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THE HISTORY OF THE
9TH (SCOTTISH) DIVISION
1914-1919
[Illustration: THE MENIN GATE, YPRES]
THE HISTORY OF THE
9TH (SCOTTISH) DIVISION
1914-1919
By JOHN EWING, M.C.
BREVET-MAJOR, LATE 6TH K.O.S.B.
INTRODUCTION BY
FIELD-MARSHAL LORD PLUMER
G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O.
WITH COLOURED AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
AND MAPS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1921
_All rights reserved_
Dedicated
TO THE CHILDREN
OF ALL THOSE WHO SERVED
IN THE 9TH (SCOTTISH) DIVISION
INTRODUCTION
BY FIELD-MARSHAL LORD PLUMER, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O.
I have been asked, as Commander of the Second Army, to write a short
introduction to the history of the work of the Ninth (Scottish)
Division during the Great War.
The Division served in other armies and under other Army Commanders,
and they could, and I know would, bear testimony similar to mine as
to the value of the services of the Division; but it happened that
for a considerable period in the early days of the Campaign and in
the glorious final advance it was in the Second Army, and presumably
on that account the invitation was made to me.
First of the new formations organised by Lord Kitchener in 1914, the
Division was one of the earliest to proceed to France in 1915, and
from that time till the conclusion of operations in 1918 there was
hardly a phase of the war or an important action in which they did
not take a prominent part.
Composed as they were of troops drawn from the land which has from
time immemorial been famous for its fighting men, they were later
in the campaign supplemented and strengthened by soldiers from
South Africa, and the combination proved, as it was bound to be,
irresistible.
Fortunate in their Divisional Generals, their subordinate leaders
and their staffs, the Division was always one which could be relied
on to carry out successfully any duties entrusted to them if it was
humanly possible to do so, and any Corps or Army Commander to whom
they might be allotted considered himself fortunate in having them
under his command.
I hope this history will be widely read.
It is a record of a wonderful development of fighting efficiency
steadily maintained throughout four very strenuous years.
It is a fine illustration of the determination and dogged pertinacity
which we are all proud to know were the characteristics of the troops
of the British Empire throughout, and which undoubtedly won the war.
It points the moral of what can be accomplished by a body of men who
never recognised defeat, and to whom any temporary failure was merely
an incentive to further effort.
Those who served in the Division can feel that they are handing down
to their descendants as a legacy of imperishable fame a record of
achievements worthy of the glorious traditions of their forefathers
and of the regiment whose name they bore.
With troops such as fought in the Ninth Division, however prolonged
the struggle may be, there never can be any doubt of the ultimate
issue.
PLUMER, _F.-M._,
_Late Commander, Second Army, B.E.F._
MALTA, _17th October 1920_.
PREFACE
This story has been compiled from Battalion, Brigade, and Divisional
diaries, supplemented by the narratives of individual officers, and,
it is hoped, will prove a record of interest to all who served or
were connected with the Ninth Division.
To the numerous officers of the Division who have assisted me by
their suggestions and criticisms and by the loan of documents, I take
this opportunity of expressing my deep sense of gratitude. My sincere
thanks are due also to the Staff of the Historical Section of the
Committee of Imperial Defence for the ready courtesy with which they
placed at my disposal every facility for consulting documents and
maps.
To the following officers for constant and ungrudging help I am
particularly indebted,
Captain W. Y. Darling,
Lieut.-Colonel P. A. V. Stewart,
Lieut.-Colonel T. C. Mudie,
Major W. Lumsden,
and to my wife for most valuable assistance both in the compilation
of the narrative and in the correction of proofs.
J. EWING.
EDINBURGH,
_October 1920_.
_Note._—The titles of infantry battalions are given in full
in the Order of Battle, Appendix I., but to save space in the
narrative the word “battalion” has been omitted, _eg._, the 11th
Bn. The Royal Scots is referred to as the 11th Royal Scots.
