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List of battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

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This is a list of battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), which existed as an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 2006.

Original composition

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When the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot amalgamated with the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, to become Princess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders) in 1881 under the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, nine pre-existent militia and volunteer battalions of Argyllshire, Buteshire, Dumbartonshire, Kinross-shire, Renfrewshire, and Stirlingshire were integrated into the structure of the regiment. Volunteer battalions had been created in reaction to a perceived threat of invasion by France in the late 1850s. Organised as "rifle volunteer corps", they were independent of the British Army and composed primarily of the middle class.

Battalion Formed Formerly
Regular
1st 1881 1st Battalion, 91st Highlanders
2nd 1881 1st Battalion, 93rd Highlanders
Militia
3rd (Militia) 1797 Highland Borderers Light Infantry Militia[1]
4th (Militia) 1793 The Prince of Wales's Royal Renfrew Militia[1]
Volunteers
1st (Renfrewshire) Volunteer 1860 1st Renfrewshire Rifle Volunteers[2]
2nd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer 1860 2nd Renfrewshire Rifle Volunteers[3]
3rd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer 1860 3rd Renfrewshire Rifle Volunteers[4]
4th (Stirlingshire) Volunteer 1860 1st Stirlingshire Rifle Volunteers[5]
5th Volunteer 1861 1st Argyllshire Highland Rifle Volunteers[6]
1st Dumbartonshire Rifle Volunteers (6th VB)[7] 1860
7th (Clackmannan and Kinross) Volunteer 1867 1st Clackmannan and Kinross Rifle Volunteers[8]

Reorganisation

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The Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) was formed in 1908, which the volunteer battalions joined, while the militia battalions transferred to the "Special Reserve". All volunteer battalions were renumbered to create a single sequential order.[9]

Battalion Formerly
5th (Renfrewshire) 1st (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion
6th (Renfrewshire) 2nd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion (on amalgamation with the 3rd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion)
7th 4th (Stirlingshire) Volunteer Battalion (on amalgamation with the 7th (Clackmannan and Kinross) Volunteer Battalion)
8th (The Argyllshire) 5th Volunteer Battalion
9th (Dumbartonshire) 1st Dumbartonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps

First World War

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The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders fielded 27 battalions and lost over 6,900 officers and other ranks during the course of the war.[10] The regiment's territorial components formed duplicate second and third line battalions. As an example, the battalions of the 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were numbered as the 1/5th, 2/5th, and 3/5th respectively, with the 3rd line battalion becoming reserve battalions later on in the war. The Volunteer Training Corps were raised with overage or reserved occupation men early in the war, and were initially self-organised into many small corps, with a wide variety of names. Recognition of the corps by the authorities brought regulation and as the war continued the small corps were formed into battalion sized units of the county Volunteer Regiment. In 1918 these were linked to county regiments.[11]

Battalion Formed Served Fate
Regular[12][13]
1st 1881 Salonika
2nd 1881 Boulogne, as Line of communication troops
Special Reserve[12][13]
3rd (Reserve) 1797 Britain, Ireland
4th (Extra Reserve) 1793 Britain
Territorial Force[12][13]
1/5th (Renfrewshire) 1860 Gallipoli, Western Front See Inter-War
1/6th (Renfrewshire) 1908 Western Front See Inter-War
1/7th 1908 Western Front
1/8th (The Argyllshire) 1861 Western Front
1/9th (The Dumbartonshire) 1860 Western Front See Inter-War
2/5th (Renfrewshire) Greenock, September 1914 Britain Absorbed by 2/8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion on 30 November 1915
2/6th (Renfrewshire) Paisley, September 1914 Britain Disbanded on 13 March 1918
2/7th Stirling, September 1914 Britain Disbanded in Autumn 1917
2/8th (The Argyllshire) Dunoon, September 1914 Britain Disbanded on 19 July 1918
2/9th (The Dumbartonshire) Dumbarton, September 1914 Britain Disbanded in October 1917
3/5th (Renfrewshire),
5th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) from 8 April 1916
April 1915 Britain Disbanded in 1919
3/6th (Renfrewshire),
6th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) from 8 April 1916
April 1915 Britain Absorbed by 5th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916
3/7th (Renfrewshire),
7th (Reserve) from 8 April 1916
April 1915 Britain Absorbed by 5th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916
3/8th (The Argyllshire),
8th (Reserve) from 8 April 1916
April 1915 Britain Absorbed by 5th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916
3/9th (The Dumbartonshire),
9th (The Dumbartonshire) (Reserve) from 8 April 1916
April 1915 Britain Absorbed by 5th (Renfrewshire) (Reserve) Battalion on 1 September 1916
16th 1 January 1917 Britain Disbanded 1919
New Army[12][13]
10th (Service) Stirling, August 1914 Western Front Disbanded 1919
11th (Service) Stirling, September 1914 Western Front Disbanded 26 August 1918
12th (Service) Stirling, August 1914 Salonika Disbanded 1920
13th (Service),
13th (Reserve) from 10 April 1915
Blackheath, November 1914 Western Front Became the 41st Training Reserve Battalion, 9th Reserve Brigade on 1 September 1916
14th (Service) Stirling, early 1915 Western Front Disbanded 1919
15th (Reserve) Gailes, November 1915 Britain Absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions, 9th Reserve Brigade
17th Deal, 1 June 1918 Britain Absorbed into 14th (Service) Battalion in 1918
Volunteer Training Corps[14]
1st Battalion Argyllshire Volunteer Regiment Dunoon Disbanded post war
1st Battalion Dumbartonshire Volunteer Regiment Helensbrugh Disbanded post war
2nd Battalion Dumbartonshire Volunteer Regiment Kirkintilloch, Glasgow Disbanded post war
1st Battalion Kinross-shire Volunteer Regiment Kinross Disbanded post war
1/1st Battalion Renfrewshire Volunteer Regiment Paisley Disbanded post war
2/1st Battalion Renfrewshire Volunteer Regiment Greenock Disbanded post war
1st Battalion Stirlingshire Volunteer Regiment Stirling Disbanded post war

