Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
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 Glasgow.
15 August 1914 : landed at Rouen as Lines of Communication troops.
22 August 1914 : attached to 19th Brigade, which was not
allocated to a Division.
12 October 1914 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
31 May 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 27th Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 2nd Division.
25 November 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 33rd Division.
2nd Battalion:
August 1914 : in Malta. Returned
to England, landing at Southampton 22 September 1914.
22 September 1914 : attached to 23rd Brigade, 8th Division.
3 February 1918 : transferred to 59th Brigade, 20th Division.
> Review of book about the battalion
3rd (Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Hamilton. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved in August 1914 to
Nigg and in early 1918 to Invergordon as part of the Cromarty Garrison.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion:
August 1914 : in Hamilton. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout
the war. Moved in August 1914 to Gourock
and in April 1916 to Greenock. By 1917 it was on coastal defence
work at Haddington. In June 1918 moved to Edinburgh for duty with
Forth Garrison.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Glasgow. Part
of Scottish Rifle Brigade, Lowland Division.
November 1914 : left the Division and moved to France, landing at Le
Havre 5 November 1914.
19 November 1914 : transferred to 19th Brigade, 6th
Division.
31 May 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 27th
Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 2nd
Division.
25 November 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 33rd
Division.
29 May 1916 : merged with 1/6th Bn to become 5/6th
Bn.
> Review of book featuring this battalion
 |
| This photograph of soldiers of the 5th Battalion in the flooded trenches near Armentieres in the winter of 1914-15 is used with the kind permission of Donna Smillie and is from her excellent website Different Worlds. |
2/5th Battalion:
Formed at Glasgow in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th
Division. Moved to Cambusbarron by August 1915.
November 1915 : with 2/8th Bn, formed 17th Battalion.
January
1916 : absorbed the 2/8th Bn. Moved to Billericay
in March 1916 and on to Terling in Essex by July 1916. Moved to Moore
Park (Fermoy) in Ireland in January 1917 and a year later to Tralee.
15 May 1918 : disbanded in Ireland.
1/6th Battalion:
August
1914 : in Hamilton. Part of Scottish Rifle Brigade, Lowland
Division.
March 1915 : left the Division and moved to France, landing at Le Havre 21 March
1915.
24 March 1915 : transferred to 23rd Brigade, 8th Division.
2 June 1915 : transferred to 154th Brigade, 51st Division.
12 January 1916 : became Divisional Troops, training as Pioneers.
25 February 1916 : transferred to 100th Brigade, 33rd Division.
29 May 1916 : merged with 1/6th Bn to become 5/6th Bn.
2/6th Battalion:
Formed at Hamilton in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division. Moved
to Cambusbarron by August 1915.
November 1915 : with 2/7th Bn, formed 18th Battalion.
January 1916 : absorbed the 2/8th Bn. Moved to Billericay in March 1916 and on
to Terling in Essex by July 1916. Moved to Kilworth in Ireland in
January 1917 and a year later to Galway.
15 May 1918 : disbanded in Ireland.
1/7th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Glasgow. Part
of Scottish Rifle Brigade, Lowland Division. Moved
to Grangemouth.
11 May 1915 : formation became 156th Brigade, 52nd Division. Sailed
from Liverpool on 24 May 1915, going via Egypt to Gallipoli, arriving there 14
June 1915.
1 July 1915: after taking heavy casualties, temporarily merged with 1/8th Bn.
Resumed identity 21 February 1916.
2/7th Battalion:
Formed at Glasgow in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th
Division. Moved to Cambusbarron by August 1915.
November 1915 : with 2/6th Bn, formed 18th Battalion.
January 1916 : absorbed by 2/6th Bn.
1/8th Battalion:
August 1914 : in Glasgow. Part
of Scottish Rifle Brigade, Lowland Division.
Moved to Larbert.
11 May 1915 : formation became 156th Brigade, 52nd
Division. Sailed from Devonport on 18 May 1915, going via
Mudros to Gallipoli, arriving there 14 June 1915.
1 July 1915: after taking heavy casualties, temporarily merged with
1/7th Bn. Resumed identity 21 February 1916.
28 June 1918 : transferred to 103rd Brigade, 34th
Division.
2/8th Battalion:
Formed at Glasgow in September
1914 as a home service ("second line") unit.
January 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division. Moved
to Cambusbarron by August 1915.
November 1915 : with 2/8th Bn, formed 17th Battalion.
