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The British 52nd (Lowland) Division was a Territorial Army
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
 division that was originally formed as part of the Territorial Force
Territorial Force

The Territorial Force was a volunteer component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army....
 in 1908.

ially 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 the Quintinshill rail crash
Quintinshill rail crash

The Quintinshill rail disaster occurred on 22 May 1915, at Quintinshill, an intermediate signal box with refuge loops on the Caledonian Railway Main Line near Gretna Green in Scotland....
 near Gretna that involved the 1/7th Bn, the Royal Scots.

During the First World War
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 the division fought at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli

The Gallipoli Campaign took place at Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from 25 April 1915 to 9 January 1916, during the World War I. A joint British Empire and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman Empire capital of Constantinople , and secure a sea route to Russia....
, in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 (Sinai
Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, forming a land bridge between Africa and Southwest Asia....
 and Palestine
Palestine

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is derived from a name used already much earlier for a narrower geographical region, mainly along the coastal region....
) and on the Western Front
Western Front

Western Front was a term used during the World War I and World War II world war to describe the "contested armed frontier" between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West....
 in France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.

The division began landing at the Helles front
Landing at Cape Helles

The landing at Cape Helles was part of the amphibious warfare of the Gallipoli peninsula by United Kingdom and France forces on April 25, 1915 during the First World War....
 on the Gallipoli
Gallipoli

The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east....
 peninsula in June, 1915 as part of VIII Corps.






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The British 52nd (Lowland) Division was a Territorial Army
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
 division that was originally formed as part of the Territorial Force
Territorial Force

The Territorial Force was a volunteer component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army....
 in 1908.

World War I

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 the Quintinshill rail crash
Quintinshill rail crash

The Quintinshill rail disaster occurred on 22 May 1915, at Quintinshill, an intermediate signal box with refuge loops on the Caledonian Railway Main Line near Gretna Green in Scotland....
 near Gretna that involved the 1/7th Bn, the Royal Scots.

During the First World War
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 the division fought at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli

The Gallipoli Campaign took place at Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from 25 April 1915 to 9 January 1916, during the World War I. A joint British Empire and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman Empire capital of Constantinople , and secure a sea route to Russia....
, in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 (Sinai
Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, forming a land bridge between Africa and Southwest Asia....
 and Palestine
Palestine

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is derived from a name used already much earlier for a narrower geographical region, mainly along the coastal region....
) and on the Western Front
Western Front

Western Front was a term used during the World War I and World War II world war to describe the "contested armed frontier" between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West....
 in France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.

The division began landing at the Helles front
Landing at Cape Helles

The landing at Cape Helles was part of the amphibious warfare of the Gallipoli peninsula by United Kingdom and France forces on April 25, 1915 during the First World War....
 on the Gallipoli
Gallipoli

The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east....
 peninsula in June, 1915 as part of VIII Corps. The 156th Brigade was landed in time to be mauled in the Battle of Gully Ravine
Battle of Gully Ravine

The Battle of Gully Ravine was a World War I battle fought at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula. By June 1915 all thoughts the Allies had of a swift decisive victory over Turkey had vanished....
. Advancing along Fir Tree Spur, to the right of the ravine, the brigade had little artillery support and no experience of the Gallipoli battlefield. The brigade suffered 1400 casualties, or about half its strength, of which 800 were killed.

When the remaining brigades were landed, they were sent in to attack towards Krithia along Achi Baba Nullah on July 12. They succeeded in capturing the Turkish trenches but were left unsupported and vulnerable to counter-attack. For a modest gain in ground, they suffered 30% casualties and were in no fit state to exploit their position.

The division moved to Egypt as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
Egyptian Expeditionary Force

The Egyptian Expeditionary warfare was formed in March 1916 to command the growing United Kingdom and British Empire military forces in Egypt during World War I....
, where it manned the east-facing defensive fortifications during the Battle of Romani
Battle of Romani

The Battle of Romani took place near the Egyptian town of Romani which lies 23 miles east of the Suez Canal near the Mediterranean Sea shore of the Sinai Peninsula peninsula....
 but was not heavily involved in the fighting which was concentrated on the Australian light horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade to the south. Following the battle they advanced across the Sinai but remained in a supporting role as the fluid nature of the fighting suited the mounted troops best.

The Division fought in the First Battle of Gaza
First Battle of Gaza

The First Battle of Gaza was a World War I battle on the southern border of Palestine. After eight months of painstaking advances, British Empire forces had succeeded in driving the Turkey forces from the Sinai Peninsula where they had been attempting to menace the Allied supply route through the Suez Canal....
 and Second Battle of Gaza
Second Battle of Gaza

The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during World War I, was the second attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break the Turkey defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line....
 in March and April 1917. The annihilation of Sea Post, a strong Turkish redoubt
Redoubt

A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks s, though others are constructed of stone or brick....
 west of Gaza, in June 1917, by 1/5th King's Own Scottish Borderers, inaugurated the series of successful raids that did much to harass the enemy during the four months prior to the winter campaign.

