4th (Glasgow, 1st Northern) Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps

The 4th (Glasgow, 1st Northern) Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps was a Scottish Volunteer unit of the British Army. Originally raised in Glasgow in 1859, it later became a battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). During World War I it served at Gallipoli (where it was practically wiped out in its first action), in Egypt and Palestine, and on the Western Front. Converted into an anti-aircraft regiment just before World War II, it served throughout the war and continued in an air defence role in the postwar years until 1950.

Origin The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett.Spiers, pp. 163–168. One such unit was the 4th (Glasgow, 1st Northern) Lanarkshire RVC, formed in Glasgow as one company. Its services were accepted on 10 October 1859 and on 12 December 1859 it absorbed several other RVCs formed in the Glasgow area, becoming a full battalion with the following organisation:Grierson, pp. 234–236, Plate XXII.Frederick, pp. 73–74.Westlake, pp. 127–138.Beckett, Appendix VII. A Company, from 4th (Glasgow, 1st Northern) Lanarkshire RVC B Company, from 6th Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 10 October 1859 C Company, from 7th Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 10 October 1859 D Company, from 8th Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 10 October 1859 E Company, from 12th (North Eastern) Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from employees of Tennent's Wellpark Brewery, services accepted 5 December 1859 F Company, from 13th Lanarkshire RVC, recruited from the St Rollox district, services accepted 10 October 1859

Unusually, the battalion retained its original company subtitle 'Glasgow, 1st Northern' after consolidation and into the 1880s.Army List, various dates. Three kilted Highland companies were added to the battalion in July 1861: G Company, from 60th (Glasgow, 1st Highland) Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 18 February 1860 H Company, from 61st (Glasgow, 2nd Highland) Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 18 February 1860 I Company, from 93rd (Glasgow Highland Rangers) Lanarkshire RVC, services accepted 8 August 1860

In 1868 some 187 Highlanders were transferred from G, H and I Companies to a new 105th (Glasgow Highlanders) RVC, and the three companies adopted tunics and trews instead of doublets and kilts.

The battalion established its headquarters (HQ) at 138 Stirling Street, Glasgow, later at 149 Cathedral Street, with an rifle range at Flemington.

Localisation Under the 'Localisation of Forces' scheme introduced in 1872 by the Cardwell Reforms, the 4th 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, the 4th Lanarkshire RVC became a Volunteer Battalion of the new Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) on 1 July 1881, without changing its title until 1 December 1887, when it became 4th Volunteer Battalion of the regiment. 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, 185–186.Dunlop, pp. 60–61; Appendix A.Spiers, pp. 228–229. 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.

In 1893 the Kelvinside Academy Cadet Corps was formed, affiliated to the battalion.

Seventy-three volunteers from the battalion served in the Second Boer War, mostly in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Service Companies of the Scottish Rifles, earning the battalion 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 Rifle Brigade.

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 8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).London Gazette 20 March 1908. Kelvinside Academy Cadet Corps became a contingent of the Junior Division of the Officers' Training Corps (OTC). The Scottish Rifles Brigade formed part of the Lowland Division of the TF.James, pp. 70–71.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 8th Scottish Rifles mobilised at 149 Cathedral 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, with the battalion at Larbert in the Scottish Rifles Bde at Falkirk. The troops were billeted in all manner of buildings.Scottish Rifles at Long, Long Trail.

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.

1/8th Scottish Rifles The Lowland Division was warned for overseas service on 5 April 1915, and the infantry battalions received Long Lee Enfield rifles modified to take modern ammunition chargers. On 7 May the division was informed that it would be employed in the Gallipoli Campaign, and equipment such as sun helmets and water carts was issued. On 11 May the division was numbered as 52nd (Lowland) Division and the brigades also received numbers, the Scottish Rifles becoming 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade. As the leading battalion of the division, 1/8th Scottish Rifles under the command of Lt-Col H. Monteith Hannan, TD, boarded two trains from Falkirk to Devonport Dockyard where it embarked aboard HM Troopship Ballarat. It sailed on 18 May, arriving at Mudros on 29 May.Thompson, pp. 7–11.Westlake, Gallipoli, pp. 98–100.

