| Lowland Division 52nd (Lowland) Division 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 Shoulder badge of the 52nd (Lowland) Division during the Second World War | |
| Active | 1908 – 1919[1] 1920 – 1947[2] 1950 – 1968[3] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Territorial Force |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry,Air Landing, andMountain |
| Size | Second World War: 18,347 men[nb 1][5] |
| Peacetime HQ | Glasgow,United Kingdom |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours | The Scheldt The Rhineland The Rhine |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Herbert Lawrence Neil Ritchie Edmund Hakewill-Smith |
The52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was aninfantrydivision of theBritish Army that was originally formed as theLowland Division, in 1908 as part of theTerritorial Force. It later became the52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland) Division fought in theFirst World War before being disbanded, with the rest of the Territorial Force, in 1920.
The Territorial Force was later reformed as theTerritorial Army and the division was again raised, during the inter-war years, as the52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division - a 1st Line Territorial Army Infantry Division - and went on to serve during theSecond World War.
By December 1947, the formation amalgamated with51st (Highland) Infantry Division to become 51st/52nd Scottish Division,[6] but, by March 1950, 51st Division and 52nd Division had been recreated as separate formations.[3] 52nd (Lowland) Division finally disbanded in 1968.
TheTerritorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of theTerritorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the oldVolunteer Force, theHonourable Artillery Company and theYeomanry. On formation, the TF contained 14infantrydivisions and 14 mounted yeomanrybrigades.[7] One of the divisions was theLowland Division.[8] In peacetime, the divisionalheadquarters was at 7 West George Street inGlasgow.[8][9]
The famous territorial regiments that were incorporated in the division were all drawn from theScottish Lowlands, and have a history that in some cases goes back more than 300 years. It consisted of three infantry brigades, the155th (South Scottish) Brigade,156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, and157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigades. Initially assigned to the defence of the Scottish coast, the division moved to Gallipoli (without two of its artillery brigades), arriving there in early July 1915. While moving from Scotland the division suffered the loss of 210 officers and men killed, and another 224 injured in theQuintinshill rail crash, near Gretna, that involved the 1/7thRoyal Scots.[10]
During theFirst World War, the division first saw action atGallipoli. The division, under the command of Major GeneralGranville Egerton, began landing at theHelles front, on theGallipoli peninsula, in June 1915 as part ofVIII Corps. The 156th Brigade was landed in time to take part in theBattle of Gully Ravine, where it was mauled, under the notorious Lieutenant-GeneralAylmer Hunter-Weston, commanding VIII Corps. Advancing along Fir Tree Spur, to the right of the ravine, the brigade had little artillery support and no experience of the Gallipoli battlefield. The brigade suffered heavy casualties.[11]
When the remaining brigades were landed, they attacked towards Krithia, along Achi Baba Nullah, on 12 July. They succeeded in capturing theOttoman trenches, but were left unsupported and vulnerable to counter-attack. For a modest gain in ground, they suffered 30 per cent casualties and were in no fit state to exploit their position.[12]
The division moved to Egypt as part of theEgyptian Expeditionary Force, where it manned the east-facing defensive fortifications during theBattle of Romani. On the first, and most crucial day, of the battle the division was heavily engaged with the enemy'sright flank, while theAustralian Light Horse,New Zealand Mounted Rifles, and5th Mounted Brigades fought the centre and left flank in extended order. With insufficient water, the mid-summer conditions proved too much for the infantry ordered to advance the following day and were not heavily involved in the fighting thereafter. Following the battle, they advanced across the Sinai occupying Bir el Abd, El Mazar and El Arish, but remained in a supporting role.[13]
The division fought in theFirst andSecond Battle of Gaza in March and April 1917.[14]
As a division of XXI Corps, it played an important part in the final overthrow of the Ottomans at theThird Battle of Gaza and the subsequent advance. The division then participated in theBattle of Jerusalem. TheBattle of Jaffa saw the passage of the Nahr El Auja, on the night of 20–21 December 1917, by the division's three Brigades, which according to GeneralSir Edmund Allenby's despatch "reflects great credit on the 52nd (Lowland) Division. It involved considerable preparation, the details of which were thought out with care and precision. The sodden state of the ground, and, on the night of the crossing, the swollen state of the river, added to the difficulties, yet by dawn the whole of the infantry had crossed. The fact that the enemy were taken by surprise, and, that all resistance was overcome with the bayonet without a shot being fired, bears testimony to the discipline of this division. The operation, by increasing the distance between the enemy andJaffa from three to eight miles, "rendered Jaffa and its harbour secure, and gained elbow-room for the troops covering Ludd andRamleh and the main Jaffa-Jerusalem road."[15]
