Regimental Depot
Ayr Infantry Barracks
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Gosport. Part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division.
Landed at Le Havre 14 August 1914. The brigade was attached to 28th Division between 17 February and 2 April 1915.
5 April 1916 : transferred to 8th Brigade in same Division.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Gibraltar. Returned to England, landing September 1914, and came under orders of 21st Brigade, 7th Division.
Landed at Zeebrugge on 6 October 1914.
19 December 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 30th Division.
19 December 1915 : transferred to 90th Brigade in same Division.
7 April 1918 : transferred to 120th Brigade, 40th Division.
26 April 1918 : transferred to South African Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division.
13 September 1918 : transferred to 28th Brigade in same Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Ayr. Moved immediately on mobilisation to Camp Fort Matilda (between Greenock and Gourock). It continued in its primary role as a training unit but was also considered part of the Clyde Defences. The battalion remained in this location throughout the war.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Kilmarnock. Part of South Scottish Brigade, Lowland Division. Moved in August 1914 to Stirling.
May 1915 : formation became 155th Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division.
Sailed from Liverpool on 21 May 1915, going via Lemnos to Gallipoli, where the battalion disembarked at “V” and “W” Beaches of Cape Helles on 6 June 1915.
8 January 1916: the battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli. After a period at Lemnos, it landed at Alexandria in Egypt on 4 February 1916.
Moved to France with the Division in April 1918.
1/5th Battalion
August 1914: in Ayr.
Record same as 1/4th Bn.
The Ardeer Company
August 1914 : in Ardeer. This Company had been formed in 1913 as a local guard by the Nobel’s Explosive Works. It appears to have been disbanded in November 1914, having handed over guard duties to the Scottish Rifles, although it continued to appear in the Army List.
2/4th Battalion
Formed at Kilmarnock in October 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Came under orders of 194th Brigade, 65th Division. Stayed in UK until the Division was broken up in March 1918. By summer 1915 was at Rumbling Bridge at Kinross; moved to Falkirk in November 1915 and merged with 2/5th Bn and 2/5th Border Regiment to form 13th Bn (not the same as the battalion shown as 13th below). Resumed identity in January 1916 and absorbed 2/5th Bn. Moved to Springfield Camp at Chelmsford in March 1916 and went on to Ballykinler in Ireland in January 1917. Moved in August 1917 to Oughterard in Galway and then in November 1917 to Dublin and thence the Curragh. The Bn was disbanded in Ireland on 15 May 1918.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Ayr in October 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Came under orders of 194th Brigade, 65th Division. Stayed in UK until the Division was broken up in March 1918. By summer 1915 was at Rumbling Bridge at Kinross; moved to Falkirk in November 1915 and merged with 2/4th Bn and 2/5th Border Regiment to form 13th Bn (see below). Resumed identity in January 1916 and was absorbed by 2/4th Bn.
3/4th and 3/5th Battalions
Formed at Kilmarnock and Ayr in May 1915. By late 1915 had moved to Ripon.
8 April 1916 : became Reserve Bns at Catterick and 4th then absorbed 5th on 1 September 1916.In November 1917 the 4th Reserve Bn moved to Edinburgh and next month to Kinross, where it then remained as part of the Forth Garrison.
11th Battalion
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 11th Scottish Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed in June 1915 from “Home Service only” personnel.
27 April 1918 : became a Garrison Guard Bn and went to France 5 May 1918. (The designation was dropped in July 1918).
12 May 1918 : came under orders of 178th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division.
12th (Ayr & Lanark Yeomanry) Battalion
Formed in Egypt on 14 January 1917 from dismounted yeomanry and placed in 229th Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
1 May 1918 : embarked at Alexandria for Marseilles, landing 7 May.
21 June 1918 : came under orders of 94th Brigade, 31st Division.
The regimental badge as portrayed on a CWGC headstone. Image courtesy of the excellent PaulHP collection at flickr, with my thanks.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Ayr in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Bordon and in February 1915 to Bramshott.
11 May 1915 ; landed at Boulogne.
7 May 1916 : transferred to 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division and amalgamated with 7th Bn to become 6/7th Bn.
21 February 1918 : transferred to 59th (2nd North Midland) Division as Pioneer Battalion.
10 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength.
18 June 1918 : transferred to 47th Brigade, 16th Division and returned to England, moving to Deal.
2 July 1918 : absorbed by 18th Scottish Rifles.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Ayr in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Aldershot and in November 1914 went on to Bramshott. Moved to billets in Basingstoke in February 1915 and in March went to Draycott Camp at Chisledon.
9 July 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
13 May 1916 : amalgamated with 6th Bn and ceased to exist.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Ayr on 1 October 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 77th Brigade, 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.
9th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Gourock on 23 October 1914 as a Service Battalion of K4.
8 April 1915 : became a Reserve battalion and moved to Paisley. By August 1915 was at Stobs and October at Catterick. In April 1916 moved to Inverkeithing.
September 1916 : converted into 55th Training Reserve Battalion of 12th Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
10th (Works) Battalion
Formed in Ayr, June 1916. Remained in UK throughout the war; moved to Dumbarton. In April 1917 it was converted into the 4th Labour Bn of the Labour Corps.
13th (Home Service) Battalion
Formed in Deal, Kent, on 27 April 1918, to replace 11th Bn. Moved to Sandwich in July 1918 and remained there.
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed in Gailes in October 1915. Went to India in February 1916 and remained there throughout the war under command of Jhansi Brigade in 5th (Mhow) Division.
2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion
Formed in early 1916 but was soon absorbed by the 1st Garrison Battalion.
Infantry Labour Companies
The following companies were raised by Scottish Command in February 1917 and later transferred into the new Labour Corps:
1st Infantry Labour Company at Dundee. It also absorbed the 1st Labour Company of the 3rd Highland Light Infantry.
2nd Infantry Labour Company at Invergordon. It also absorbed the 2nd Labour Company of the 3rd King;s Own Scottish Borderers.
3rd Infantry Labour Company at Blairgowrie.
Links
59th (2nd North Midland) Division