With the exception of Loos all battles are described from right
to left.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
ARMS AND THE MAN
AUGUST 1914 TO MAY 1915
PAGE
The Outbreak of War—Lord Kitchener—“The First Hundred Thousand”—
Composition of the Division—Training—The King’s Message,
10th May 1915 1
CHAPTER II
FIRST EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE
MAY 1915 TO SEPTEMBER 1915
Move of Division to France, May 1915—Instruction in Trench Duties—
Bombing and Bombs—Visit by Field-Marshal Sir J. D. P. French—
Festubert—Training near Busnes—Vermelles—General reasons for
Battle of Loos—The Plan of Battle—Importance of Gas—Task of the
Ninth Division—Duties of the Staff—Major-General Landon’s Plan—
Objectives—Preparations—Assembly Trenches—Communication
Trenches—Artillery—Machine-Guns and Trench Mortars—Arrangements
for Gas—Smoke—R.E. Pioneers, Tools—Medical Arrangements—
Communications—Equipment of the Men 12
CHAPTER III
BATTLE OF LOOS
25TH TO 28TH SEPTEMBER 1915
Terrain—Preliminary Bombardment, 21st to 24th Sept.—Action of
28th Brigade—Action of 6th K.O.S.B.—Action of 10th H.L.I.—Second
Attack of 28th Brigade—Reasons for Failure of Attack—Action of
26th Brigade—Action of 7th Seaforths—Action of 5th Camerons—The
Supporting Battalions—Situation east of Fosse 8—Position of 26th
Brigade, 9 A.M., 25th Sept.—Action of 27th Brigade—Pekin Trench
evacuated—Situation on evening of 25th Sept.—Relief of 26th
Brigade—Withdrawal of 27th Brigade—Situation on morning of 26th
Sept.—Loss of Fosse 8, 27th Sept.—Evacuation of Fosse Alley—
Counter-Attack by 26th Brigade—Relief of the Division—Comments
on the Battle 32
CHAPTER IV
THE SALIENT AND “PLUG STREET”
OCTOBER 1915 TO MAY 1916
Concentration of Division near Bethune—Major-General W. T. Furse
and _Esprit de Corps_—New Commanders—Move to the Salient—Mud—The
Reign of the Second Lieutenant—The Ninth Division School—The
Trenches—Sappers and Infantry—Artillery Retaliation Tariff—Mining—
A.S.C. and Transport—Formation of Machine-Gun Companies—Gas
Attack, 19th Dec.—Rest and Training—Ploegsteert Wood—11th Royal
Scots Raided—The G.O.C. and the Offensive Spirit—Sniping and
Machine-Guns—Changes in Command—Artillery and Trench Mortars—
Break-up of the 28th Brigade—Arrival of the South African
Brigade—Relief of the Division 61
CHAPTER V
THE CAPTURE OF BERNAFAY WOOD, AND THE BATTLES FOR TRONES WOOD
JULY 1916
Rest and Training—Move to Somme Area—Traffic of the Hinterland—
Summary of Events, 1915 to 1916—Reasons for Battle of the Somme—
Nature of the Somme Battlefield—The Policy of Attrition—Attitude
of Enemy—Movements and Preparations of the Division prior to the
Battle—Work of the B.F.C.—Weather, Preliminary Bombardment,
and Dispositions of XIII. Corps—Events of 1st July—27th Brigade
Relieves 90th Brigade, 2nd to 3rd July—Capture of Bernafay Wood,
3rd July—The Fight for Trones Wood—Orders for the Attack on
Longueval and Delville Wood—The Plans of General Furse—Brigade
Arrangements—Artillery Arrangements 84
CHAPTER VI
LONGUEVAL AND DELVILLE WOOD
JULY 1916
The Assembly—Action of 26th Brigade, 14th July—Action of 27th
Brigade, 14th July—News at D.H.Q.—The Fight for Longueval,
14th July—Attack on Waterlot Farm, 14th July—Situation on
evening of 14th July—South Africans Capture Delville Wood, 15th
