Traditional highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
attire adopted for the battalion's dress uniform included the Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
pattern tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
and the glengarry
Glengarry
The glengarry bonnet is a traditional boat-shaped hat without a peak made of thick-milled woollen material with a toorie on top, a rosette cockade on the left, and ribbons hanging down behind...
headdress. A former major in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Christopher Forbes Bell, was appointed commanding officer and officially assumed command on 24 October. Bell was succeeded to command by Andrew Laurie Macfie in 1902.
In common with other volunteer battalions, the Liverpool Scottish organised a detachment for overseas service in South Africa during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. The contingent of 22 volunteers under Lieutenant John Watson was dispatched in 1902 and attached to the 4th Service Company of the 1st Gordon Highlanders
The Gordon Highlanders
The Gordon Highlanders was a British Army infantry regiment from 1794 until 1994. The regiment took its name from the Clan Gordon and recruited principally from Aberdeen and the North-East of Scotland.-History:...
. The battalion had already suffered its first fatatality after Lieutenant J.A. Bingham succumbed to wounds incurred at Klip River while serving with the Imperial Yeomanry
Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a British volunteer cavalry regiment that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Officially created on 24 December 1899, the regiment was based on members of standing Yeomanry regiments, but also contained a large contingent of mid-upper class English volunteers. In...
in February 1902. They had only limited duties, primarily occupying blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
s, as the conflict was reaching its conclusion. Nevertheless, the British Army recognised the battalion's contribution with the reward of a battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
: "South Africa 1902".
The Liverpool Scottish acquired purpose-built accommodation for its headquarters in 1904 at Fraser Street, in Liverpool City Centre, which the battalion maintained until 1967. The construction of the building was partially subsidised by public donation (some £4,000) but its cost required additional funds generated through a three-day "bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
" hosted at St George's Hall
St. George's Hall, Liverpool
St George's Hall is on Lime Street in the centre of the English city of Liverpool, opposite Lime Street railway station. It is a building in Neoclassical style which contains concert halls and law courts, and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
.
The Liverpool Scottish became the King's 10th Battalion in 1908 when Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane's
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane
Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane KT, OM, PC, KC, FRS, FBA, FSA , was an influential British Liberal Imperialist and later Labour politician, lawyer and philosopher. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during which time the "Haldane Reforms" were implemented...
reforms established the Territorial Force, which grouped the volunteers and yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
into 14 county-administered divisions and 14 mounted brigades. The Liverpool Scottish, renumbered the 10th, would by 1914 be subordinate to the South Lancashire Brigade, West Lancashire Division.
1914–1915
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Nicholl. Duplicate battalions were formed in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
from personnel unable to volunteer for overseas service. The second-line battalion, designated as the 2/10th to distinguish it from the original, was organised in October, the third-line in May 1915. They became responsible for the training of recruits and provision of drafts for overseas service. The 2/10th, raised and organised by Captain (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Adam Fairrie, was committed to the Western Front in 1917. The third-line remained in Britain for the duration of the war.
Considered by contemporaries to be socially élite and reasonably well-trained compared to other territorial units, the 1/10th volunteered for overseas service and became the seventh territorial battalion to be dispatched to the Western Front. The battalion took passage aboard the SS Maidan at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 1 November 1914, completing its disembarkation at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
on the morning of the third with the Queen's Westminster Rifles
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
. The battalion's original strength - those who qualified for the 1914 Star
1914 Star
The 1914 Star was a British Empire campaign medal for service in World War I.The 1914 Star was approved in 1917, for issue to officers and men of British forces who served in France or Belgium between 5 August and midnight 22/23 November 1914...
- became known as the "Maidaners" in reference to the vessel.
