52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division

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Lowland Division
52nd (Lowland) Division
52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
Shoulder badge of the 52nd (Lowland) Division during the Second World War
Active1908 – 1919[1]
1920 – 1947[2]
1950 – 1968[3]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Force
TypeInfantry
RoleInfantry, Air Landing, and Mountain
SizeSecond World War: 18,347 men[nb 1][5]
Peacetime HQGlasgow, United Kingdom
Engagements
Battle honoursThe Scheldt
The Rhineland
The Rhine
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Herbert Lawrence
Neil Ritchie
Edmund Hakewill-Smith

The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was originally formed as the Lowland Division, in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It later became the 52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland) Division fought in the First World War before being disbanded, with the rest of the Territorial Force, in 1920.

The Territorial Force was later reformed as the Territorial Army and the division was again raised, during the inter-war years, as the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division - a 1st Line Territorial Army Infantry Division - and went on to serve during the Second World War.

By December 1947, the formation amalgamated with 51st (Highland) Infantry Division to become 51st/52nd Scottish Division,[6] but, by March 1950, 51st Division and 52nd Division had been recreated as separate formations.[3] 52nd (Lowland) Division finally disbanded in 1968.

History

Formation

The

Volunteer Force, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Yeomanry. On formation, the TF contained 14 infantry divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades.[7] One of the divisions was the Lowland Division.[8] In peacetime, the divisional headquarters was at 7 West George Street in Glasgow.[8][9]

First World War

Operations

The famous territorial regiments that were incorporated in the division were all drawn from the

Quintinshill rail crash, near Gretna, that involved the 1/7th Royal Scots.[10]

During the

Gallipoli. The division began landing at the Helles front, on the Gallipoli peninsula, in June 1915 as part of VIII Corps. The 156th Brigade was landed in time to take part in the Battle of Gully Ravine, where it was mauled, under the notorious Lieutenant-General Aylmer Hunter-Weston. 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 heavy casualties.[11]

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

The division moved to Egypt as part of the

5th Mounted Brigades fought the centre and left flank in extended order. With insufficient water, the mid-summer conditions proved too much for the infantry ordered to advance the following day and were not heavily involved in the fighting thereafter. Following the battle, they advanced across the Sinai occupying Bir el Abd, El Mazar and El Arish, but remained in a supporting role.[13]

The division fought in the First and Second Battle of Gaza in March and April 1917.[14]

As a division of XXI Corps, it played an important part in the final overthrow of the Ottomans at the

Ramleh and the main Jaffa-Jerusalem road."[15]

In April 1918, the division moved to France where it fought in the

After the war, the division was disbanded along with the rest of the Territorial Force. However, it was re-established in 1920 as part of the Territorial Army.[17]

Second World War

Operations

Stretcher bearers of the 1st Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders in France, 13 June 1940.

The 52nd (Lowland) Division, which had seen numerous changes in composition during the

Major-General James S. Drew,[18] was serving in Scottish Command, alongside its second line duplicate unit, the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.[19]

The division was briefly deployed to France, following the Dunkirk evacuation, as part of the Second British Expeditionary Force (2BEF) to cover the withdrawal of Allied forces near Cherbourg during Operation Aerial.[20] The division returned to the United Kingdom and, like most of the rest of the British Army after Dunkirk, began training to repel an expected German invasion, which never occurred. From May 1942 until June 1944, the 52nd was trained in a mountain warfare capacity, originally for a proposed invasion of Norway. However, the division was never employed in this role. Following June 1944, the 52nd Division was reorganised and trained in airlanding operations.[18] As part of this new role, the division was transferred to the First Allied Airborne Army.[19] By this time, the 52nd Division was under the command of Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith.[21]

Men of the 5th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry training in the mountains near Inverness, Scotland, 22 October 1942.

Several operations were planned for the division, following the successful conclusion of the

Operation Linnet proposed using most of the First Allied Airborne Army, including the 52nd Division, to seize areas in north-eastern France to block the German line of retreat.[23] As part of Operation Market Garden, the British 1st Airborne Division was given a subsidiary mission of capturing Deelen airfield, on which the 52nd Division would land.[24] Due to the disastrous course of events that unfolded during the Battle of Arnhem, where the 1st Airborne Division was virtually destroyed and lost almost 8,000 men, the 52nd Division was not deployed.[25]

, sometime in 1942. The gun crew are wearing weatherproof anoraks, mountaineering breeches and woollen stockings.

