Princess Louise’s (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders)

Regimental Depot

Stirling Castle

Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Dinapore, India. Returned to England, landing Plymouth on 19 November 1914. Moved to Winchester and came under orders of 81st Brigade in 27th Division.
20 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
27 November 1915: departed from Marseilles.
13 December 1915: landed at Salonika and then served in that theatre for the rest of the war.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : at Fort George.
14 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne as Lines of Communication troops.
22 August 1914 : came under orders of 19th Infantry Brigade, which was not allocated to a Division but was an independent command at this time.
12 October 1914 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
31 May 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 27th Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 2nd Division.
25 November 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 33rd Division and battalion transferred to 98th Brigade in same Division.
Article: Killed in his billet: 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 27 August 1917

An advertisement of early 1915. The plaque that is illustrated still exists, fixed to a stone cairn, and is located at Strathnaver, a largely abandoned former community in Sutherland.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Stirling. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Woolwich, going on in May 1915 to Norton Hall Camp near Edinburgh and in March 1917 to Dreghorn. Moved to Kinsale in November 1917.

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Paisley. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Devonport, going on in November 1914 to Sunderland, February 1915 to Plymouth. Moved in May 1915 to Edinburgh and finally to Dunbar in July 1918 as part of the Forth Garrison.

2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. A group of men in the trenches of the Bois-Grenier sector. Note the jam-tin bomb and rifle grenade, brushwood revetting and dug-out in parapet. One man has an accordion. Imperial War Museum image Q48958.
2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. A group of men in the trenches of the Bois-Grenier sector. Note the jam-tin bombs and rifle grenades, brushwood revetting and ‘funk hole’ dug-out in the trench parapet. One man has an accordion. Imperial War Museum image Q48958.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion
August 1914 : at Greenock. Attached as Army Troops to the Black Watch Brigade on Scottish coast defences.
24 April 1915 : moved to Dunfermline and transferred to the HLI Brigade in the Lowland Division.
11 May 1915 : formation became 157th Brigade in 52nd (Lowland) Division.
1 June 1915 : sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Egypt (12 June) and Mudros (1 July), landing at Cape Helles on 3 July.
8 January 1916 : evacuated from Gallipoli to Mudros and arrived Egypt in February.
11 April 1918 : Division left Egypt, battalion arrived Marseilles 17 April for service on Western Front.
26 August 1918 : transferred to 103rd Brigade in 34th Division.

1/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion
August 1914 : at Paisley. Part of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
15 April 1915 : transferred to 1st Highland Brigade in same Division.
2 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne in France.
12 May 1915 : formation retitled to 152nd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
12 June 1916 : transferred as Pioneer Battalion to 5th Division.
November 1917 : moved to Italy, but returned to France in April 1918.
5 October 1918 : converted back to infantry and transferred to 153rd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.

1/7th Battalion
August 1914 : at Stirling. Part of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade in the Highland Division.
16 December 1914 : left Division and landed in France.
6 January 1915 : came under orders of 10th Brigade in 4th Division.
27 May 1915 : amalgamated with 1/9th Bn, resuming identity on 20 July.
1 March 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.

1/8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion
August 1914 : at Dunoon. Part of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
15 April 1915 : transferred to 1st Highland Brigade in same Division.
May 1915 : landed in France.
12 May 1915 : formation retitled to 152nd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
7 February 1918 : transferred to 183rd Brigade in 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
1 June 1918 : transferred to 45th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Absorbed troops from disbanded 11th Bn.

1/9th (The Dumbartonshire) Battalion
August 1914 : at Dumbarton. Part of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
Early 1915 : left Division and landed in France.
23 February 1915 : came under orders of 81st Brigade in 27th Division.
21 May 1915 : transferred to 10th Brigade in 4th Division and on 27 May amalgamated with 1/7th Bn, resuming identity on 20 July. Left Division and became Corps Troops to VI Corps.
27 February 1916 : moved to Rouen base and used as a labouring and draft-supplying unit.

2/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion
Formed at Greenock in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
30 November 1915 : absorbed by 2/8th Bn (temporarily named 9th Bn).