July—The Fight for Longueval, 15th July—Attack on Waterlot Farm,
15th July—Situation on evening of 15th July—The Fight for
Longueval, 16th July—Situation on evening of 16th July—The Fight
for Longueval, 17th July—Waterlot Farm occupied, 17th July—
Situation on evening of 17th July—Attack of 76th Brigade on
Longueval, 18th July—Great German Counter-Attack, 18th July—
Counter-Attack by 26th Brigade, 18th July—Situation after 6.15
P.M., 18th July—Events of 19th July—Relief of the Division—Work
of the R.A.M.C.—Work of the Sappers and Pioneers—The A.S.C. and
Transport—Comments on the Battle 109
CHAPTER VII
THE BUTTE DE WARLENCOURT
OCTOBER 1916
Rest and Reorganisation—The Vimy Ridge—The Trenches, Aug. and
Sept. 1916—Sniping and Raids—Concentration in III. Corps Area,
Oct. 1916—Summary of events in the East during summer of 1916—
Nature of the country near the Butte de Warlencourt—Plans for
Operation, 12th Oct. 1916—Action of 7th Seaforths, 12th Oct.—
Action of S.A. Brigade, 12th Oct.—Comments on the Action of the
12th Oct.—Capture of The Pimple, 15th Oct.—Plans for Operation,
18th Oct.—Action of 5th Camerons, 18th Oct.—Action of 1st S.A.I.,
18th Oct.—Second Attack by S.A. Brigade, 18th Oct.—Events, 19th
Oct.—Relief of 26th and S.A. Brigades by 27th Brigade, 19th to
20th Oct.—Events, 20th Oct.—Relief of Division, 25th Oct.—
Difficulties of the R.A.M.C.—Comments on Action 143
CHAPTER VIII
ARRAS
NOVEMBER 1916 TO APRIL 1917
Promotion of Brig.-General Scrase-Dickins, 21st Oct. 1916—Promotion
of Brig.-General Ritchie, 4th Dec. 1916—General Furse appointed
M.G.O., 1st Dec. 1916—General Lukin appointed G.O.C.—New C.Os.—The
Bomb and the Rifle—Arras—The Trenches—Ninth Division School—
Training and Pamphlets—Life in the Sector—Raid by the 9th Scottish
Rifles, 14th Feb. 1917.—Other Raids—Changes in the Line—Plans of
Allies for 1917—Preparations for the Offensive—Task of XVII. Corps—
Task of Ninth Division—Artillery Arrangements—Brig.-General Tudor
and Smoke—The Barrage—Our Air Supremacy Challenged—The Training
of the Men—Daylight Reconnaissance by the 11th Royal Scots, 21st
March 1917—Formations for Attack 169
CHAPTER IX
THE BATTLES OF ARRAS
THE ACTIONS OF 9TH APRIL, 12TH APRIL, 3RD MAY, 5TH JUNE 1917
Preliminary Bombardment, 5th to 9th April 1917—The Attack on the
Black Line, 9th April 1917—The Attack on the Blue Line, 9th April
1917—The Attack on the Brown Line, 9th April 1917—Comments on
the Action of the 9th April—The Attack on Greenland Hill, 12th
April 1917—Action of the South African Brigade, 12th April 1917—
Action of the 27th Brigade, 12th April 1917—Comments on the Action
of the 12th April—Action of the 3rd May 1917—Action of the 26th
Brigade, 3rd May 1917—Action of the 27th Brigade, 3rd May 1917—
Comments on the Action of the 3rd May—Action of the 5th June
1917— The Division leaves the Arras Sector, June 1917 193
CHAPTER X
PASSCHENDAELE, 1917
ACTIONS OF THE 20TH SEPTEMBER AND THE 12TH OCTOBER
Rest and Training—Move to the Somme, 25th July 1917—Description of
Sector—Events of August 1917—A Suggested Attack—The Passchendaele
Campaign—Von Armin’s System of Defence—The “Pill-boxes”—Description
of country near Frezenberg, Sept. 1917—Objectives of the Division—
Preparations for the Battle, Sept. 1917—Action of 27th Brigade,
20th Sept. 1917—Action of the South African Brigade, 20th Sept.
