The Long, Long Trail
 
The 52nd (Lowland) Division    
A Territorial Force Division
History | Units | Commanders

Summary history of the division
 

The Division was a formation created by the establishment of the Territorial Force in 1908. Initially assigned to the defence of the Scottish coast, the Division moved to Gallipoli (less two of its artillery Brigades) arriving there by early July 1915. While moving from Scotland, the Division lost 210 officers and men killed, and another 224 injured, in a train crash near Gretna that involved the 1/7th Bn, the Royal Scots.

Gallipoli

By April 1916, the Division had moved to Egypt, where it again saw action.

Palestine

The Division received orders in March 1918 to proceed to the hard-pressed Western Front, where it then remained, taking part in the great advance to victory.

The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battle of the Scarpe (first phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918)

The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918)

The Battle of the Canal du Nord (third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Final Advance in Artois

The Division was retained in Belgium, engaged in training, battelfield clearance and similar duties. By January 1919, demobilisation had reduced the Division to cadre.


Order of Battle 
 

155th Brigade (South Scottish)

1/4th Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (joined August 1914)

1/5th Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (joined August 1914)

1/4th (The Border) Bn, the King's Own Scottish Borderers (joined August 1914)

1/5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Bn, the King's Own Scottish Borderers (joined August 1914, left June 1918)

155th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 23 March 1916, moved into 52 MG Bn 28 April 1918)

155th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 24 May 1917)

156th Brigade (Scottish Rifles)

1/4th Bn (Queens Edinburgh Rifles), the Royal Scots (joined April 1915)

1/7th Bn, the Royal Scots (joined April 1915)

1/5th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined August 1914, left November 1914)

1/6th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined August 1914, left March 1915)

1/7th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined August 1914)

1/8th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined August 1914, left June 1918)

156th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 16 March 1916, moved into 52 MG Bn 28 April 1918)

156th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 27 June 1917)

157th Brigade (Highland Light Infantry)

1/5th Bn (City of Glasgow), the Highland Light Infantry (joined August 1914)

1/6th Bn (City of Glasgow), the Highland Light Infantry (joined August 1914)

1/7th Bn (Blythswood), the Highland Light Infantry (joined August 1914)

1/9th Bn (Glasgow Highlanders), the Highland Light Infantry (joined August 1914, left November 1914)

1/5th (Renfrewshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (joined April 1915, left June 1918)

157th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 14 March 1916, moved into 52 MG Bn 28 April 1918)

157th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 11 June 1917)

Lowland Mounted Brigade

Joined the Division in Gallipoli, October 1915.

1/1st Ayrshire Yeomanry (joined October 1915, left February 1916)


Divisional Troops

17th (Service) Bn , the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined November 1917)

5th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish (joined May 1918, left June 1918)

211th Machine Gun Company (formed by 15 September 1917 in XXI Corps, joined Division 1/4/1918, joined Divisional MG Battalion 28 April 1918)

No 52 Machine Gun Battalion (created 28 April 1918)


Divisional Mounted Troops

HQ and C Squadron , the Royal Glasgow Yeomanry (joined 10 October 1915, left 21 August 1917)

1st Lowland Divisional Cyclist Company (broken up and refeormed on Gallipoli, left 8 December 1917, rejoined 1 April 1918, left and borken up 4 May 1918)


Divisional Artillery

CCLXI (II Lowland) Brigade, RFA (transferred to 7th (Indian) Division April 1918)

CCLXII (III Lowland) Brigade, RFA (transferred to 7th (Indian) Division April 1918)

CCLXIV (V Lowland) Brigade, RFA (joined in Egypt 17 March 1916; re-armed and redesignated XX Brigade RHA on 5 July 1917)

CCLXIII ( IV Lowland) (H) Brigade, RFA (broken up 30 December 1916)

IX Brigade, RFA (transferred from 7th (Indian) Division April 1918)

LVI Brigade, RFA (transferred from 7th (Indian) Division April 1918)

52nd Pom-pom Batty, RFA (June 1917)

52nd (Lowland) Divisional Ammunition Column (remained in Egypt when Division left; broken up March 1916, reformed January 1917, transferred to 7th (Indian) Division April 1918)

X.52, Y.52 and Z.52 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (joined 3 October 1917)


Engineer Units

410th Field Company (joined Feb 16, renamed from 2nd (Lowland) Field Coy)

412th Field Company (joined Mar 15, renamed from 2/1st (Lowland) Field Coy)

413th Field Company (joined Mar 15, renamed from 2/2nd (Lowland) Field Coy)

52nd Divisional Signal Company (renamed from 1st Lowland Divisional Signal Company)


Field Ambulances

1st (Lowland) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914)

2nd (Lowland) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914)

3rd (Lowland) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914)


52nd Divisional Train ASC (redesignated from the 1st Lowland Divisional Train - itself made from the Divisional Transport and Supply Column. Composed of 471, 472, 473 and 474 Companies ASC. This Train was transferred to 10th (Irish) Division in October 1915. 217, 218, 219, 220 Coys joined from 31st Division in March 1916)

984th Divisional Employment Company (formed in France during April 1918)

1st Lowland Mobile Veterinary Section

52nd Sanitary Section ( left for 10th Division October 1915, rejoining October 1917. Transferred to XI Corps on 4 May 1918)

52nd Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop ( joined from 31st Division by 21 April 1916, left June 1917, absorbed by Divisional Supply Column)


Divisional command  
 
Maj-Gen. G. Egerton (21/3/1914)

Maj-Gen. Hon H. Lawrence (17/9/1915)
Br-Gen. H. Casson (Acting, 27/6/1916)
  Maj-Gen. W. Smith (11/7/1916)
  Maj-Gen. J. Hill (11/9/1917)
  Maj-Gen. F. Marshall (23/9/1918)
 
| Go to page top | Legal | This site is produced and copyright Chris Baker. On the internet since 1996.