2/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion
Formed at Paisley in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
January 1915 : attached to 2nd A&SH Brigade, 2nd Highland Division. Moved to Falkirk in August 1915 and Angus for the winter.
October 1915 : formation became 193rd Brigade in 64th (2nd Highland) Division.
Was called No 10 Battalion between November 1915 and January 1916.
Moved to Norwich in March 1916, going on to Taverham (April), Norwich (October). Disbanded on 13 March 1918.

2/7th Battalion
Formed at Stirling in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
Record similar to 2/6th Bn except disbanded in autumn 1917.
Was called No 11 Battalion between November 1915 and January 1916.

2/8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion
Formed at Dunoon in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
Record similar to 2/6th Bn except absorbed 2/5th Bn on 30 November 1915 and was disbanded 19 July 1918.
Early May 1915: left Dunoon and moved to Acreknowe Camp, Stobs near Hawick.
Late June 1915: moved to Falkirk.
Was called No 9 Battalion between November 1915 and January 1916.

2/9th (The Dumbartonshire) Battalion
Formed at Dumbarton in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
Record similar to 2/6th Bn except disbanded in October 1917.
Was called No 12 Battalion between November 1915 and January 1916.

3/5th, 3/6th, 3/7th, 3/8th and 3/9th Battalions
Formed at home bases around April 1915 and moved to Ripon later in the year.
8 April 1916 : renamed as Reserve Battalions at Ripon.
1 September 1916 : 5th absorbed all the other Bns. Moved to Galashiels in May 1918 where it remained as part of the Forth Garrison.

16th Battalion
On 1 January 1917, the 3rd Provisional Bn TF became the 16th Bn. The 3rd had been formed in May 1915 from home service personnel of the regiment. Based at Sandwich.

Memorial
The regimental badge, cut into a CWGC war grave headstone. Image courtesy of the Leo Reynolds collection at flickr.com, with thanks

Battalions of the New Armies

10th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Stirling in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 27th Brigade in 9th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Bordon.
Moved to billets in New Alresford in November and in February 1915 went to Bramshott.
11 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
6 May 1916 : transferred to 26th Brigade in same Division.
17 February 1918 : transferred to 97th Brigade in 32nd Division.

11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Stirling in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 45th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Aldershot and in November went to Bramshott. Moved on in February 1915 to Basingstoke and in April to Chisledon.
9 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
9 June 1918 : reduced to cadre, surplus troops going to 1/8th Bn.
26 August 1918 : disbanded in France after a short period under command of 118th Brigade in 39th Division as as reinforcmenet Battalion to X Corps.

12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Stirling in September 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 77th Brigade in 26th Division. Moved to Codford St Mary and went into billets in Bristol in November 1914. Moved to Sutton Veny in April 1915.
20 September 1915 : landed at Boulogne but soon moved and by November 1915 was at Salonika.

13th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Blackheath in November 1914 as a K4 Service Battalion, under command of 106th Brigade of original 35th Division. Moved to White City (London) in January 1915.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion and moved in Dorking. Moved on to Tain in June 1915, then Richmond in October and Dunfermline in June 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 41st Training Reserve Battalion of 9th Reserve Brigade at Dunfermline.

14th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Stirling in early 1915 and moved to Plymouth by June.
September 1915 : moved to Witley and came under command of 118th Brigade in 39th Division.
23 February 1916 : moved to Blackdown and transferred to 120th Brigade in 40th Division.
June 1916 : landed at Le Havre.
7 April 1918 : reduced to cadre and transferred to 90th Brigade in 30th Division. 276 men transferred to the 1/7th Battalion.
15 June 1918 : moved to Boulogne and transferred to 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. Moved to Cowshott and reconstituted on 18 June 1918 by absorbing 17th Bn.
4 July 1918 : landed at Boulogne.

15th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Gailes in November 1915. Moved to Montrose in May 1916, then Lanark next month.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into Training Reserve Battalions of 9th Reserve Brigade at Dunfermline.

17th Battalion
Formed at Deal on 1 June 1918 but absorbed into 14th (Service) Battalion soon afterward.

Other Battalions

No other battalions formed.

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Other regiments of infantry

2nd Division

6th Division

9th (Scottish) Division

14th (Light) Division

15th (Scottish) Division

26th Division

27th Division

30th Division

32nd Division

33rd Division

34th Division

39th Division

40th Division

51st (Highland) Division

52nd (Lowland) Division

61st (2nd South Midland) Division

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