1917—Death of Brig.-General Maxwell, 21st Sept. 1917—Comments on
the Action of the 20th Sept. 1917—Training—Objectives for the 12th
October 1917—Action of the 12th Oct. 1917—Comments on the Action
of the 12th Oct. 1917—Relief of the Division, 24th Oct. 1917 219
CHAPTER XI
PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE
OCTOBER 1917 TO 21ST MARCH 1918
Rôle of the Division in 1917—Situation at close of 1917—Move to
the Coast, Oct. to Nov.—Division Transferred to Somme Area, Dec.—
Training, Feb. 1918—9th Machine-Gun Battalion Formed—General Lukin
leaves the Division, March 1918—The Ninth’s Sector—The Forward
Zone—The Battle Zone—The Rear Zone—The Scheme of Defence—The
Enemy’s Intentions—Ludendorff’s Plan 246
CHAPTER XII
GERMANY’S SUPREME EFFORT
21ST TO 29TH MARCH 1918
Hostile Bombardment, 21st March—Loss of Gauche Wood, 21st March—
Loss of Chapel Hill, 21st March—South Africans Recapture Chapel
Hill, 21st March—Retreat to the Battle Zone, 21st March—The 22nd
March—Loss of Chapel Hill, 22nd March—Withdrawal to Brown and
Green Lines, 22nd March—Retirement of the South African Brigade,
22nd March—Retirement of the Highland Brigade, 22nd March—The
Boundary Question, 22nd March—Retreat to East of Moislains, 23rd
March—Orders for Retreat to Ridge west of Bouchavesnes, 23rd
March—The Retreat, 23rd March—Events, 23rd to 24th March—Retreat
of the Lowland Brigade, 24th March—The Last Stand of the
South Africans, 24th March—Retreat of the Highland Brigade, 24th
March—Comments on the Fighting of the 24th March—VII. Corps
Transferred to Third Army, 25th March—Events, 25th March—Events,
26th March—Events, 27th March—Relief of Division, 27th to 28th
March—Work of the R.A.M.C.—Work of the A.S.C.—Comments on the
Action of the Ninth—The Division “Mentioned” 260
CHAPTER XIII
THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE IN FLANDERS
APRIL 1918
Failure of German thrust against Amiens—General Tudor Appointed
G.O.C., 28th March—Division in Line near Wytschaete, April—Nature
of the Defences—German Attack, 10th April—Counter-Attack of the
South Africans at Messines, 10th April—German Attack, 11th April—
Events, 12th to 15th April—Retreat to the Corps Line, 15th to
16th April—Germans Capture Wytschaete, 16th April—Counter-Attack
of Seaforths at Wytschaete, 16th April—Events, 17th to 24th April—
German Attack, 25th April—Action of the 12th Royal Scots and
6th K.O.S.B., 25th April—Work of the Machine-Gunners, 25th April—
Action of Seaforths and Camerons, 25th April—Relief of Division,
26th April—Comments on the Fighting 292
CHAPTER XIV
METEREN AND HOEGENACKER RIDGE
MAY TO SEPTEMBER 1918
Moral of the Troops—The Press—Review of Situation at end of April,
1918—The Division at Meteren, May—Nature of the country and the
Defences—Events, 25th May to 19th July—Preparations for an Attack
on Meteren—A Series of Mishaps—Action of South African Brigade,
19th July—Action of Highland Brigade, 19th July—Remarks on the
Operation—Brig.-General Kennedy leaves the Division, 27th July—
Events, 25th July to 18th August—Plans for Capture of Hoegenacker
Ridge—Capture of Hoegenacker Ridge, 18th August—Relief of
Division, 25th August—South Africans leave the Division, 13th
Sept.—Newfoundlanders join the Division—Failure of German
designs in France—The “Turn of the Tide”—Preparations for Attack