As a Division of XXIst Corps it played an important part in the final overthrow of the Turks at the Third Battle of Gaza
Third Battle of Gaza

The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during World War I. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Turkey defensive Gaza-Beersheba line....
 and the subsequent advance.

The Division then participated in the Battle of Jerusalem
Battle of Jerusalem (1917)

}|-||}The Battle of Jerusalem resulted in the city of Jerusalem falling to British Empire forces in December 1917. On December 11, Edmund Allenby entered the city on foot out of respect for the Holy City, becoming the first Christianity to control the city in centuries....
. According to General Sir Edmund Allenby
Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby

Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Royal Victorian Order was a United Kingdom soldier and administrator most famous for his role during World War I, in which he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the conquest of Palestine and Syria in 1917 and 1918....
's despatch, the passage of the Nahr El Auja on the night of December 20th-21st, 1917 by the Division's three Brigades "reflects great credit on the 52nd (Lowland) Division. It involved considerable preparation, the details of which were thought out with care and precision. The sodden state of the ground, and, on the night of the crossing, the swollen state of the river, added to the difficulties, yet by dawn the whole of the infantry had crossed. The fact that the enemy were taken by surprise, and, that all resistance was overcome with the bayonet without a shot being fired, bears testimony to the discipline of this division. The operation, by increasing the distance between the enemy and Jaffa
Jaffa

File:Jaffa StPeter church.jpgJaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world.Jaffa is located south of Tel Aviv, Israel on the Mediterranean Sea....
 from three to eight miles, rendered Jaffa and its harbour secure, and gained elbow-room for the troops covering Ludd and Ramleh
Ramleh

Ramleh can refer to:*Ramla*Ramleh neighborhood in Alexandria, Egypt...
 and the main Jaffa-Jerusalem road."

In March 1918 the division moved to France where it fought in the 2nd Battle of the Somme
Second Battle of the Somme (1918)

During the World War I, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the drainage basin of the Somme River....
, the 2nd Battle of Arras and at the Battle of the Hindenburg Line
Battle of the Hindenburg Line

The Battle of St Quentin Canal began on 29 September 1918 and involved United Kingdom, Military history of Australia during World War I and United States forces spearheaded the attack against the German Empire Siegfried Stellung of the Hindenburg Line....
 during the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive

The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of World War I, where the Allies of World War I launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August 1918 to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens....
.

After the war the Division was disbanded along with the rest of the Territorial Force
Territorial Force

The Territorial Force was a volunteer component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army....
. However it was re-established in 1920 as part of the Territorial Army
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
 and was mobilised again in 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)

The British Expeditionary warfare was the name given to the British Forces in Europe from 1939?1940 during The Second World War....
 in France
Battle of France

In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the Germany invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed from 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War....
.

Composition during World War I

The division comprised three infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
s and one mounted (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....
) brigade:

155th (South Scottish) Brigade
  • 1/4th Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
    Royal Scots Fusiliers

    The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a Regiment of the British Army....
  • 1/5th Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
  • 1/4th (The Border) Battalion, the King's Own Scottish Borderers
    King's Own Scottish Borderers

    The King's Own Scottish Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. It was raised on 18 March 1689 by the David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II....
  • 1/5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Battalion, the King's Own Scottish Borderers


156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade
  • 1/4th (Queens Edinburgh
    Edinburgh

    Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
     Rifles) Battalion, the Royal Scots
  • 1/7th Battalion, the Royal Scots
  • 1/5th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
  • 1/6th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
  • 1/7th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
  • 1/8th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)


157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade
  • 1/5th (City of Glasgow
    Glasgow

    Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands....
    ) Battalion, 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 ...
     Regiment
  • 1/6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, the Highland Light Infantry Regiment
  • 1/7th (Blythswood
    Blythswood Hill

    Blythswood Hill is an area of Glasgow, Scotland.It lies to the immediate west of the city centre and as the name suggests rises to a plateau before dipping again towards the west end area of Woodlands, Glasgow....
    ) Battalion, the Highland Light Infantry Regiment
  • 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders
    Glasgow Highlanders

    The Glasgow Highlanders were a former Territorial Army battalion in the British Army, it eventually became part of The Highland Light Infantry regiment, which later became the Royal Highland Fusiliers in 1959....
    ) Battalion, the Highland Light Infantry Regiment
  • 1/5th (Renfrewshire
    Renfrewshire

    Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic Renfrewshire , also known as the County of Renfrew or Greater Renfrewshire, the other two being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east....
    ) Battalion, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders


Lowland Mounted Brigade
  • 1/1st Ayrshire Yeomanry
  • 1/1st Lothian and Border Horse
    Lothian and Border Horse

    The Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England....
  • 2/1st Lothian and Border Horse


World War II

After evacuation from France in 1940 having been part of the 'Second BEF' that remained in France after Dunkirk, eventually being evacuated in late June 1940 during Operation Ariel
Operation Ariel

Operation Ariel was the name given to the World War II evacuation of Allied forces from western France following the Fall of France caused by the invasion by Nazi Germany....
, it trained as a mountain warfare formation but was never used in that role. In August 1944, it became part of the First Allied Airborne Army
First Allied Airborne Army

The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allies of World War II Military organization formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General of the Army Dwight D....
. (As a mountain formation, it had little heavy equipment and transport, and could therefore operate as an air-transportable formation.)

