The 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. The brigade saw active service in both the First and the

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.

Origins

The Scottish Rifles Brigade was originally a Volunteer Infantry Brigade formed in 1902 when the former Glasgow Brigade of the

Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a Social movement, popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increa ...

was split up. The four Volunteer Battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) constituted one brigade, while the four Volunteer Battalions of the

Highland Light Infantry The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First World War, First and World War II, Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 t ...

formed the other (the Highland Light Infantry Brigade, later the 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade of the TF).''Army List'', various dates. From 1902 to 1908 the Scottish Rifles Brigade had the following composition: * 1st Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Corps at 128 West Princes Street, Glasgow * 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) at

Hamilton, South Lanarkshire Hamilton (; ) is a large town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It sits south-east of Glasgow, south-west of Edinburgh and north of Carlisle. It is situated on t ...

, * 3rd Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Corps at Victoria Road, Glasgow * 4th Volunteer Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) at 138 Stirling Road, Glasgow * Bearer Company,

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

, later an Army Service Corps Company The Brigade Headquarters (HQ) was at 149 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, and the brigade commander from 1 June 1906 was retired

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

E.C. Browne.

Territorial Force

After the

Volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

were subsumed into the new

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

(TF) under the

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the e ...

of 1908, the Scottish Rifles Brigade formed part of the Lowland Division of the TF with the following composition:Thompson, pp. 3–5.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 109–15.52 (L) Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>Cameronians at Long, Log Trail.
/ref> * 5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), at Glasgow * 6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), at Muirhall, Hamilton * 7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), at Victoria Road, Glasgow * 8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), at Cathedral Street, Glasgow

First World War

The Lowland Division was mobilised for full-time war service in early August 1914, and most of the men, when asked, volunteered for overseas service. From November 1914 to March 1915, many units of the division were posted elsewhere, mainly to reinforce the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front, most of which had suffered heavy casualties. The 5th and 6th battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were sent to the Western Front and replaced by the 4th and 7th battalions of the

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

. In May 1915 the division was numbered as the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the brigades were also numbered, the Scottish Rifles Brigade becoming 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade and the battalions were redesignated, becoming '1/7th Royal Scots', to distinguish them from their 2nd Line units being formed in the 195th (2/1st Scottish Rifles) Brigade, part of the 65th (2nd Lowland) Division. During the war the brigade served with the division in the Middle Eastern theatre, fighting in 1917 in the

Battle of Romani The Battle of Romani was the last ground attack of the Central Powers on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during the First World War. The battle was fought between 3 and 5 August 1916 near the Egyptian town o ...

, the

First Battle of Gaza The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26 March 1917 during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), which was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from th ...

, Second Battle of Gaza and Third Battle of Gaza during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and, in 1918, served on the Western Front, fighting in the

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...

Order of battle

* 1/5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) ''(to 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)'' * 1/4th (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) Battalion, Royal Scots ''(from April 1915)'' * 1/7th Battalion,

''(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)''

Inter-war period

After the war the brigade and division were disbanded as was the whole of the Territorial Force. The Territorial Force was reformed in the 1920s as the Territorial Army (TA) and the 52nd Division was reconstituted as was the brigade which was redesignated as the 156th (Scottish Rifles) Infantry Brigade with the same unit it had pre-war. In 1921, the 5th and 8th Battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were amalgamated as the 5th/8th Battalion and were replaced by the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers from the 155th (East Scottish) Infantry Brigade. Shortly after, the brigade was redesignated the 156th (West Scottish) Infantry Brigade. In the late 1930s many of the Territorial Army's infantry battalions were converted into other roles, mainly anti-aircraft and searchlight units. In late 1938, all British infantry brigades were reduced from four to three battalions and the 5th/8th Cameronians was chosen to be converted and became 5th/8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (56th Searchlight Regiment). In 1939 the brigade was redesignated 156th Infantry Brigade.

Second World War

The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B13788

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the brigade served with the division during Operation Aerial in 1940 in France to cover the withdrawal of troops of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) which was being evacuated from France. From May 1942 to June 1944 the division was trained in

mountain warfare Mountain warfare or alpine warfare is warfare in mountains or similarly rough terrain. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, hazards, and factors of combat and movement through rough terrain, as well as the strategies ...

yet were never used in the role. They were then trained in airlanding operations but were again never utilised in this role either, due mainly to the disastrous events that occurred during the

Battle of Arnhem The Battle of Arnhem was fought during the Second World War, as part of the Allies of World War II, Allied Operation Market Garden. It took place around the Netherlands, Dutch city of Arnhem and vicinity from 17 to 26 September 1944. The Alli ...

where the British 1st Airborne Division was virtually destroyed. In October 1944 the 52nd Division was sent to the Western Front to join the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

and were attached to the First Canadian Army and fought in the

Battle of the Scheldt The Battle of the Scheldt in World War II was a series of military operations to open up the Scheldt river between Antwerp and the North Sea for shipping, so that Antwerp's port could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe. The oper ...

where the 52nd Division gained an excellent reputation. The 156th Infantry Brigade, with the 52nd, took part in Operation Blackcock in early 1945, later taking part in the

Western Allied invasion of Germany The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Allies of World War II, Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II, European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the Allied ...

, and ended the war by the

River Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

. During Blackcock,

Fusilier ''Fusilier'' is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While ''fusilier'' is derived from the 17th-century French word – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in cont ...

Dennis Donnini of the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers was posthumously awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

. At the age of 19, he was the youngest British or

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

soldier to be awarded the VC during the Second World War.

Order of battle

156th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: * 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers * 6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) * 7th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (''to 13 March 1945'') * 156th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company ''(formed 5 December 1939, disbanded 7 January 1941)'' * 1st Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders (''from 14 March 1945'')

Commanders

The following officers commanded 156 Brigade during the war: *

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

F.G. Chalmer ''(until 16 April 1940)'' * Brigadier H.J. Simson ''(from 16 April until 21 May 1940)'' * Brigadier J.S.N. Fitzgerald ''(from 21 May until 19 August 1940)'' * Brigadier I.C. Grant ''(from 19 August 1940 until 3 December 1941)'' * Brigadier C.N. Barclay ''(from 3 December 1941 until 27 August 1943)'' * Lieutenant-Colonel J. Greenshields ''(

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

, from 27 August to 22 November 1943)'' * Brigadier C.N. Barclay ''(from 22 November 1943 until 2 April 1945)'' * Brigadier G.D. Renny ''(from 2 April 1945)''

Victoria Cross recipients

Dennis Donnini, 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Second World War

Notes

Bibliography

* A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938. * * * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * R.R. Thompson, ''The Fifty-Second (Lowland) Division 1914–1918'', Glasgow: Maclehose, Jackson 1923/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, .

External sources

Mark Conrad, ''The British Army, 1914'' (archive site)

The Long, Long Trail

{{British infantry brigades of the Second World War Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations of Scotland Military units and formations established in 1908 Military units and formations disestablished in 1947