| 15th (Scottish) Division | |
|---|---|
 15th (Scottish) Division insignia | |
| Active | 1914 – 1919 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | First World War |
The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served in the First World War. The 15th (Scottish) Division was formed from men volunteering for Kitchener's Army, and served from 1915 to 1918 on the Western Front. The division was later disbanded, after the war, in 1919.
First World War
The division was a New Army unit formed in September 1914 as part of the K2 Army Group. The division moved to France in July 1915 and spent the duration of the First World War in action on the Western Front. The division fought in the Battle of Loos in which it seizing the village of Loos and Hill 70, the deepest penetration of the German positions by the six British divisions involved in the initial day. It later fought in the Battle of the Somme (1916) which included the battles of Pozières and Flers–Courcelette, the Battle of Arras 1917 and the Third Battle of Ypres.[1]
The North Uist-born war poet Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, a highly important figure in 20th century Scottish Gaelic literature, saw combat with the 7th (Service) Battalion King's Own Cameron Highlanders, 44th Infantry Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division during the trench warfare along the Western Front and vividly described his war experiences in verse.[2]
General officers commanding
The division had the following commanders:[3]
| Appointed | Name |
|---|---|
| 14 September 1914 | Major-General A. Wallace |
| 12 December 1914 | Brigadier-General M. G. Wilkinson (acting) |
| 15 December 1914 | Major-General C. J. Mackenzie |
| 15 March 1915 | Brigadier-General F. E. Wallerstein (acting) |
| 22 March 1915 | Major-General F. W. N. McCracken |
| 17 June 1917 | Major-General H. F. Thullier |
| 11 October 1917 | Major-General H. L. Reed VC (sick 4 July 1918) |
| 4 July 1918 | Brigadier-General E. B. MacNaghten (acting) |
| 9 July 1918 | Major-General H. L. Reed VC |
Order of battle
| 15th (Scottish) Division[4][5][6] | |
|---|---|
|
44th Infantry Brigade
45th Brigade
46th Brigade
Divisional Troop
| |
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Stewart & Buchan 2003, pp. 301–305.
- ^ Fred MacAulay (editor), Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath, (1995), p. xxxiv
- ^ Becke 2007, p. 53.
- ^ Stewart & Buchan 2003, pp. 285–288.
- ^ Baker 2020.
- ^ Becke 2007, pp. 56–58.
References
- Baker, Chris (2020). "15th (Scottish) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- Becke, Major A. F. (2007) [1945]. Order of Battle of Divisions Part 3a. New Army Divisions (9–26). Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84734-741-1.
- Stewart, J.; Buchan, J. (2003) [1926]. The Fifteenth (Scottish) Division 1914–1919 (repr. The Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). Edinburgh: Blackwood. ISBN 978-1-84342-639-4.
Further reading
- Goss, J. (1920). Ferguson, J. (ed.). A Border Battalion. The history of the 7/8th-Service-Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (1st ed.). Edinburgh: T. N. Foulis. OCLC 558549942.
External links
- The British Army in the Great War: The 15th (Scottish) Division
- Scottish Lion on Patrol: the story of 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment
This page was last edited on 10 February 2024, at 07:24