On 9 October 1944, soon after the division arrived on the Continent, Montgomery asked Brooke to assign the 52nd Lowland Division to the First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army

The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps , as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps....
 to help open the vital port of Antwerp
Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
. Therefore the first major operations of the 52nd were not in mountainous terrain or through the air, but deployed below sea level on the flooded polders around the Scheldt Estuary
Battle of the Scheldt

The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations of the First Canadian Army, led by Guy Simonds. The battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands during World War II from October 2, 1944 to November 8, 1944...
 of Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 and the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
. Operation Vitality and Operation Infatuate
Operation Infatuate

The city of Antwerp and its port was captured by British 2nd Army in early September 1944. While 21st Army Group's priority at the time was Operation Market-Garden, no sense of urgency was placed in securing the approaches to the port facilities there....
 were aimed at capturing South Beveland and the island of Walcheren
Walcheren

Media:Nl-Walcheren.ogg is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus....
 to open the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. This would enable the Allies to use the port of Antwerp as a supply route for the troops in North-West Europe. It was in this vital operation that the 52nd Division was to fight its first great battle with brilliant success.

In January 1945 the 52nd Division participated in Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock

Operation Blackcock was the code name for the clearing of the Roer Triangle formed by the towns of Roermond, Sittard and Heinsberg. It was conducted by the British Second Army in January 1945 between 14 January and 26 January 1945....
, the clearing of the Roer Triangle between the rivers Meuse
Meuse

Meuse is a departments of France in northeast France, named after the Meuse River....
 and Roer. Divisional Commanders during World War II included Major General J.S. Drew, Major General J.E. Laurie, Major General E Hakewell Smith, late of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and Major General Neil Ritchie
Neil Ritchie

General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross was a United Kingdom commanding officer during the World War II....
, the former Eighth Army
British Eighth Army

The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the North African campaign and Italian Campaign s.It was a United Kingdom formation, and was always commanded by British generals....
 commander.

The famous territorial Regiments that were incorporated in the 52nd Lowland Division, were all drawn from the Scottish Lowlands
Lowland Brigade (Scottish)

The Lowland Brigade is a historical unit of the British Army which has been formed a number of times. It is traditionally Scotland as the name derives from the Scottish Lowlands....
, and have a history that in some cases goes back more than 300 years. It consisted of 3 Brigades, the 155th, 156th, and 157th Brigades.

Component Units during World War II

(on 1 November 1944 soon after arrival in the North-West Europe theatre.)

155th Infantry Brigade
  • 4th Bn. The King's Own Scottish Borderers
  • 5th Bn. The King's Own Scottish Borderers
  • 7th/9th Bn. The Royal Scots
    The Royal Scots

    The Royal Scots , once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest, and therefore most senior, infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of England....


156th Infantry Brigade
  • 4th/5th Bn. The Royal Scots Fusiliers
  • 6th Bn. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
    The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

    The Cameronians was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only rifle regiment amongst the Scotland regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
  • 7th Bn. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles


157th Infantry Brigade
  • 1st Bn. The Glasgow Highlanders
    Glasgow Highlanders

    The Glasgow Highlanders were a former Territorial Army battalion in the British Army, it eventually became part of The Highland Light Infantry regiment, which later became the Royal Highland Fusiliers in 1959....
  • 5th Bn. The Highland Light Infantry
  • 6th Bn. The Highland Light Infantry


It should be noted that these Scottish Territorial battalions were bolstered with large drafts of soldiers from all over Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 and were not just drawn from their traditional Regimental recruiting areas.

Divisional Units
  • 52 Reconnaissance Regiment RAC
  • 7th Bn. The Manchester Regiment (divisional machine gun unit)
  • 79 Field Regiment RA
    Royal Artillery

    The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it is made up of a number of regiments....
  • 80 Field Regiment RA
  • 186 Field Regiment RA
  • 1 Mountain Regiment RA
  • 54 Anti-Tank Regiment RA
  • 108 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
  • 202 Field Company RE
    Royal Engineers

    The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the Structure of the British Army of the British Army....
  • 241 Field Company RE
  • 554 Field Company RE
  • 243 Field Park Company RE
  • 17 Bridging Platoon RE


Post World War II

After the war the Division was returned to the Territorial Army
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
 order of battle. In 1948 the 52nd Lowland Division was amalgamated with 51st (Highland) Division
British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)

For the First World War unit, see British 51st Division .The 51st Infantry Division was a United Kingdom Territorial Army division that fought during the World War II....
 to become the 51st/52nd Scottish Division until 1967, when the Division was split into two brigades with 52nd Lowland Brigade
British 52nd Infantry Brigade

The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
 carrying on the lineage of the division's number and the lineage of the Divisions' constituent infantry Battalions were continued after they were all amalgamated together to form what would eventually become the 52nd Lowland Regiment
52nd Lowland Regiment

The 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the British Army Order of Precedence Territorial Army British Army Infantry battalion in the British Army....
.

See also

  • List of British divisions in WWI


External links