Assigned to the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, the Liverpool Scottish occupied trenches in the Kemmel area, five miles south of Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
. The 1/10th suffered its first fatality on 29 November: Captain Arthur Twentyman, killed while attempting to return to British lines. The combination of severe winter and trench warfare
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
soon depleted the strength of the Liverpool Scottish. From an establishment of 26 officers and 829 men recorded in November, the battalion had dwindled to 370 able-bodied men by January 1915. Within weeks of the battalion's arrival, Major Blair, Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholl's successor, was replaced by J.R. Davidson
Jonathan Davidson
Colonel Sir Jonathan Roberts Davidson, CMG, TD, MSc, MICE was a British civil engineer and army officer. Davidson pursued a professional career as an engineer which resulted in him being elected president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers...
due to ill-health. Davidson would command the battalion, albeit interrupted by wounds sustained during the Somme Offensive, until 1917, when he returned to Liverpool to become the city's Chief Engineer.
Obsolete equipment and organisational differences with the regular army became some of the earliest challenges the battalion and other territorials contended with in France. The Scottish employed the long version of the Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
(MLE) rifle, which had been superseded by the SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) in the Regular Army. Unsuited to newer ammunition and the conditions of the Western Front, the 10th's MLEs began to be phased out by the SMLE in early 1915—a process that would not be entirely complete until 1916. Structurally different from their regular counterparts, territorial battalions were reorganised early in the war to conform with the regulars. Unlike the Regular Army, which had adopted a four-company system in 1913, territorial battalions were organised into eight companies. When the system was extended to the Liverpool Scottish, the battalion designated its consolidated companies "V", "X, "Y", and "Z". This contrasted with the more conventional "A" to "D" or "1" to "4"—considered by the battalion to be potentially confusing.
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, which continued to be shelled by British artillery
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
. The Liverpool Scottish and 1st Lincolnshire Regiment
The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment
The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was raised on June 20, 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751 it was numbered like most other Army regiments and named the 10 Regiment of Foot. After the Childers Reforms of 1881 it became the Lincolnshire...
, forming the second wave, then left their trenches to pass through the first wave of attackers and reach the German second-line. Although the advance was relatively unopposed, "V" Company encountered resistance on its front from machine-gun fire. After briefly suspending its advance, the company, reinforced by "Z", charged the opposing positions and took about forty prisoners.
On capturing the second-line, elements of the Liverpool Scottish decided to consolidate the shallow trenches that afforded little protection. The battle had quickly degenerated into a disorganised and chaotic affair, with British battalions losing cohesion and becoming mixed up with each other. An intensive German barrage decimated the occupants of the second-line trenches, while the 10th's temporary commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E.G. Thin, was wounded by gunfire. The remainder of the Liverpool Scottish continued onto the third-line with portions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
and 1st Northumberland Fusiliers.
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
. A memorial
The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone
The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone is a World War I memorial erected in Belgium in 2000.-Unit history:The Liverpool Scottish unit of the British Army fought in the second wave of the "Battle of Hooge", officially known as the "First Attack at Bellewaarde", in June 1915 during World War I...
to this battle was erected in the area in 2000. An experienced Company-Quartermaster Sergeant, R.A. Scott Macfie, described the aftermath at camp in a letter to his father:
1916–1917
The West Lancashire Division reformed in January 1916 as the 55th, under the command of Major-General Hugh Jeudwine. Many of the division's original constituent battalions returned and the Liverpool Scottish joined the 166th Brigade. Before being committed to the Somme Offensive in July 1916, the 55th had concentrated in the AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
area. The Liverpool Scottish moved to the Somme in mid-July and relieved the 18th King's
Liverpool Pals
The Liverpool Pals battalions were formed during the First World War as part of the King's Regiment. They, along with the Manchester Pals, are commemorated at a small memorial in France....
near Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
on the 31st. After spending six days under constant artillery fire undertaking auxiliary duties in the vicinity of Bernafay and Trônes Woods, the Liverpool Scottish moved to Mansel Copse in preparation for an assault on Guillemont
Guillemont
Guillemont is a commune roughly 8 miles east of Albert in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It, like much of the surrounding area, is primarily an agricultural community, but is known for its large cemetery, which has become a tourist attraction...