In April 1918, the division moved to France where it fought in theSecond Battle of the Somme, theSecond Battle of Arras, and theBattle of the Hindenburg Line during theHundred Days Offensive.[16]
After the war, the division was disbanded along with the rest of theTerritorial Force. However, it was re-established in 1920 as part of theTerritorial Army.[17]
The 52nd (Lowland) Division, which had seen numerous changes in composition during theinterwar period, was mobilised, along with the rest of theTerritorial Army (previously theTerritorial Force, reformed in 1920 and soon renamed the TA), in late August 1939, due to the worsening situation in Europe at the time. TheSecond World War began on 3 September 1939, after both Britain and France declared war onGermany after the latter'sinvasion of Poland and the 52nd, based in Scotland under the command ofMajor-GeneralJames S. Drew,[18] was serving inScottish Command, alongside its second line duplicate unit, the15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.[19]
The division was briefly deployed to France, following theDunkirk evacuation, as part of theSecond British Expeditionary Force (2BEF) to cover the withdrawal ofAllied forces nearCherbourg duringOperation Aerial.[20] The division returned to the United Kingdom and, like most of the rest of the British Army after Dunkirk, began training to repel an expectedGerman invasion, which never occurred. From May 1942 until June 1944, the 52nd was trained in amountain warfare capacity, originally for a proposed invasion ofNorway. However, the division was never employed in this role. Following June 1944, the 52nd Division was reorganised and trained in airlanding operations.[18] As part of this new role, the division was transferred to theFirst Allied Airborne Army.[19] By this time, the 52nd Division was under the command of Major-GeneralEdmund Hakewill-Smith.[21]
Several operations were planned for the division, following the successful conclusion of theNormandy Campaign.Operation Transfigure planned to have the British1st and American101st Airborne Divisions capture landing strips nearRambouillet, for the 52nd Division to land at. The three divisions would have then blocked the German line of retreat towards Paris.[22]Operation Linnet proposed using most of the First Allied Airborne Army, including the 52nd Division, to seize areas in north-eastern France to block the German line of retreat.[23] As part ofOperation Market Garden, the British 1st Airborne Division was given a subsidiary mission of capturingDeelen airfield, on which the 52nd Division would land.[24] Due to the disastrous course of events that unfolded during theBattle of Arnhem, where the 1st Airborne Division was virtually destroyed and lost almost 8,000 men, the 52nd Division was not deployed.[25]
The division would never be used in either of the roles it had trained for, and was transferred toBelgium via sea landing inOstend. The157th Infantry Brigade landed first at the end of the first week of October and the rest of the division arrived over the course of the following fortnight.[26][27] On 15 October, the 157th Brigade was, temporarily, attached to the3rd Canadian Infantry Division[28] and relieved the Canadian units in thebridgehead over theLeopold Canal.[29] At first the Scots of 52nd Division and the Canadians did not see eye to eye, with a cultural clash of untidy and 'undisciplined' Canadians against 'spit and polish' Scots. On taking over some Canadian positions in mid-October, Scottish officers commented: "No one in Scotland would ask a pig to lie in the houses (recently vacated by the Canadians) on the south side of the canal." However, both sides soon came to recognise that high fighting capability could be engendered in both approaches.[30]
From 23 October until December, the 52nd (Lowland) Division was assigned to theFirst Canadian Army, serving first underII Canadian Corps and then the British I Corps.[19] The division's first operation would be to aid in opening the vital Belgian port ofAntwerp, in theBattle of the Scheldt. Ironically, the first operation of the division would not be in mountainous terrain or being deployed by air, but fighting below sea level on the flooded polders around theScheldt Estuary of Belgium and theNetherlands.Operation Vitality andOperation Infatuate were aimed at capturingSouth Beveland and the island ofWalcheren to open the mouth of the Scheldt Estuary. This would enable theAllies to use the port of Antwerp as a supply entrepôt for the troops in North-West Europe. It was in this vital operation that the 52nd Division was to fight its first battle with brilliant success that earned them high praise. During the battle, the division was given command "of all the military operations" onWalcheren. This included command of the4th Commando Brigade,[31] after it had landed on the island, andNo. 4 Commando during the assault onFlushing.[32] Following the battle the division would remain on Walcheren until November, when it was relieved by the4th Canadian Armoured Division.[33]
