Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)

 

The Royal Scots: the senior regiment of the British Army, is often referred to as "Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard".

To trace the movements and actions of any battalion, click on the Divisions with which it served

 

 

Battalions of the regular army

 

1st Battalion:

August 1914 : in Allahabad.
Returned to England 16 November 1914.
16 November 1914 : transferred to 81st Brigade, 27th Division

 

2nd Battalion:

August 1914 : in Plymouth. Part of 8th Brigade, 3rd Division.

 

3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Glencorse, Edinburgh. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war.

 

Battalions of the Territorial Force

 

1/4th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles):

August 1914 : in Forrest Hill, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
24 April 1915 : transferred to 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, 52nd Division

 

2/4th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles):

Formed at Edinburgh September 1914.
November 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division.
November 1915 - January 1916 temporarily amalgamated with 2/5 and 2/6th to become 19th Bn.
August 1917 disbanded, absorbed in other battalions of the Brigade.

 

1/5th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles):

August 1914 : in Forrest Hill, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
11 March 1915 : transferred to 88th Brigade, 29th Division.
24 April 1916 : transferred to Lines of Communication.
15 June 1916 : amalgamated with 1/6th to become 5/6th Battalion.
29 July 1916 : transferred to 14th Brigade, 32nd Division

 

2/5th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles):

Formed at Edinburgh September 1914.
November 1915 amalgamated with 2/4 and 2/6th to become 19th Bn.

 

1/6th Battalion:

August 1914 : in 33 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
5 September 1915 : moved to Egypt, part of Western Frontier Force.
15 June 1916 : amalgamated with 1/5th to become 5/6th Battalion.

 

2/6th Battalion :

Formed at Edinburghin March 1915.
November 1915 amalgamated with 2/4 and 2/5th to become 19th Bn.

 

1/7th Battalion:

August 1914 : in Dalmeny Street, Leith. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
24 April 1915 : transferred to 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, Lowland Division.
A and D Companies were involved in a rail accident at Quintinshill near Gretna on 22 May 1915 while en-route to Liverpool from Larbert in Stirlingshire. They were on their way to embark for Gallipoli. 210 men were killed and 224 injured, forming the majority of the 473 casualties of the worst disaster in British railway history.

 

2/7th Battalion :

Formed at Leith, August 1914.
November 1915 : attached to 194th Brigade, 65th Division.
March 1918 disbanded.

 

1/8th Battalion:

August 1914 : in Haddington. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
Proceeded to France, landing (Le) Havre 5 November 1914.
11 November 1914 : attached to 22nd Brigade, 7th Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred to 51st (Highland) Division as Pioneers.

 

2/8th Battalion :

Formed at Haddington in September 1914.
November 1915 : attached to 194th Brigade, 65th Division.
Summer 1917 disbanded.

 

1/9th (Highlanders) Battalion:

August 1914 : in East Claremont Street, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
26 February 1915 : transferred to 81st Brigade, 27th Division.
24 November 1915 : transferred to 14th Brigade, 5th Division.
25 January 1916 : transferred to Third Army Troops.
1 March 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division.
6 February 1918 : transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (South Midland) Division.
1 June 1918 : transferred to 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.

 

2/9th (Highlanders) Battalion :

Formed at Ednburgh in September 1914.
November 1915 : attached to 194th Brigade, 65th Division.
March 1918 disbanded.

 

1/10th (Cyclist) Battalion:

August 1914 : in Linlithgow. Moved to coastal defence at Berwick until April 1918, then to Ireland.

 

2/10th (Cyclist) Battalion :

Formed in Linlithgow, September 1914.
Moved to coastal defence at Berwick until April 1918, then to Ireland.
Reorganised as an infantry battalion, the 2/10th moved to England in July 1918 and to North Russia in August 1918 as part of the Archangel Force, returning home June 1919.

 

Third Line Battalions (3/4th to 3/10th):

Various reserve and training units were formed - from December 1914 through to mid-1915 - as 3rd-line battalions. None went overseas or saw active service.

 

Battalions of the New Armies

 

11th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Edinburgh, August 1914, as part of K1.
August 1914 : attached to 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division.

 

12th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Edinburgh, August 1914, as part of K1.
August 1914 : attached to 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division.

 

13th (Service) Battalion:

Formed at Edinburgh, September 1914, as part of K2.
September 1914 : attached to 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.

 

14th (Reserve) Battalion:

Formed in Weymouth in November 1914 as a Service battalion, part of K4.
November 1914 : attached to 102nd Brigade, original 34th Division.
May 1915 : became a Reserve battalion.
September 1916 : became the 54th Battalion in 12th Reserve Brigade of Training Reserve.

 

15th (Service) Battalion (1st Edinburgh):

Formed at Edinburgh in September 1914 by the Lord Provost and City, although some 550 men were recruited in Manchester and for this reason the Battalion is sometimes referred to as the Manchester Scottish.
June 1915 : attached to 101st Brigade, 34th Division.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength afer suffering heavy casualties.
17 May 1918 : attached to 39th Division.
14 August 1918 : disbanded in France.

 

16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh):

Formed at Edinburgh in December 1914 by Lt-Col. G.McCrae, MP.
June 1915 : attached to 101st Brigade, 34th Division.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
17 May 1918 : attached to 39th Division.
14 August 1918 : disbanded in France.

 

17th (Service) Battalion (Rosebery):

Formed at Edinburgh in February 1915 by Lord Rosebery, as a Bantam battalion.
June 1915 : attached to 106th Brigade, 35th Division.

 

18th (Reserve) Battalion:

Formed at Edinburgh in June 1915, with depot companies of the 15th, 16th and 17th Bns, as local reserve Bn.
September 1916 : became 77th Battalion in 18th Reserve Brigade of Training Reserve.

 

Other battalions raised by the regiment


19th (Labour) Battalion:

Formed at Blairgowrie in April 1916 and went to France in the May.
April 1917 : transferred to Labour Corps as 1st and 2nd Labour Companies.

 

1st Garrison Battalion:

Formed at Edinburgh in August 1915 and went to Mudros in October. Moved on to Egypt in February 1916.

 

2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion:

Formed at Leith in August 1916. Became 1st Bn, the Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.

 

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