. The village had already been subjected to two attacks
Battle of Guillemont
The Battle of Guillemont was a British assault on the German-held village of Guillemont during the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Guillemont lay on the right flank of the British sector where it linked with French forces and by holding it, the Germans prevented the Allied armies from operating in...
since the opening battles of the Somme. At 0420 on 8 August, brigades from the 2nd and 55th divisions began a concerted effort to take Guillemont. The operation failed with resultingly heavy losses. Despite that, the Liverpool Irish and part of the 1st King's managed to enter Guillemont, but became isolated. More than 700 men from the two battalions were killed, wounded, or missing, many becoming prisoners of war.
Amid reports that the Liverpool Irish were holding out in Guillemont, orders were issued for the 55th Division to renew the attack the next day. Resuming the battle on the night of the 8th had been considered before the decision to attack in the early hours of the 9th. The Liverpool Scottish, which had been in reserve on the 8th, was to advance along a front of 400 yards (1,200 ft) with the 1/5th Loyals on its left flank, penetrate the German frontline, and establish itself on Guillemont's eastern boundary. In the prelude to the battle, the Liverpool Scottish waited behind lines, constantly moving to avoid sporadic German bombardment. Further difficulties arose for the battalion when it attempted to navigate to its starting positions through unfamiliar territory, compounded at one stage by the absence of guides. While the battalion reached its destination at 0400, just 20 minutes before the attack was to begin, the Loyals did not arrive until an hour later. Final orders were received late, giving Colonel Davidson only minutes to brief his company commanders.
A five-minute artillery bombardment preceded "Zero" hour, which provoked an immediate counter-barrage. At 0420, the Liverpool Scottish went over the top from the same positions that the 164th Brigade had the previous day. The barrage enveloped the Liverpool Scottish in no man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
, which, combined with machine-gun fire, stifled the battalion's progress. Lieutenant-Colonel Davidson personally rallied his battalion, seeking to regain momemtum, but was wounded during the repulsed attack. Two further attempts by the remnants of the battalion to reach the frontline yielded no success. Few had entered the German trenches, the majority having been obstructed by uncut barbed wire. Of the 20 officers and about 600 other ranks engaged at Guillemont, 74 had been killed, 174 were wounded, and 32 were unaccounted for. Most of the missing would later be confirmed killed. Another attempt was made days later by the 1/9th King's. The village would not be captured until September. Among the wounded was Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC was a British medical doctor and British Army officer who is one of only three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice....
, attached to the Liverpool Scottish from the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. He became the battalion's first and only recipient, and had previously been awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his conduct at Hooges.
Battle of Ginchy
The Battle of Ginchy took place on 9 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme when the United Kingdom 16th Division captured the German-held village of Ginchy. However the Irish Royal Munster Fusiliers suffered heavy casualties in the process...
and Morval
Battle of Morval
The Battle of Morval, which began on 25 September 1916, was an attack by the British Fourth Army on the German-held villages of Morval, Gueudecourt and Lesboeufs during the Battle of the Somme. These villages were originally objectives of the major British offensive of 15 September, the Battle of...
, the 1/10th was engaged in a purely supporting role: trench networks were constructed and improved near Delville Wood
Delville Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood was one of the early engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between 14 July and 3 September, between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and South African forces...
, and the dead collected and buried. A party of two officers and 100 other ranks was attached to the 1/3rd West Lancashire Field Ambulance during the Battle of Morval. After bivouacking at Pont Rémy, the battalion transferred with its division to the relatively quiet Ypres Salient
Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I.In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. Therefore, the salient is surrounded by the enemy on three sides, making the troops...
in October. The routine of alternating between the front line, being in support, and in reserve preoccupied the battalion until the Third Battle of Ypres in July 1917. Casualties were nevertheless sustained by the battalion during this period, invariably as a result of shelling and sniping.
The battalion was subsequently returned to the Ypres salient, positioned at Wieltje. On 31 July 1917, a new offensive around Ypres was launched to try and penetrate the German lines, advance to the Belgian coast and capture German submarine bases. The Liverpool Scottish experienced some of the heaviest resistance in 166th Brigade's area, taking heavy losses around the fortified farms. The battalion remained in some captured German trenches until they were relieved on 3 August. Captain Chavasse died of wounds the next day having again tended to wounded soldiers. His actions earned him a posthumous Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his Victoria Cross, one of only three men to be so decorated, and the sole double recipient of the First World War.