The division would never be used in either of the roles it had trained for, and was transferred to Belgium via sea landing in Ostend. The 157th Infantry Brigade landed first at the end of the first week of October and the rest of the division arrived over the course of the following fortnight.[26][27] On 15 October, the 157th Brigade was, temporarily, attached to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division[28] and relieved the Canadian units in the bridgehead over the Leopold Canal.[29] At first the Scots of 52nd Division and the Canadians did not see eye to eye, with a cultural clash of untidy and 'undisciplined' Canadians against 'spit and polish' Scots. On taking over some Canadian positions in mid-October, Scottish officers commented: "No one in Scotland would ask a pig to lie in the houses (recently vacated by the Canadians) on the south side of the canal." However, both sides soon came to recognise that high fighting capability could be engendered in both approaches.[30]

Men of 'C' Company of the 4th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, move up to attack a pillbox, the Netherlands, 11 December 1944.

From 23 October until December, the 52nd (Lowland) Division was assigned to the

South Beveland and the island of Walcheren to open the mouth of the Scheldt Estuary. This would enable the Allies to use the port of Antwerp as a supply entrepôt for the troops in North-West Europe. It was in this vital operation that the 52nd Division was to fight its first battle with brilliant success that earned them high praise. During the battle, the division was given command "of all the military operations" on Walcheren. This included command of the 4th Commando Brigade,[31] after it had landed on the island, and No. 4 Commando during the assault on Flushing.[32] Following the battle the division would remain on Walcheren until November, when it was relieved by the 4th Canadian Armoured Division.[33]

A Universal Carrier of the 6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) crossing the Dortmund–Ems Canal, Germany, 4 April 1945.

On 5 December, the division was transferred to

Roer Triangle between the rivers Meuse and Roer. During the operation, 19-year-old Fusilier Dennis Donnini of the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. During the operation, the 155th Infantry Brigade was attached to the 7th Armoured Division.[35]

In February and March, the division was slightly reorganised with battalions being transferred amongst the division's brigades.

Battle of Hamburg, where it ended the war.[39]

Post Second World War

During 1946, the First Canadian Army was withdrawn from Germany and disbanded. As it withdrew from Germany, it "turned over its responsibilities" to the 52nd Division.

Lowland Brigade regiments.[44] On 1 July 1950 85 AGRA was once more designated as HQ RA 52 (Lowland) Division.[43] In 1967, 52nd Lowland Division was reduced to brigade strength: two brigade-level districts were established in the Highlands and Lowlands, with the Lowland District Headquarters commanded by Major General Sir Francis James Cecil Bowes-Lyon in Hamilton, near Glasgow.[45]

General officer commanding

Appointed General officer commanding
April 1908 Brigadier-General Henry R. Kelham[46]
March 1910
Major-General James Spens[46]
21 March 1914 Major-General Granville G. A. Egerton[47][46]
17 September 1915 Major-General The Honourable Herbert A. Lawrence[47][46]
27 June 1916 Brigadier-General H. G. Casson (acting)[47]
11 July 1916 Major-General Wilfrid E. B. Smith[47][46]
11 September 1917 Major General John Hill[47][46]
23 September 1918 Major-General Francis J. Marshall[47][46]
June 1919 Major-General Sir Philip R. Robertson[46]
June 1923 Major-General Hamilton L. Reed[46]
June 1927 Major-General Sir Henry F. Thuillier[46]
March 1930 Major-General Sir Walter J Constable-Maxwell-Scott[46]
March 1934 Major-General Andrew J. McCulloch[46]
September 1935 Major-General Victor Fortune[46]
August 1936 Major-General Sir Andrew J. McCulloch[46]
March 1938 Major-General James S. Drew[18]
29 March 1941 Major-General Sir John E. Laurie[18]
1 September 1942 Brigadier G. P. Miller (acting)[18]
11 September 1942 Major-General Neil M. Ritchie[18]
11 November 1943 Brigadier Edmund Hakewill-Smith (acting)[18]
19 November 1943 Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith[18]
1946 Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith
(GOC Lowland District)
December 1948 Major-General Robert E. Urquhart[46]
February 1950 Major-General George H. Inglis[46]
1952 Major-General R. George Collingwood[46]
October 1955 Major-General Rohan Delacombe[46]
October 1958 Major-General John F.M. Macdonald[46]
October 1961 Major-General John D. Frost[46]
February 1964 Major-General Henry L. E. C. Leask[46]
May 1966 – 1968 Major-General Sir F. James Bowes-Lyon[46]