January 1916 : absorbed by 2/5th Bn.
3/5th Battalion:
Formed in Glasgow in November
1914 as
depot/training unit. Moved to Ripon by November 1915.
8 April 1916 : became 5th (Reserve) Bn.
1 September 1916 : absorbed the 6th, 7th and 8th (Reserve) Bns at
Catterick. Moved
to Glashield and Hawick but by December 1917 was at Leven for duty
with Forth Garrison.
3/6th to 3/8th Battalions:
3/6th formed in Hamilton in
April 1915 and the others at Glasgow in March 1915 as
depot/training units.
Moved to Ripon by November 1915.
8 April 1916 : became 6th, 7th and 8th (Reserve) Bns and moved to Catterick.
1 September 1916 : absorbed by 5th (reserve) Bn .
15th Battalion:
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 10th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed in June 1915 from "Home Service only" personnel and was based at Deal in Kent. Had a brief spell at Walmer in early 1918.
Battalions of the New Armies
9th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Hamilton in
August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 28th Brigade, 9th
(Scottish) Division. Moved to Bordon and in March 1915 went on
to Bramshott. Landed at Boulogne 12 May 1915.
6 May 1916 : transferred to 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish)
Division.
5 February 1918 : transferred to 43rd Brigade, 14th Division.
21 April 1918 : transferred to South African Brigade, 9th
(Scottish) Division.
12 September 1918 : transferred to 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish)
Division.
10th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Hamilton in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Bordon and in February 1915 went into billets at Winchester. Moved to Park House and Chisledon Camps (Salisbury Plain) in April 1915. Landed at Boulogne 10 July 1915.
11th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Hamilton in October 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 77th Brigade, 26th Division. Moved to Codford St Mary but by December 1914 was in billets in Bristol. Moved to Warminster in February 1915 and Sutton Veny in April. Landed at Boulogne on 20 September 1915 but sailed for Salonika in November 1915.
12th (Reserve) Battalion:
Formed at Nigg in October
1914 as a Service Battalion of K4 and attached to 101st Brigade,
original 34th Division.
Moved to Tain in February 1915.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve
battalion and moved to Stobs in May 1915. By December it had moved
to Catterick.
1 September 1916 : converted into 56th Battalion of 12th Reserve Brigade
of Training Reserve at
Kinghorn.
13th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Hamilton in July
1915 as a Bantam Bn.
September 1915 : attached to 120th Brigade, 40th Division at
Aldershot.
February 1916 : absorbed by 14th Bn, the Highland Light Infantry.
Other battalions raised by the regiment
14th (Labour) Battalion:
Formed in June 1916 and moved
to France next month, to Lines of Communication.
April 1917 : became Nos 3 and 4 Companies of the Labour
Corps.
16th and 17th (Transport Workers) Battalion:
Formed in Paisley in December
1916 and Hamilton in February 1917.
Both remained on duty at ports in the UK throughout the war. 17th Bn moved to
Motherwell in 1918.
There may have been a 19th (Transport Workers) battalion and a 20th was
also authorised in November 1918 but no records of these units exist.
17th and 18th Battalions:
The short-lived temporary names of the merged 2/5th & 2/8th and 2/6th & 2/7th Battalions, between November 1915 and January 1916 .
18th (Service) Battalion:
Formed at Aldershot on 1 June 1918 and moved to Deal. On the 20 June it absorbed the cadre of the 6/7th Royal Scots Fusiliers. 2 July 1918 : attached to 48th Brigade, 16th Division for service in France. Landed 31 July 1918.
1st Garrison Battalion:
Formed in Hamilton in February 1916. Moved to India in the same month, where it remained.
| Did you know? Not to be confused with the Cameron Highlanders, an altogether different regiment, the Cameronians can trace their unbroken history back to 1689. Unbroken, that is, until 1967 when the last remaining unit, the 1st Battalion, was disbanded and the Colours laid up. How easily we give up our heritage and traditions in these modern times. |
This page is dedicated to the memory of Harry Royal Cannon, who won his DCM for being the first man of 2nd Battalion to enter enemy trenches in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and who was killed in action on that day; George Freeman, a pre-war regular with 1st Battalion who was discharged after being wounded in 1918; James Canning, of 1/5th and 9th (Service) Battalions; Peter Mill, mentioned in despatches for work with 1/7th Battalion; James Blackwell, who served with 11th (Service) Battalion and William Eric Warburton, a Sergeant of 18th (Service) Battalion.