List of battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) facts for kids

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a special infantry (foot soldier) regiment in the British Army. It existed from 1881 to 1968. This article lists the different groups of soldiers, called battalions, that were part of this regiment throughout its history.

How the Regiment Began

In 1881, two older regiments, the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot and the 90th Perthshire Light Infantry, joined together to form The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). This happened because of big changes in the British Armed Forces at the time.

When the Cameronians were formed, they also included seven groups of soldiers from Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway. These groups were called "militia" and "volunteer" battalions.

• Militia were like a local army, made up of ordinary citizens who could be called upon to defend their area.
• Volunteer battalions were formed in the late 1850s because people worried that France might invade. These groups were made up mostly of middle-class citizens and were separate from the main British Army. They were often called "rifle volunteer corps."

The only change to the regiment's structure between 1881 and 1908 was when the 5th Volunteer Battalion was disbanded in 1897. This happened because of poor discipline.

Changes Before World War I

In 1908, the army changed again. The volunteer battalions joined a new group called the Territorial Force (which later became the Territorial Army). The militia battalions moved to the "Special Reserve." All the volunteer battalions were renumbered to make a simpler list.

The Cameronians in World War I

During World War I, the Cameronians regiment grew a lot. They had 28 battalions fighting and lost 7,106 soldiers.

Many new battalions were formed because Lord Kitchener, a famous general, asked for 100,000 volunteers in 1914. These new groups were called the New Army or Kitchener's Army. One special group, the 13th (Service) battalion, was known as a "Pals" battalion. This meant it was mostly made up of friends and colleagues who joined up together.

The regiment's territorial battalions also created "duplicate" battalions. For example, the 5th Cameronians had a 1/5th, 2/5th, and 3/5th battalion. The "3rd line" battalions became "reserve battalions" in 1916.

Between the World Wars

By 1920, all the battalions created for World War I were disbanded. The Special Reserve went back to being called "militia" in 1921, then the Supplementary Reserve in 1924. However, these battalions were mostly inactive.

As World War II got closer, the Territorial Army was reorganized. Many of its infantry battalions were changed to other roles, like anti-aircraft defense.

The Cameronians in World War II

The Cameronians regiment did not grow as much during the Second World War as it did in World War I. New "Home Defence" battalions were created. Also, six battalions of the Home Guard were linked to the regiment. Home Guard members were often older men or those with important jobs who couldn't join the regular army.

After World War II

Right after World War II, the army became much smaller. Most infantry regiments combined their first and second battalions. The Supplementary Reserve was also disbanded.

The End of the Regiment

After a government decision in 1966, the Cameronians regiment chose to disband (stop existing) instead of joining with another regiment. This meant that only the Territorial parts of the regiment continued its history. In 1997, the very last company (a small group of soldiers) changed its badge, and the Cameronians regiment officially came to an end.