Between the wars

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By 1921, all of the regiment's war-raised battalions had disbanded. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders did not, however, return to its original peacetime size; two of its territorial battalions were amalgamated shortly after the war ended. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to the Supplementary Reserve in 1924; however, its battalions were effectively placed in 'suspended animation'. As World War II approached, the Territorial Army was reorganised in the mid-1930s and many of its infantry battalions were converted to other roles, especially anti-aircraft.

Battalion Fate
5th (Renfrewshire) Amalgamated with the 6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, to form 5th/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion in 1921
6th (Renfrewshire) Amalgamated with the 5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, to form 5th/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion in 1921
9th Transferred to the Royal Artillery, November 1938 and became 54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[15]

Second World War

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The regiment's expansion during the Second World War was modest compared to 1914–1918. National Defence Companies were combined to create a new "Home Defence" battalion, and in addition to this, three battalions of the Home Guard were affiliated to the regiment, wearing its cap badge.

Battalion Formed Served Fate
Regular
1st 1881 North Africa, Crete, East Africa, Palestine, Italy See Post-World War II
2nd 1881 Malaya, Singapore, France, Western Front See Post-World War II
Supplementary Reserve
3rd 1797 See Post-World War II
4th 1793 See Post-World War II
Territorial Army
5th (Renfrewshire) 1939 France and Belgium Transferred to the Royal Artillery, November 1941 and became 91st Anti-Tank Regiment[16]
6th 1939 France and Belgium Transferred to the Royal Artillery, November 1941 and became 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment[17]
7th 1908 France, North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, North West Europe See Post-World War II
8th 1861 France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy See Post-World War II
8th 1861 France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy See Post-World War II
10th 1939 Britain Reformed the 7th Battalion in 1940
11th (Argyll and Dumbarton) 1939 Britain Reformed the 8th Battalion in 1940
12th (Home Defence) November 1939 Britain Redesignated as 30th Battalion in December 1941
13th (Home Defence) December 1939 Britain Absorbed into the 12th (Home Defence) Battalion, in August 1940
14th (Home Defence) December 1939 Britain Disbanded in October 1940
15th May 1940, by redesignation of 50th (Holding) Battalion Britain Reconstituted as the 2nd Battalion, in 1942
30th December 1941, by redesignation of 12th (Home Defence) Battalion Britain Disbanded in January 1943
Others
50th (Holding) 1940 Britain Redesignated as 15th Battalion in May 1940
70th (Young Soldier) September 1940 Britain Disbanded 1942
Home Guard[18]
Battalion Headquarters Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki) Battalion Headquarters Formation Sign (dark blue on khaki)
1st Oban ARG 1 2nd Dunoon ARG 2
3rd Campletown ARG 3

Post-World War II

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In the immediate post-war period, the army was significantly reduced: nearly all infantry regiments had their first and second battalions amalgamated and the Supplementary Reserve disbanded.

Battalion Fate
1st Amalgamated with 2nd Battalion on 30 September 1948
2nd Amalgamated with 1st Battalion on 30 September 1948
3rd Disbanded in 1953
4th Disbanded in 1953
7th Disbanded and concurrently amalgamated with the 8th Battalion on 1 April 1967
8th Disbanded and concurrently amalgamated with the 7th Battalion on 1 April 1967

Strategic Defence Review

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Battalion Fate
7th/8th Amalgamated with 3rd (V) Battalion, The Black Watch; and 3rd (V) Battalion, The Highlanders to form the 51st Highland Regiment, on 1 July 1999

Prior to amalgamation

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The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was amalgamated with the Royal Scots, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Royal Highland Fusiliers, Black Watch, and the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons), to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006, under Delivering Security in a Changing World. The 1st battalion became the 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland.

References

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  1. ^ a b "About Scotland - The history of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 427. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 431. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 434. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 440. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 446. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 452. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Records of the Scottish volunteer force, 1859-1908" (PDF). p. 458. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  9. ^ "ASH- Rifle Volunteers Lineage". Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Visit Scotland- The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. ^ Westlake pp. 4-7
  12. ^ a b c d "The Long, Long Trail - The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918". Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - WW1 Battalion". Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  14. ^ Westlake pps. 108, 115, 120, 126, 128
  15. ^ Barker, F.R.P. (1950), History of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 9th Battalion 54th Light A.A. Regiment 1939-45, Thomas Nelson
  16. ^ "The Wartime Memories Project - 91st Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  17. ^ "The Wartime Memories Project - 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  18. ^ "History of the Home Guard". Retrieved 11 June 2022.