The 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers was a Scottish Volunteer unit of the British Army. Originally raised in Glasgow as part of the Highland Light Infantry from 1859, it later became a battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). During World War I it served on the Western Front and in Ireland. Converted into an anti-aircraft regiment just before World War II, it served during The Blitz and in the campaign in North West Europe, and continued in air defence role in the postwar years until 1955.
Origin An invasion scare in 1859 led to the emergence of the Volunteer Movement, and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) began to be organised throughout Great Britain.Beckett.Spiers, pp. 163–8. The first drill meeting of the 1st Lanarkshire (or Glasgow 1st Western) Rifle Volunteer Corps was held in the playground of The Glasgow Academy in Elmbank Street, Glasgow, on 27 July 1859. Its services as one company were offered on 5 August and were accepted on 24 September 1859, with Sir Archibald Campbell of Succoth, 3rd Baronet (1825–66), as Captain. The unit was entirely self-supporting, with all its expenses paid by its members.Grierson, pp. 16, 220–7, Plate XX.Westlake, Rifle Volunteers, pp. 125–36.Burke's.
On 28 February 1860 the 1st Lanarkshire RVC was expanded by the amalgamation of a number of the smaller RVCs that had sprung into existence in Glasgow, with Sir Archibald Campbell promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant on 6 March. In June 1860 it was divided into two battalions:Frederick, pp. 72–4.Beckett, p. 60; Appendix VII.Army List, various dates.
1st Battalion No 1 Company – from 1st (Glasgow 1st Western) Lanarkshire RVC No 2 Company – from 9th (Glasgow 1st Bankers) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from members of the banking profession, with several of the banks subscribing towards the arms and equipment of the members, services accepted 10 October 1859 No 3 Company – from 11th (Glasgow 2nd Western) Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 4 November 1859 No 4 Company – from 15th (Procurators) Lanarkshire RVC, formed after a meeting at the Faculty Hall on 23 September 1859 by members of the legal profession, services accepted 5 December 1859 No 5 Company – from 17th (Stockbrokers and Accountants) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from men employed in stockbrokers' and accountants' offices with an initial financial contribution from the Glasgow Stock Exchange and the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries, services accepted 5 December 1859 No 6 Company – from 33rd (1st Partick) Lanarkshire RVC, a self-supporting company recruited in the Partick Division of Glasgow, services accepted 22 December 1859 No 7 Company – from 39th Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from employees of shipping companies, services accepted 29 December 1859 No 8 Company – from 79th (Glasgow 3rd Western) Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 29 March 1860
2nd Battalion No 9 Company – from 2nd (University of Glasgow) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from professors, graduates and students of Glasgow University, services accepted 24 September 1859 No 10 Company – from 18th Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from employees of Messrs Wylie & Lochhead, a Glasgow firm of furnishers and undertakers, with Robert Downie Wylie as captain, John Wylie as lieutenant, and William Lochhead as ensign, services accepted 5 December 1859 No 11 Company – from 50th (1st Press Corps) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from newspaper employees and pressmen, services accepted 10 January 1860 No 12 Company – from 53rd Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from employees of the warehousing, general wholesale and retail drapery firms and J & W Campbell Ltd, with a financial contribution from J.W. Campbell, services accepted 30 January 1860 No 13 Company – from 63rd Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from employees of the baking, grain and provisions trades, whose firms contributed financially, services accepted 22 February 1860, joined 1st Corps March 1860 No 14 Company – from 72nd (Fine Arts) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from Glasgow jewellers, silversmiths, engravers, watch and clockmakers, services accepted 17 February 1860, joined 1st Corps March 1860 No 15 Company – from 76th (Port Dundas) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from men working in the wharves, stores, distilleries, sawmills and sugar works at Port Dundas, services accepted 26 March 1860, joined 1st Corps April 1860 No 16 Company – from 77th (City Rifle Guard or 2nd University) Lanarkshire RVC – had existed for a few months as a drill class at Glasgow University, but recruits were mainly from the mercantile community, services accepted 8 March 1860, joined 1st Corps in April 1860
The ranks of the 1st and 2nd Western Companies provided many officers for other RVCs. Henry Campbell-Bannerman, a future prime minister, served as lieutenant in the 53rd RVC, becoming captain in 1867; he was a nephew of the founder of J. & W Campbell and was a partner in the firm.
After his death in 1866, Sir Archibald Campbell was succeeded as Lt-Col Commandant by his brother, Sir George Campbell, 4th Baronet, formerly a captain in the Royal Dragoons.
In 1863 No 1 Company as disbanded and No 14 was absorbed into No 15. The following year No 7 Company was absorbed into No 3 and the companies were lettered, A to G for 1st Bn, K to Q (omitting O) for 2nd Bn. In 1870, K company, the old University Company, was absorbed into Q Company, the old 77th, which also had its origins in Glasgow University. New K and O Companies were added in 1878, K being relettered I and new H and K Companies being raised in 1881.
The corps carried out its first drills on Burnbank Park in Great Western Road, Glasgow, building a drill hall there in 1866–7. Later it built a new headquarters (HQ) at 261 West Princes Street. By 1881 the HQ was at 242 West George Street.