In September the Scottish moved south to Epehy, thirteen miles south of Cambrai, where its division took part in the Battle of Cambrai in November.
1918
On 21 March 1918, the Central Powers launched their expected Spring OffensiveSpring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
(Operation Michael), signifying the beginning of Germany's final attempt to achieve a decisive victory before significant American forces arrived on the Western Front. By the 25th, substantial gains in territory had been made in the direction of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
. Although prepared for a possible attack, the Liverpool Scottish and the 55th Division did not participate in the desperate Allied defence until the next phase of the offensive, Operation Georgette
Battle of the Lys
The Battle of the Lys was part of the 1918 German offensive in Flanders during World War I...
.
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. The bombardment which preceded the attack was of considerable scale and included phosgene
Phosgene
Phosgene is the chemical compound with the formula COCl2. This colorless gas gained infamy as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is also a valued industrial reagent and building block in synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. In low concentrations, its odor resembles...
gas shells, causing severe casualties among the Liverpool Scottish.
The Liverpool Scottish were involved in the defence of the Givenchy sector during the Battle of Estaires, sustaining such losses that they absorbed the 2/10th Battalion that had landed in France in February 1917. After the Spring Offensive was halted, the Western Front entered its final phase—a series of Allied drives from August to November known as the Hundred Days Offensive. The Liverpool Scottish fought one of its last actions of the war, at La Bassée Canal, in October.
The final month of the war offered little respite to the battalion. In the days leading up to the Armistice of 11 November, the Liverpool Scottish helped to secure numerous villages without opposition and crossed the River Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
on 9 November. On the day of the Armistice, the Liverpool Scottish were situated at Villers-Notre-Dame. With the 165th and 166th brigades, the battalion had been readied to assault German positions obstructing passage into the town of Ath
Ath
Ath is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Hainaut. The Ath municipality includes the old communes of Lanquesaint, Irchonwelz, Ormeignies, Bouvignies, Ostiches, Rebaix, Maffle, Arbre, Houtaing, Ligne, Mainvault, Moulbaix, Villers-Notre-Dame, Villers-Saint-Amand, Ghislenghien...
. Such a prospect was averted, however, when the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
attacked and seized one of the bridges before it could be demolished.
Interbellum and Second World War
Following reconstitution into the Territorial Army in 1920, the Liverpool Scottish formalised its relationship with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and transferred in 1937 to become the regiment's second territorial battalion. In comparison to the densely urbanised region that the King's Regiment encompassed in north-west England, the Cameron Highlanders area of recruitment in the HighlandsScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
was sparsely populated. Although it had its numerical designation omitted, the battalion's identity was preserved and headquarters at Fraser Street, Liverpool were retained. During a royal
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
visit to Livepool in 1938, George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
presented the battalion with new colours at Everton Football Club's
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
stadium.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 2nd Battalion converted to artillery in 1942 as the 89th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. In addition, the Liverpool Scottish supplied drafts to other units, principally to the Cameron Highlanders, and formed contingents for the embryonic "Independent Companies" that became the Army "Commandos".
The Liverpool Scottish contributed a troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
to the composite No. 4 Independent Company, which also contained troops from the King's Regiment and South Lancashires, collectively under the command of Major J.R. Paterson — an officer from the Scottish. Formed on 21 April 1940, at Sizewell
Sizewell
Sizewell is a small fishing village with a few holiday homes in the county of Suffolk, England. It is located on the East Anglian coast just north of the larger holiday villages of Thorpeness and Aldeburgh, and two miles from the town of Leiston. It is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.The...
, the company soon after embarked aboard the Ulster Prince, bound for Norway to join the Allied campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
against Germany. After landing in early May, No. 4 Company relieved a French force and occupied positions near Mosjoen. The company, in conjunction with others, operated under the aegis of Scisserforce, commanded by Brigadier Colin Gubbins
Colin Gubbins
Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins KCMG, DSO, MC was the prime mover of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War....