On 5 December, the division was transferred toXXX Corps of theBritish Second Army.[34] During the month, the 157th Infantry Brigade was temporarily attached to the43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division for several days.[28] In January 1945, the 52nd Division, now serving underXII Corps,[19] participated inOperation Blackcock, the clearing of theRoer Triangle between the riversMeuse and Roer. During the operation, 19-year-oldFusilierDennis Donnini of the 4th/5th Battalion,Royal Scots Fusiliers was posthumously awarded theVictoria Cross. During the operation, the155th Infantry Brigade was attached to the7th Armoured Division.[35]
In February and March, the division was slightly reorganised with battalions being transferred amongst the division's brigades.[36]Peter White, asecond lieutenant within the 4th Battalion,King's Own Scottish Borderers, describes this change due to21st Army Group commanderField MarshalBernard Montgomery's "aversion to two Battalions of the same Regiment" being in the same brigade as it could result "in one home district or town having disproportionate losses after any sticky action".[37] For most of April, the 155th Infantry Brigade was again attached to the 7th Armoured Division "to drive for theElbe acrossLüneburg Heath".[38] The division (minus the 155th Brigade) took part in theWestern Allied invasion of Germany, with its last major action being theBattle of Hamburg, where it ended the war.[39]
During 1946, the First Canadian Army was withdrawn from Germany and disbanded. As it withdrew from Germany, it "turned over its responsibilities" to the 52nd Division.[40] After its postwardemobilisation, the TA was reformed in 1947. The division was amalgamated with the51st (Highland) Infantry Division to form the51st/52nd Scottish Division, while the surplus Lowland artillery regiments formed a separate85 (Field)Army Group Royal Artillery (Lowland) inScottish Command on 1 January 1947.[41][42][43] In 1950, the 51st/52nd (Scottish) Division was split, restoring the independence of the 52nd Lowland Division, which took regional command of Territorial Army units based in the Scottish Lowlands, including the Territorial infantry battalions of theLowland Brigade regiments.[44] On 1 July 1950 85 AGRA was once more designated as HQ RA 52 (Lowland) Division.[43] In 1967, 52nd Lowland Division was reduced to brigade strength: two brigade-level districts were established in the Highlands and Lowlands, with the Lowland District Headquarters commanded by Major GeneralSir Francis James Cecil Bowes-Lyon in Hamilton, near Glasgow.[45]
| Appointed | General officer commanding |
|---|---|
| April 1908 | Brigadier-GeneralHenry R. Kelham[46] |
| March 1910 | Major-GeneralJames Spens[46] |
| 21 March 1914 | Major-GeneralGranville G. A. Egerton[47][46] |
| 17 September 1915 | Major-GeneralThe HonourableHerbert A. Lawrence[47][46] |
| 27 June 1916 | Brigadier-General H. G. Casson (acting)[47] |
| 11 July 1916 | Major-GeneralWilfrid E. B. Smith[47][46] |
| 11 September 1917 | Major GeneralJohn Hill[47][46] |
| 23 September 1918 | Major-GeneralFrancis J. Marshall[47][46] |
| June 1919 | Major-GeneralSir Philip R. Robertson[46] |
| June 1923 | Major-GeneralHamilton L. Reed[46] |
| June 1927 | Major-General SirHenry F. Thuillier[46] |
| March 1930 | Major-GeneralSir Walter J Constable-Maxwell-Scott[46] |
| March 1934 | Major-GeneralAndrew J. McCulloch[46] |
| September 1935 | Major-GeneralVictor Fortune[46] |
| August 1936 | Major-General Sir Andrew J. McCulloch[46] |
| March 1938 | Major-GeneralJames S. Drew[18] |
| 29 March 1941 | Major-GeneralSir John E. Laurie[18] |
| 1 September 1942 | Brigadier G. P. Miller (acting)[18] |
| 11 September 1942 | Major-GeneralNeil M. Ritchie[18] |
| 11 November 1943 | BrigadierEdmund Hakewill-Smith (acting)[18] |
| 19 November 1943 | Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith[18] |
| 1946 | Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith (GOC Lowland District) |
| December 1948 | Major-GeneralRobert E. Urquhart[46] |
| February 1950 | Major-GeneralGeorge H. Inglis[46] |
| 1952 | Major-GeneralR. George Collingwood[46] |
| October 1955 | Major-GeneralRohan Delacombe[46] |
| October 1958 | Major-GeneralJohn F.M. Macdonald[46] |
| October 1961 | Major-GeneralJohn D. Frost[46] |
| February 1964 | Major-GeneralHenry L. E. C. Leask[46] |
| May 1966 – 1968 | Major-GeneralSir F. James Bowes-Lyon[46] |
155th (South Scottish) Brigade
156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade
157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade
Lowland Mounted Brigade (Landed at Helles 11 October 1915 and reinforced the division. Left 31 December 1915)
1st Dismounted Brigade (attached to 52nd Division 5 February; disbanded 16 October 1916)
Divisional Mounted Troops
52nd (Lowland) Divisional Artillery
Royal Army Medical Corps
Divisional Train,Army Service Corps
Others
|
155th Infantry Brigade[55]
156th Infantry Brigade[56]
157th Infantry Brigade[28]
Divisional troops
|
153 (Highland) Brigade
154 (Highland) Brigade
157 (Lowland) Brigade
Divisional troops
|
|