Orders of battle

52nd (Lowland) Division (1914–1918)[48][47][49][50][51][52][53][54]

155th (South Scottish) Brigade

  • 1/4th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
  • 1/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
  • 1/4th (The Border) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers
  • 1/5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (left 28 June 1918)
  • 155th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 23 March 1916, moved to 52nd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 April 1918)
  • 155th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 24 May 1917)

156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade

  • 1/5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (left November 1914)
  • 1/6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (left March 1915)
  • 1/7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
  • 1/8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (left 28 June 1918)
  • Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
    (from April 1915)
  • 1/7th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (from April 1915)
  • 156th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 16 March 1916, moved to 52nd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 April 1918)
  • 156th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 27 June 1917)

157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade

  • 1/5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
  • 1/6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
  • 1/7th (Blythswood) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
  • 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (left November 1914)
  • 1/5th (
    Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
    (from April 1915 to 28 June 1918)
  • 157th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 14 March 1916, moved to 52nd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 April 1918)
  • 157th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 11 June 1917)

Lowland Mounted Brigade (Landed at Helles 11 October 1915 and reinforced the division. Left 31 December 1915)

1st Dismounted Brigade (attached to 52nd Division 5 February; disbanded 16 October 1916)

  • 1/1st Ayrshire Yeomanry
  • 1/1st Lanarkshire Yeomanry
  • 1/1st Scottish Horse
  • 1/2nd Scottish Horse
  • 1/3rd Scottish Horse
  • 1st Dismounted Brigade Signal Section, Royal Engineers
  • 1st Dismounted Brigade Machine Gun Company
  • 1/1st Lowland Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
  • 1/1st Scottish Horse Field Ambulance, RAMC

Divisional Mounted Troops

  • 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Cyclist Company[nb 2]
  • Royal Glasgow Yeomanry
    (HQ and C Squadron joined 10 October 1915; left 21 August 1917)
  • 4th Queen's Own Hussars (One Troop attached from 30 October 1918)
  • VIII Corps Cyclist Battalion (Detachment attached from 30 October 1918)