. When a German landing cut off Mosjoen from the north on 11 May, No. 4 Company had to be evacuated by a Norwegian steamer and transported to Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen is the centre of the municipality of Alstahaug in the county of Nordland, Norway, with a population of over 9,000. It was made a township in 1788....
, then to Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
with No. 5 Company.
By the 24th, Allied troops had established a line of defence near the town of Pothus to facilitate the defence of Bodø against Germany's northern advance. While his forces were engaged in battle, Brigadier Gubbins was informed that the British Government had decided to evacuate northern Norway. The withdrawal of Allied forces commenced on 29 May, with Nos. 1 and 4 Companies being embarked on two destroyers carrying other passengers, including administrative personnel and wounded.
After returning to Britain, the Liverpool Scottish troop obtained approval from the Government to readopt the kilt as an integral part of its Battle Dress
Battle Dress
Battle Dress was the specific title of a military uniform adopted by the British Army in the late 1930s and worn until the 1960s. Several other nations also introduced variants of Battle Dress during the Second World War, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the...
. The Commando units and the independent companies consolidated later in the year into "Special Service" battalions, administered by a single brigade. For various reason, the system proved unpopular and in 1941 the battalions were sub-divided, reverting to distinct Commando units. The 1st Special Service Battalion, which had absorbed No. 4 Company, became Nos. 1 and 2 Commando - the later including a number of the Liverpool Scottish, designated as 5 Troop.
In March 1942, the troop participated with 2 Commando in the raid on St Nazaire, codenamed Operation Chariot. Conceived to neutralise the western French port as an Atlantic sanctuary for the battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
, Operation Chariot involved 611 men, the antiquated lend-lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
destroyer Campbeltown
HMS Campbeltown (I42)
HMS Campbeltown was a "Town"-class destroyer of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was originally an American destroyer , and, like many other obsolescent U.S. Navy destroyers, she was transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940 as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. Campbeltown...
, and numerous small craft. The Campbeltown was converted into a platform designed to deliver 9600 pounds (4,354.5 kg) of explosives, and her appearance was reconfigured to resemble a German destroyer.
Post-war
The 1st Scottish deployed to the garrison of Gibraltar in 1945. Conversion to motorised infantryMotorised infantry
In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
occurred in 1947; however, the battalion soon reverted to a standard infantry role. Economic constraints and alignment towards nuclear weapons and other military technology necessitated the reorganisation and rationalisation of the Territorial Army in the 1960s. Most battalions were reduced to cadre
En cadre
En cadre or cadre is a French expression originally denoting either the complement of commissioned officers of a regiment or the permanent skeleton establishment of a unit, around which the unit could be built if needed...
-strength or disbanded. Although the Liverpool Scottish avoided extinction, the battalion disbanded and reconstituted into two separate infantry and artillery units: "V" Company, 51st Highland Volunteers
51st Highland Volunteers
The 51st Highland Volunteers was a regiment and is now a battalion in the British Army's Territorial Army or reserve force in the Scottish Highlands, forming the 7th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 7 SCOTS...
, and "G" Troop of "R" (King's) Company, The West Lancashire Regiment, RA. Both maintained their headquarters at Forbes House, Score Lane, in Childwall
Childwall
Childwall is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale, Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill...
, Liverpool. While the troop disbanded with "R" Battery in 1969, the company remained an integral component of the 51st Highland until 1992.
During company exercises in Cyprus in 1974, Greek Cypriots seeking enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
with Greece deposed the island's government - an action illicitly supported by the Greek Junta and followed by the Turkish invasion
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
. Unable to intervene in the ethnic conflict, the Liverpool Scottish were eventually evacuated from Akamas
Akamas
Akamas , is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north...
, through Greek-controlled territory, to the British base at Akrotiri
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British-administered areas comprising a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus administered as Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom...
. Post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
restructuring incorporated "V" Company into the 5th/8th (Volunteer) Battalion of the King's Regiment, successor to the King's Regiment (Liverpool). Further reorganisation in 1999 reduced the Scottish to a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of A (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment
King's and Cheshire Regiment
The King's and Cheshire Regiment was a regiment of the British Territorial Army, with HQ in Warrington, Cheshire.The regiment was the territorial battalion of the regular King's Regiment and Cheshire Regiment...