Gallipoli While waiting at Mudros harbour the battalion sent two officers and 100 other ranks (ORs) ashore to act as a police picquet to guard the wells, keep the Australian troops in hand, and to prevent pilfering by the local inhabitants. The rest of the battalion sailed for Cape Helles on 13 June, part aboard the transport Osmanieh and part aboard Trawler No 328. It landed with the rest of 156th Bde next day at V Beach and was attached to the 29th Division, suffering some casualties from long-range Turkish artillery fire. On the night of 18/19 June it relieved the 1st Bn Essex Regiment in the front line at 'Rue de Paris'. Lt-Col Hannan was killed by a sniper on 21 June while watching nearby fighting from an artillery observation post. The battalion was relieved on 24/25 June and was rejoined by the police party from Mudros.Thompson, pp. 12–14, 40–1.

The battalion returned to the front line on 27 June and took part in the Battle of Gully Ravine on 28 June. After a bombardment by warships and the artillery ashore, 29th Division attacked at 11.00. 1/8th Scottish Rifles on 156th Bde's right had the task of assaulting trenches H12 and H12A on the eastern side of Gully Ravine. The battalion had a 12-man bombing party, but two-thirds of the improvised Jam tin grenades failed to go off. Each man had a tin rectangle on his back to reflect the sun and indicate their position to the artillery – but 156th Bde was allocated none of the available artillery support. Packed into inadequate jumping-off trenches, the brigade suffered heavily from retaliatory shellfire before it went 'over the top' at 11.02. On 1/8th Scottish Rifles' front, Nos 1 and 3 Companies advanced first, followed by No 2 Company. According to the divisional historian, 'they were simply mown down'. The battalion's acting commander, Major J.M. Findlay (who was wounded himself), later recorded that 'Five minutes after they had started they were practically wiped out'. Few men reached the enemy line, and they became casualties. No 4 Company, following behind, also lost heavily. The battalion's casualties were 14 officers and 334 ORs killed, missing, or mortally wounded (many dying when the dry grass caught fire later in the day), 11 officers and 114 ORs wounded. The following morning the battalion's strength stood at 3 officers and 70 men, and on 1 July it temporarily formed a composite battalion with 1/7th Scottish Rifles, which had been in reserve.Thompson, pp. 47–58.

During July and August the weakened battalion took its turns of duty in the 'Eski Line', No 1 Company taking part in a successful small attack during 52nd (L) Division's costly attack on 12–13 July, following which it repulsed three counter-attacks. 156th Brigade made a new attack on 15 November, suffering casualties of 5 officers and 107 ORs, more than half of whom came from 1/8th Bn. Although 15 officers had arrived during July and August, no other reinforcements were received until 1 December when 3 officers and 78 ORs arrived. The battalion was evacuated from V Beach on 8 December and sailed for Mudros aboard HMS Prince George (which was hit by a torpedo that failed to explode).

Egypt Shortly after 7th/8th Scottish Rifles were withdrawn, the whole Gallipoli force was evacuated, and 52nd (L) Division moved to Egypt, where the two battalions resumed their separate identities on 21 February. Once concentrated the division went to El Qantara and on 2 March 1916 it took over part of No 3 Section of the Suez Canal defences.

No 3 or Northern Section of the Canal defences had its outer flank anchored on the Mediterranean. Running inland were a series of redoubts manned by the infantry with machine guns and backed by artillery. On the night of 3/4 August a German and Turkish force attacked the position (the Battle of Romani). The redoubts came under heavy shelling and direct attack, but the attack was driven off by the British artillery. Attempts to outflank the Romani position were held by the ANZAC Mounted Division, and the defenders then moved to the counter-attack, though the pursuit bogged down in the appalling desert conditions of Sinai.Bullock, pp. 30–31.MacMunn & Falls, p. 156.

Palestine