52nd (Lowland) Divisional Artillery

  • Royal Field Artillery
    • I Lowland Brigade (remained in Scotland when division embarked for Egypt)
      • 1st City of Edinburgh Battery
      • 2nd City of Edinburgh Battery
      • Midlothian Battery
      • I Lowland Brigade Ammunition Column
    • II Lowland Brigade (remained in Egypt when division embarked for Gallipoli; rejoined 5–6 March 1916; renamed CCLX (260) Bde and batteries became A–C 28 May 1916; renumbered CCLXI (261) Bde 15 September 1916; to 7th (Meerut) Division 3 April 1918)
      • 1st Ayrshire Battery
      • 2nd Ayrshire Battery
      • Kirkcudbrightshire Battery (broken up between A and B Btys 25 December 1916)
      • C (H) Battery (joined from CCLXIII (H) Bde 30 December 1916)
      • II Lowland Brigade Ammunition Column (joined 52nd Divisional Ammunition Column 1 January 1917)
    • III Lowland Brigade, RFA (remained in Scotland when division embarked for Egypt; rejoined 17 March 1916; renamed CCLXI (261) Bde and batteries became A–C 28 May 1916; renumbered CCLXII (262) Bde 15 September 1916; to 7th (Meerut) Division 3 April 1918)
      • 1st City of Glasgow Battery
      • 2nd City of Glasgow Battery
      • 3rd City of Glasgow Battery (broken up between A and B Btys 25 December 1916)
      • C (H) Battery (joined from CCLXIII (H) Bde 30 December 1916; became B (H)/CCLXIV Bde 1 July 1917)
      • III Lowland Brigade Ammunition Column (joined 52nd Divisional Ammunition Column 1 January 1917)
    • IV Lowland (Howitzer) Brigade (detached to ANZAC Cove ; rejoined 11 January 1916; renamed CCLXII (262) Bde and batteries became A & B 28 May 1916; renumbered CCLXIII (263) Bde 15 September 1916; broken up 30 December 1916)
      • 5th City of Glasgow (H) Battery (became C (H)/CCLXI Bty 30 December 1916)
      • 6th City of Glasgow (H) Battery (became C (H)/CCLXII Bty 30 December 1916)
      • IV Lowland (H) Brigade Ammunition Column (joined 52nd Divisional Ammunition Column 1 January 1917)
    • CCLXIV Brigade (formed 1 July 1917; to 7th (Meerut) Division 3 April 1918)
      • A Bty (joined from CCLXXII Bde)
      • B (H) Bty (joined from CCLXII Bde)
    • IX Brigade (joined from 7th (Meerut) Division 1 April 1918)
    • LVI Brigade (joined from 7th (Meerut) Division 1 April 1918 (originally from 13th (Western) Division))
      • A, B, C Btys
      • 527 (H) Bty
    • 52nd
      Pom-Pom
      Battery (June 1917)
  • Royal Horse Artillery
  • Heavy Artillery
  • Lowland (Edinburgh) Heavy Battery and Ammunition Column, Royal Garrison Artillery (remained in Scotland when division embarked for Gallipoli)
  • Trench Mortars
  • X/52, Y/52, Z/52 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries (joined 3 October 1917; to 7th (Meerut) Division 3 April 1918)
  • 133, 134 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries (joined from 7th (Meerut) Division 3 April 1918; became X/52 and Y/52 1 May 1918)
  • 52nd Divisional Ammunition Column (remained in Egypt when division embarked for Gallipoli, broken up 17 March 1916; reformed from Brigade Ammunition Columns 1 January 1917; exchanged with 7th (Meerut) Division DAC 3 April 1918)

Royal Engineers

  • 1/1st Lowland Field Company (embarked for France 15 December 1914 and joined 1st Division)
  • 1/2nd Lowland Field Company (joined 29th Division March 1915; returned to 52nd Division 24 February 1916; later numbered 410 Field Company)
  • 3rd Kent Field Company (joined 20 November 1915; to 29th Division 26 February 1916)
  • 2/1st Lowland Field Company (raised after outbreak of war; later numbered 412 Field Company)
  • 2/2nd Lowland Field Company (raised after outbreak of war; later numbered 413 Field Company)
  • Lowland Divisional Signal Company
    • No 1 Section
    • No 2 (Scottish Rifles) Section
    • No 3 (Highland Light Infantry) Section
    • No 4 (South Scottish) Section

Pioneers

Machine Gun Corps

  • No 52 Battalion (formed 28 April 1918)
    • 155th MG Company (from 155th Brigade)
    • 156th MG Company (from 155th Brigade)
    • 157th MG Company (from 155th Brigade)
    • 211th MG Company (from XXI Corps 1 April 1918)

Royal Army Medical Corps

  • 1st Lowland Field Ambulance
  • 2nd Lowland Field Ambulance
  • 3rd Lowland Field Ambulance
  • Lowland Clearing Hospital
  • 52nd Sanitary Section (left Glasgow 3 June 1915, joined 27 July 1915; to 10th (Irish) Division early October 1915, rejoined 22 October 1917; left 4 May 1918)
  • 18th Sanitary Section (joined October 1915, to 10th (Irish) Division 24 October 1917)

Divisional Train, Army Service Corps

  • 1/1st Lowland Divisional Transport and Supply Column (became 52nd Divisional Train; to 10th (Irish) Division October 1915)
    • 1st (HQ) Company (became 475 Company)
    • 2nd Company (became 476 Company)
    • 3rd (Scottish Rifle Brigade) Company (became 477 Company)
    • 4th (Highland Light Infantry Brigade) Company (became 478 Company)
    • Lothian Brigade
      Company (independent of division)
    • Lowland Mounted Brigade Company (independent of division)
  • 31st Divisional Train (joined and retitled 52nd Divisional Train March 1916)
    • 217, 218, 219, 220 (Horse Transport) Companies
    • 1076 (Motor Transport) Company (formed in UK April 1918, joined in France; later to GHQ Reserve)
    • 52nd Divisional Ambulance Workshop (previously 31st Divisional Ambulance Workshop, joined by 21 April 1916; absorbed in Divisional Supply Column June 1917)