. The platoon relocated to Townsend Avenue, Norris Green
Norris Green
Norris Green is a large housing estate and council ward in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 17,784.-History:...
, where territorial infantry in Liverpool
are concentrated.
In 2006, the King's Regiment amalgamated with two others to become the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The regiment's 4th Battalion was formed by the integration of the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers
Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers
The Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers is a Territorial Army unit of the British Army.It was formed on 1 July 1999 following the Strategic Defence Review by the amagamation of the 4th Battalion Queen's Lancashire Regiment and the 4th Battalion of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment...
with the King's companies of the King's and Cheshire Regiment. The Liverpool Scottish Platoon remained a part of the retitled "A" (Ladysmith) Company. Individuals from the platoon have been attached to other units deployed on operational tours in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Commanding officers
| Name | Rank | Tenure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Forbes Bell | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1900–1902 | Resigned due to ill-health |
| Andrew Laurie Macfie, CB, VD, DL | Lieutenant Colonel | 1902–1911 | Later brigadier-general |
| William Nicholl | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1911–1914 | Replaced due to age |
| George Alexander Blair | Major | 1914 | Replaced due to ill-health |
| Jonathan Roberts Davidson, CMG Jonathan Davidson Colonel Sir Jonathan Roberts Davidson, CMG, TD, MSc, MICE was a British civil engineer and army officer. Davidson pursued a professional career as an engineer which resulted in him being elected president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers... |
Lieutenant-Colonel | 1914–1916 | Wounded at Guillemont |
| F.W.M. Drew, DSO | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1916–1917 | Later commanded 9th Battalion, King's Regiment |
| Sir Jonathan Roberts Davidson, CMG | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1917 | Chief Engineer for the City of Liverpool |
| James Leslie Auld Macdonald, DSO | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1917–1918 | Attached from the Royal Scots |
| David Campbell Duncan Munro, DSO, MC, DCM | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1918–1919 | Attached from the Gordon Highlanders |
| Edward Gordon Thin, DSO | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1920-1921 | Reconstitution of battalion |
| George Bentham Leathart Rae, DSO, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1921-1923 | |
| Sir Arthur Alexander Gemmell, MC, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1923-1927 | |
| George Bentham Leathart Rae, DSO, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1927-1930 | |
| Benjamin Arkle, MC | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1930-1932 | |
| Archibald M. McGilchrist, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1932-1936 | Author of battalion history |
| I.R.T. Irvine | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1936-1938 | |
| F.W. McGuinness | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1938-1940 | |
| H.J.D.L. McGregor | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1940-1942 | Cameron Highlanders |
| C.B. Mackenzie | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1942 | Assume command of 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion |
| R.P. Haig | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1942-1943 | |
| J.R. Paterson | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1943- | Commanded No. 4 Independent Company |
| 2/10th Battalion (November 1914–April 1918) | |||
| William Nicholl | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1914–1915 | |
| Adam Fairrie, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1915–1917 | Reached age-limit |
| E.L. Roddy | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1917 | Attached from Cheshire Regiment Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire... |
| Walter Lorrain Brodie Walter Lorrain Brodie Lieutenant ColonelWalter Lorrain Brodie VC MC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.... , VC, MC |
Lieutenant-Colonel | 1917–1918 | Attached from the Highland Light Infantry Highland Light Infantry The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ... ; killed commanding 2nd HLI |
| 3/10th Battalion (May 1915–1919) | |||
| Duncan Alexander Campbell | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1915 | |
| Edward Gordon Thin, DSO | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1915–1918 | Later commanded 2/4th Loyals |
| Adam Fairrie, TD | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1918 | Appointed commandant of a demobilsation camp |
External links
- Liverpool Scottish Museum Trust, liverpoolscottish.org.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- Liverpool Scottish and the Great War, mersey-gateway.org. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- The Long, Long Trail (1914–1918) - Ordinary Heroes: Frederick Harding Turner, Liverpool Scottish (Archived), 1914-1918.net. Retrieved 24 October 2009.