Localisation Under the 'Localisation of Forces' scheme introduced in 1872 by the Cardwell reforms, the 1st Lanarkshire RVC was grouped with the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot, the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot, the 1st Royal Lanark Militia and a number of other Lanarkshire RVCs in Brigade No 59. When these were combined under the Childers Reforms of 1881, the 1st Lanarkshire RVC became the senior Volunteer Battalion of the new Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), without changing its title. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.Dunlop, pp. 60–1; Appendix A.Spiers, pp. 228–9. Under this scheme the Lanarkshire battalions were included in the Clyde Brigade, later the Glasgow Brigade, based at 127 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, and later at Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.
One hundred and two volunteers from the battalion served with the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Service Companies of the Scottish Rifles and with the Imperial Yeomanry in the Second Boer War, earning its first Battle honour: South Africa 1900–02.Leslie.
In 1902 the Glasgow Brigade was split up, and the four Volunteer Battalions of the Cameronians became the Scottish Rifles Brigade. The High School of Glasgow Cadet Corps of two companies was formed that year and affiliated to the 1st Lanarkshires.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. the battalion became the 5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).London Gazette 20 March 1908. K Company (the University Company) became a contingent of the Senior Division of the Officers' Training Corps (OTC) and the High School Glasgow Cadet Corps joined the Junior Division of the OTC. The Scottish Rifles Brigade formed part of the Lowland Division of the TF.James, pp. 70–1.Thompson, pp. 3–5.Becke, Pt 2a, p. 111.52 (L) Division at Long, Long Trail.
World War I Mobilisation The Lowland Division had been attending annual camp on the Ayrshire coast when the order to mobilise was received at 17.25 on Tuesday August 1914. On return from camp the 5th Scottish Rifles mobilised at 261 West Princes Street and then undertook guards and patrols at vulnerable points around Glasgow and the River Clyde. The division completed its mobilisation by 10 August and proceeded to its war stations in the Forth Defences, with the Scottish Rifles Bde at Falkirk and 5th Bn at Larbert. The troops were billeted in all manner of buildings.Scottish Rifles at Long, Long Trail.
Recruitment On 10 August, units of the division were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service, and the majority did so. On 31 August, the War Office authorised the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit for each unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the 1st Line original, but distinguished by a '1/' or '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Where recruitment was good, they also formed 3rd Line unitsBecke, Pt 2b, p. 6.Thompson, pp. 5–6.
1/5th Scottish Rifles The First Line battalion was one of the first TF units selected to reinforce the Regulars of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France and soon left the Lowland Division. It landed at Le Havre on 5 November 1914, joining 19th Brigade on 19 November. At this time 19th Bde (which included 1st Bn Cameronians) had just been relieved from the line following very heavy fighting in the Battle of Armentières. Although an independent brigade, it was attached to 6th Division.Becke, Pt 1, p. 75.Edmonds, 1914, Vol II, pp. 227, 459; Appendices 1 & 5.Thompson, p. 6.6th Division at Long, Long Trail.
After a winter of trench warfare, from 31 May 1915, 19th Bde was attached to 27th Division (another Regular formation that had suffered heavy casualties in the 2nd Battle of Ypres).Becke, Pt 1, p. 99.27th Division at Long, Long Trail. On 19 August 1915, 19th Bde transferred again to 2nd Division, this time as an integral part of the division.Becke, Pt 1, pp. 41–6.2nd Division at Long, Long Trail.
2nd Division was preparing for the forthcoming Battle of Loos. On 25 September it was to assault the enemy trenches south of the La Bassée Canal, preceded by a 40-minute discharge of poison gas. 19th Brigade's attack would be assisted by two mines blown under the German lines by 173rd Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. However, the mines were ordered to be blown 10 minutes before the brigade's attack, giving the German defenders plenty of time to prepare. Many of the attackers were also affected by the British gas cloud being blown back on them by the inconsistent winds. The leading battalions failed to get into the enemy position, and the attack was halted before 1/5th Scottish Rifles in reserve actually went 'over the top'.Cherry, pp. 25, 37, 47–8, 65–9, 75–6.
On 25 November 1915, 19th Bde was transferred to 33rd Division, a 'Kitchener's Army' formation that had just arrived in France.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 31–9.33rd Division at Long, Long Trail.Seton-Hutchinson, pp. 3–4. At the end of December the new division took over 2nd Division's section of the line at La Bassée, facing the intricate trench system around the canal, the 'Brickstacks' (a German strongpoint built into the stacks of the La Bassée brickworks), and the villages of Cuinchy and Cambrin. This was considered a quiet sector, but an excellent training ground in trench warfare, with continuous mining activity and occasional trench raids.Macarney-Filgate, pp. 11-6.Seton-Hutchinson, pp. 5–6.
On 29 May 1916 the battalion merged with merged with 6th Scottish Rifles to form the 5th/6th Battalion. (6th Battalion had left the Lowland Division in March 1915 and served with a number of divisions in France, including a period as a pioneer battalion, before joining 100th Bde in 33rd Division.)
5th/6th Scottish Rifles Somme