Others

  • 1st Lowland Mobile Veterinary Section, Army Veterinary Corps
  • 984th Divisional Employment Company (formed by 27 April 1918)
52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division (1939–1945)

155th Infantry Brigade[55]

156th Infantry Brigade[56]

157th Infantry Brigade[28]

  • 1st Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders (left 12 March 1945)
  • 5th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
  • 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (left 12 February 1945)
  • 157th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 12 May 1940, disbanded 7 January 1941)
  • 5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (from 12 February 1945)
  • 7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (from 14 March 1945)

Divisional troops

51st/52nd Infantry Division (Cold War)

153 (Highland) Brigade

154 (Highland) Brigade

157 (Lowland) Brigade

Divisional troops

52nd Infantry Division (Cold War, incomplete)

See also

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ This is the war establishment, the on-paper strength, of a British infantry division for 1944/1945.[4]
  2. ^ formed during war training, broken up as reinforcements 1 August 1915; reformed 27 March 1916, left 8 December 1917; rejoined 1 April 1918; broken up for drafts 4 May 1918
Citations
  1. ^ "52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division 1930 - 1938" (PDF). British Military History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ "52nd Infantry Division 1944-1945" (PDF). British Military History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b Beckett 2008, 178.
  4. ^ Joslen, p. 129
  5. .
  6. ^ Graham Watson, The Territorial Army, 1947 Archived 5 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, v1.0, 10 March 2002
  7. ^ Westlake 1992, p. 3
  8. ^ a b Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914". Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  9. .
  10. ^ "BBC On this day 8 October 1952". BBC. 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  11. ^ "The Battle of Gully Ravine rages at Gallipoli". History Channel. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  12. ^ "12 July 1915". Gallipoli Association. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  13. .
  14. ^ Erickson 2007 p. 99
  15. .
  16. ^ "The Hundred Days Offensive, August to November 1918". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  17. ^ "52nd (Lowland) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Joslen, p. 85
  19. ^ a b c d Joslen, p. 86
  20. ^ Chappell, p. 34
  21. ^ "Sir Edmund Hakewill-Smith". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  22. ^ Buckingham, p. 64
  23. ^ Buckingham, p. 65
  24. ^ Buckingham, p. 79
  25. ^ Ellis, p. 30
  26. ^ Joslen, pp. 342–345
  27. ^ Stacey, p. 388
  28. ^ a b c Joslen, p. 344
  29. ^ Stacey, p. 398
  30. ^ Monty's Men - The British Army and the Liberation of Europe, p. 248, John Buckley.
  31. ^ Stacey, p. 412
  32. ^ Stacey, p. 414
  33. ^ Stacey, p. 430
  34. ^ Stacey, p. 436
  35. ^ Lindsay, p. 108
  36. ^ Joslen, pp. 342-344
  37. ^ White, p. 157
  38. ^ White, p. 367
  39. ^ "My Bit in World War II (Chapter 5)". BBC. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  40. ^ Stacey, p. 622
  41. ^ a b Graham Watson (10 March 2002). "United Kingdom: The Territorial Army 1947". orbat.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  42. ^ a b Litchfield, Appendix 5.
  43. ^ a b c "British Army units from 1945 on - AGRA". british-army-units1945on.co.uk.
  44. ^ Reorganizing Territorials, the Times, 21 July 1960
  45. ^ "No. 44539". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 March 1968. p. 2655.
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Mackie, Army Senior Appointments, p.156
  47. ^ a b c d e f g Becke, pp. 109–15.
  48. ^ Monthly Army List, August 1914.
  49. ^ Conrad.
  50. ^ "52nd (Lowland) Division – The Long, Long Trail".
  51. ^ Perry, pp. 87–8.
  52. ^ "52 (L) Division at Regimental Warpath". Archived from the original on 28 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  53. ^ Thompson, 52nd Div, p. 4–7, 514.
  54. ^ Young, Annex D.
  55. ^ Joslen, p. 342
  56. ^ Joslen, p. 343

References/further reading

2004 reprint from Naval and Military Press published as

External links