Regimental depot
Castlehill Barracks, Aberdeen
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Plymouth. Part of 8th Brigade in 3rd Division.
14 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne.
12 September 1914 : left Division and moved to Army Troops, after taking heavy casualties at Le Cateau. Returned to brigade 30 September 1914.
19 October 1915 : transferred to 76th Brigade in same Division.
3 April 1919: cadre entrained at Lindenthal (Cologne) for return to England.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Cairo. Returned to England, landing Southampton on 1 October 1914.
Moved to Lyndhurst and came under command of 20th Brigade in 7th Division.
7 October 1914 : landed at Zeebrugge.
November 1917 : moved with Division to Italy.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Aberdeen. A training unit of the Special Reserve, it remained there throughout the war. Located at King Street Barracks with detachments at Balnagask and Stoneywood.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : at Woolmanhill in Aberdeen. Part of Gordon Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
20 February 1915 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre, and a week later joined the 8th Brigade in 3rd Division at La Clytte.
10 October 1915 : transferred to 76th Brigade in same Division.
23 February 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division. Late in 1916, absorbed the Shetland Companies.
1/5th (Buchan and Formartin) Battalion
August 1914 : at Peterhead. Part of Gordon Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
3 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
12 May 1915 : formation retitled to 153rd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
2 February 1918 : transferred to 183rd Brigade in 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
1 June 1918 : transferred to 44th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division and absorbed 8/10th Bn a week later.
1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion
August 1914 : at Keith. Part of Gordon Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
10 November 1914 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre, and on 5 December joined the 20th Brigade in 7th Division.
5 January 1916 ; left the Division and moved to Lines of Communication. The battalion provided guard and escort detachments in the areas of Le Havre, Rouen, Abbeville and Dieppe.
1 June 1916 : transferred to 152nd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
6 October 1918 : amalgamated with 1/7th Bn to form 6/7th Bn.
The memorial to the 6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion, erected at Keith. From the excellent website Kinnethmont History, with my thanks.
1/7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion
August 1914 : at Banchory. Part of Gordon Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
3 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
12 May 1915 : formation retitled to 153rd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
6 October 1918 : amalgamated with 1/6th Bn to form 6/7th Bn.
The Shetland Companies
August 1914 : Had two Companies, both in Lerwick. Army Troops attached to Gordon Brigade in Highland Division. Movements obscure but known to be providing guard detachments for wireless and cable installations in the Shetlands.
June 1915 : moved to France and joined 51st (Highland) Division, possibly attached to a Bn of Gordons in 153rd Brigade. Absorbed into 1/4th Bn late in 1916 after suffering casualties on the Somme.
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Aberdeen in September 1914 as a second line battalion. Was in Perthshire in 1915.
November 1915 : absorbed into 2/5th Bn.
2/5th (Buchan and Formartin) Battalion
Formed at Peterhead in October 1914 as a second line battalion. Was in Perthshire in 1915.
November 1915 : absorbed the 2/4th Bn and was known as 5th Bn until January 1916. Moved to Norwich in March 1916, Witton hall in January 1917 and was disbanded on 31 July 1918.
2/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion
Formed in Keith in October 1914 as a second line battalion. Was in Perthshire in 1915.
November 1915 : absorbed into 2/7th Bn.
2/7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion
Formed in Banchory in October 1914 as a second line battalion. Was in Perthshire in 1915.
November 1915 : absorbed the 2/6th Bn and was known as 6th Bn until January 1916. Moved to Norwich in March 1916, Witton hall in January 1917 and was disbanded on 30 September 1918.
3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions
Formed at home bases in February (3/4th) and May (others) 1915 and moved to Ripon in November 1915.
8 April 1916 : renamed as Reserve Battalions at Ripon.
1 September 1916 : 4th absorbed the 5th, 6th and 7th Bns. Moved to Edinburgh in February 1918 and on in September to Dreghorn (Kilmarnock) where it remained as part of the Forth Garrison.
Battalions of the New Armies
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Aberdeen in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 26th Brigade in 9th (Scottish) Division.
Moved to Aldershot and in February 1915 went to Bordon.
Landed at Boulogne on 10 May 1915.
7 May 1916 : moved to Bethune and transferred to 44th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Four days later amalgamated with 10th Bn to form 8/10th Bn. Surplus men were posted to 11th Entrenching Battalion being formed at Bethune.
6 June 1918 : reduced to cadre, with surplus troops going to 1/5th Bn. The cadre was disbanded on 17 August 1918.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Aberdeen in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 44th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Aldershot and in November went to Haslemere.
12 January 1915 : became Pioneer Battalion in same Division.
Moved to Perham Down in February 1915, then Andover in May.
Landed at Boulogne in July 1915.
10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Aberdeen in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 44th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Aldershot and in November went to Midhurst. Moved to Chisledon in March 1915, then Tidworth in May.
Landed at Boulogne in July 1915.
11 May 1916 : amalgamated with 8th Bn to form 8/10th Bn.
11th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Aberdeen on 28 October 1914 as a K4 Service Battalion.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion and moved in Dornoch. Moved on to Catterick in October 1915, going on to Bridge of Allan in June 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 42nd Training Reserve Battalion of 9th Reserve Brigade at Bridge of Allan. Became the 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion in October 1917 (see below).
Other Battalions
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed in 1916 and was known as 12th Bn for a short time. Moved to Blairgowrie before going in January 1917 to India.
51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 202nd Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 38th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the Black Watch. A training unit based at Cromer, it was part of 191st Brigade in 64th (2nd Highland) Division. In April 1918 moved to Thetford.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 286th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 40th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 8th (Reserve) Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders. A training unit based at Canterbury, it was part of 202nd Brigade in 67th Division. In March 1918 moved to Colchester.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 42nd Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders (see above). A basic recruit training unit based at Tillicoultry, it was part of Lowland Reserve Brigade.
Links
Other British infantry regiments
61st (2nd South Midland) Division