on 28th Sept.—Objectives of the Division 317
CHAPTER XV
FROM YPRES TO LEDEGHEM
28TH SEPTEMBER TO 14TH OCTOBER 1918
Passchendaele Ridge carried, 28th Sept.—Capture of Becelaere—
Situation at close of 28th Sept.—Orders for Advance on 29th
Sept.—Action of the 28th Brigade, 29th Sept.—The Camerons join
in, 29th Sept.—Action of the 27th Brigade, 29th Sept.—Situation
at close of 29th Sept.—Events, 30th Sept.—Orders for Advance on
1st Oct.—The Capture of Ledeghem and Rolleghem Cappelle, 1st
Oct.—The German Counter-Stroke, 1st Oct.—The Work of the Gunners,
1st Oct.—Remarks on Action of 1st Oct.—Summary of German defeats
in other parts of the Line, Sept. to Oct.—Objectives for 14th
Oct., 1918—Obstacles to our Advance—The Assembly, 13th to 14th 339
CHAPTER XVI
FROM LEDEGHEM TO THE SCHELDT
14TH OCTOBER TO 27TH OCTOBER 1918
Action of the 14th Oct.—Fine work of the Gunners, 14th Oct.—Plans
for Renewal of Advance, 15th Oct.—Action of 27th Brigade, 15th
Oct.—Plans for crossing the Lys, 16th Oct.—K.O.S.B. cross the
Lys, 16th to 17th Oct.—Events, 17th Oct.—Result of the Operations
in Flanders—Objectives for 20th Oct.—Preparation for crossing the
Lys—The crossing of the Lys, 19th to 20th Oct.—Action of the
20th Oct.—Events, 21st Oct.—Action of the 22nd Oct.—Capture of
Ooteghem-Ingoyghem Ridge, 25th Oct.—Relief of Division, 27th
Oct.—Comments on Operations since 28th Sept. 359
CHAPTER XVII
CONCLUSION
28TH OCTOBER 1918 TO 15TH MARCH 1919
Events leading up to the Armistice, 11th Nov. 1918—The March to
the Bridgehead—The Division in Germany—End of the Ninth Division,
15th March 1919—Value of the Administrative and Supply Services—
The Work of “Q” Branch—The Ordnance Department—The Padres—The
Co-operative Spirit 382
APPENDICES
I. TABLE SHOWING ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE NINTH (SCOTTISH)
DIVISION 397
II. TABLE SHOWING THE PERIODS SPENT IN THE LINE 400
III. LIST OF COMMANDERS AND STAFF 402
IV. CASUALTIES OF THE NINTH DIVISION 409
V. VICTORIA CROSS AWARDS 410
VI. SUMMARY OF WORK DONE BY SAPPERS AND PIONEERS IN
PREPARATION FOR THE BATTLE OF ARRAS 413
VII. LIST SHOWING MATERIAL ISSUED AND SALVED BY THE ORDNANCE
DEPARTMENT 415
VIII. DIVISIONAL INSTITUTES AND CANTEENS 416
INDEX 419
MAPS 437
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
LANDSCAPES
_From Water-colour Sketches by Captain F. E. Hodge, late R.F.A._
Menin Gate, Ypres _Frontispiece_
Festubert _Face page_ 16
Loos ” 32
Lawrence Farm (Sketch of his Battalion H.Q. by
Lieut.-Col. the Right Hon. Winston S. Churchill) ” 76
Ploegsteert Wood ” 82
Delville Wood ” 110
Ablain St Nazaire, Notre Dame, and Vimy Ridge ” 146
Butte de Warlencourt ” 154
Arras (view in the town), West Gate ” 180
Arras (view outside town), battle front, April 1917 ” 204
Havrincourt ” 220
Zonnebeke from the Frezenberg Ridge ” 228
St Julien, Artillery H.Q. “Pill-box” ” 240
Nieuport Bains, looking towards German Lines ” 248
Gonnelieu from Gouzeaucourt ” 254
Wytschaete, from Vierstraat ” 298
Kemmel and Ypres from the Frezenberg Ridge ” 308
Meteren ” 322
“Pill-box” near Ledeghem ” 350
Ingoyghem and Ooteghem, “The Last Ridge” ” 376
PORTRAITS
Major-General G. H. Thesiger, C.B., C.M.G. _Face page_ 52
Lieut.-General Sir W. T. Furse, K.C.B., D.S.O. ” 62
Major-General Sir H. T. Lukin, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. ” 172
