9th Battalion, Royal Scots facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 9th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Scots9th (Highlanders) Battalion, Royal Scots |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1900–1921 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Territorial Force |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | Lothian Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Hepburn House, Edinburgh |
| Nickname(s) | The Dandy Ninth |
| Engagements | Second Boer War Western Front |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lt-Col James Ferguson Lt-Col Alexander Blair Lt-Col William Green |
The 9th Battalion, Royal Scots was a special Scottish army unit. It was known as the "Highlander" battalion because its soldiers wore kilts, like traditional Scottish Highlanders. This battalion was part of the famous Royal Scots regiment.
It started in 1900 as a part-time group called the Volunteer Force in Edinburgh. Later, in 1908, it became a Territorial Force battalion. This change was part of bigger army updates called the Haldane Reforms. The 9th Battalion fought bravely on the Western Front during the First World War. After the war, it joined with the 7th Battalion to become the 7th/9th Royal Scots.
Some famous people who were part of this battalion include James Pearson, Arthur Farrimond, Jimmy Broad, Robert Dudgeon, Walter Lyon, FCB Cadell, and William Geissler.
Contents
Becoming a Volunteer Force
After some tough losses for the British Army in December 1899 during the Second Boer War, many people wanted to join the army. This time was known as Black Week. Because of this, lots of new people joined the Volunteer Force.
A man named James Ferguson (1857-1917) wanted to create a new Volunteer battalion in Edinburgh. He was a lawyer and an army officer. He wanted this new unit to be a Highlander group, meaning they would wear kilts. He felt it was important for Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, to have a kilted unit. Many young men from the Scottish Highlands moved to Edinburgh, and this new group would be perfect for them.
The battalion first started as part of the Queen's Rifle Volunteer Brigade. But in July 1901, it became its own independent unit, called the 9th (Highlanders) Volunteer Battalion. Their main office was at 7 Wemyss Place in Edinburgh.
Fighting in the Second Boer War
Forty-five volunteers from the 9th Battalion went to South Africa. They fought in the Second Boer War. Some of them joined other Royal Scots companies that were made up of volunteers.
For example, the 2nd Volunteer Service Company joined the 1st Royal Scots in May 1901. The 3rd Volunteer Service Company joined in February 1902. One officer, Lieutenant James C.C. Broun, had a very interesting experience. He was the last officer to carry a "flag of truce" to the enemy. This meant he was the last person to go into the enemy's camp to talk about peace. He even spent the last night of the war in the main government camp of the Transvaal.
Joining the Territorial Force
In April 1908, the army changed the Volunteer Force into the Territorial Force. The 9th Royal Scots was special because it was the only Volunteer battalion that kept its original number. People often called them The Dandy Ninth.
In 1912, the battalion moved to a new, specially built headquarters. This building was called Hepburn House. It was named after John Hepburn, who helped start the Royal Scots regiment. Hepburn House was located at 89 East Claremont Street in Edinburgh. The building cost £7,000 to build. The commanding officer, James Clark, paid for half of this cost himself!
The First World War
Getting Ready for War
The 9th Royal Scots soldiers were at their summer training camp in Stobs. They returned home on Sunday, August 2, 1914. Just two days later, Britain declared war on Germany. This meant the 9th Royal Scots were officially called into action.
They joined the Lothian Brigade, which was part of Scotland's coastal defenses. Their jobs included building and guarding defenses around Edinburgh. They also guarded the Prisoner of War camp at Redford Barracks. Plus, they provided the machine-gun team for an armoured train.
1/9th Royal Scots: Fighting on the Front Line
The main fighting unit, called 1/9th Royal Scots, went to France on February 24, 1915. They joined the 27th Division in an area called the Ypres Salient.
During the Second Battle of Ypres, chlorine gas was used for the first time. The 9th Royal Scots helped to fill a dangerous gap in the battle line on April 23, 1915. In March 1916, they moved to the 51st (Highland) Division. They fought with this division in many important battles, including High Wood, Beaumont-Hamel, Arras, Third Ypres, and Cambrai.
In February 1918, they were sent to help the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. They faced the strong German attacks known as the German spring offensives. These included battles at St Quentin (Operation Michael) and at the Lys. They moved again in June 1918, this time joining the 15th (Scottish) Division. They fought near Soissons, where they had their biggest losses of the war at Villemontoire on August 1, 1918.
During the Hundred Days Offensive, the 1/9th Royal Scots captured Vendin-le-Vieil on October 12, 1918. They then moved into Belgium. They were still with this division when the war ended with the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
2/9th Royal Scots: The Second Group
A second group, called the 2/9th Battalion, was formed in September 1914. They moved to Essex in February 1916. Then, in January 1917, they went to Ireland. This group was later disbanded, and their main office closed on May 15, 1918.
3/9th Royal Scots: Training New Soldiers
In June 1915, a third group, the 3/9th Battalion, was created in Peebles. Their job was to train new soldiers. All of the Royal Scots' third-line battalions later joined together. They became the 4th (Reserve) Battalion, The Royal Scots, in July 1917, located at Catterick.
Joining Forces: Amalgamation
In 1921, the army created the Territorial Army (TA). Because of this, Edinburgh's Territorial battalions were reorganized. Some were moved, some were closed, and some joined together.
The 7th (Leith) and 9th (Highlanders) Royal Scots battalions joined to create the 7th/9th Royal Scots. They continued to use Hepburn House as their headquarters. They also kept the kilt as part of their uniform. The officers who had served with the 9th Royal Scots continued to lead this new combined unit.
In the Second World War, the 7th/9th Royal Scots were part of the Second BEF in 1940. They also fought in North West Europe from 1944 to 1945. They played a very important role in Operation Infatuate, which was the capture of Walcheren in November 1944.
Uniforms of the Battalion
In 1900, when the soldiers were in their formal "Review Order" uniform, they wore a special hat called a glengarry. It was in the Royal Scots style. They also wore a bright red jacket called a "scarlet doublet" with royal blue parts on it. And, of course, they wore a kilt made of the Hunting Stewart tartan pattern. In 1902, a more practical uniform for fighting, called Khaki Service Dress, was introduced.
See also
External sources
- The Long, Long Trail
- The Royal Scots
- Audio recording of RWF Johnston