Major-General H. H. Tudor, C.B., C.M.G. ” 394
MAPS
_At End of Book_
1. Loos.
2. The Somme, Longueval, and Delville Wood.
3. The Butte de Warlencourt, October 1916.
4. Arras: Action of 9th April 1917.
5. Arras: Actions of 12th April to 5th June 1917.
6. Passchendaele: Action near Frezenberg, 20th September 1917.
7. Passchendaele: Action near St Julien, 12th October 1917.
8. The Retreat on the Somme, March 1918.
9. Wytschaete and Kemmel, April 1918.
10. Meteren and Hoegenacker: July and August 1918.
11. The Final Advance, September to October 1918.
HISTORY OF THE NINTH (SCOTTISH) DIVISION
CHAPTER I
ARMS AND THE MAN
AUGUST 1914 TO MAY 1915
The great European War that broke out in 1914 was the inevitable
result of the conditions that moulded the nineteenth century. In many
respects the history of the century had disappointed the high hopes
with which the period opened. The overthrow of Napoleon’s hegemony in
1814 imposed on his conquerors the task of effecting the settlement
of Europe, and it was expected that the chief Powers would grasp
the opportunity to settle all questions that had been a source of
friction, and especially to satisfy those nationalist aspirations
which had been the most potent factor in contributing to the defeat
of Napoleon. It was even hoped that an attempt would be made to
realise the brotherhood of man in some sort of federation.
In all these respects the work accomplished by the Congress, which
met at Vienna in 1814, fell short of expectations. The chief
statesmen of the Powers had been the foremost opponents of the
French Revolution, and they had little sympathy with the nationalist
sentiment that found its most vigorous expression in Germany, Italy,
and Poland. Moreover, the political ambitions and interests of
the allies required the most delicate handling, if Europe was to
be saved from another war. Thus the Eastern Question, the cause of
considerable uneasiness throughout the century, never came within
the consideration of the Congress. No attempt was made to express
the unity of Europe in any form of federation, unless the Holy
Alliance be accepted as an effort to achieve that end. Above all,
the necessity of satisfying the political interests of the various
members of the alliance, in many cases already arranged by treaties,
caused nationalist aspirations to be neglected, and in some cases
flagrantly disregarded, as in the arrangements affecting Belgium,
Italy, and Norway. Thus Nationalism could only be developed in
opposition to the Vienna Settlement and only by war could its aims
be realised. In consequence the development of nationalities, which
is the notable fact of the century, was accompanied by the assertion
of military force, and the freedom of nations went hand in hand with
militarism. What had been won by the sword was maintained by the same
means, and towards the close of the nineteenth century Europe formed
an armed camp, each nation supporting a huge armament, which drained
its resources but which it dared not diminish lest it should fall a
prey to a more powerful neighbour.
With Europe thus constituted every question that revealed rivalries
and differences was a peril, and there was no influence so baneful
as that exercised by the Eastern Question. On more than one occasion
it caused the gravest anxiety to the Chancelleries of Europe, and
war was averted mainly by reason of the comparative equality of the
opposing groups formed by the chief states. In the last quarter of
the century the predominance of Germany was the governing factor
in the situation. She built up an alliance of the Central European
states and her influence displaced that of Russia in Constantinople.
The full scope of her ambitions was not realised in this country, but
it was vaguely felt that they were not compatible with the interests
of the British Empire. Certain definite events showed that German
policy, though not actively hostile, was unfriendly to us. She seized
the opportunity created by the Jameson Raid to fling the first open
challenge to British power, and one of the principal results of the
Boer War was the creation of the German Fleet, which could only have
been intended as a weapon against Britain. In other directions the
claims and threats of Germany constituted a constant danger to the
peace of the world. She picked quarrels with France over Morocco
in 1904 and 1911, and openly made preparations to support Austria
against Russia in 1907. Her increasing truculence in foreign affairs
ultimately forced Britain, France, and Russia into a close agreement
in order to safeguard their interests.
The occasion of war was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke
Francis Ferdinand in the streets of Serajevo on the 28th June 1914.
But the emotions aroused by this despicable crime would never have
led to war had it not been for the determination of Germany to bring
matters to a crisis. Her designs in the Balkans and Asia Minor
largely depended upon the cordial co-operation of Austria, of which
she could be certain only while the Emperor Francis Joseph was alive.
In 1914 he was already over eighty years of age, and it was advisable
to turn to account the quarrel between Serbia and Austria caused by
the Serajevo murder.
The nature of her ties with France and Russia as well as the invasion
of Belgium by German forces compelled Britain to take arms against
Germany. No other course was possible. The significant and gratifying
feature of our intervention was the unanimity with which general
opinion supported the Government, and very few protested against the
obligations that honour required the nation to undertake.
The war formed by far the most exacting test to which the democracy
of Britain had yet been subjected. The last great European War
had been waged by Britain under an aristocracy, which, despite
many mistakes, had ultimately achieved victory by steadfast and
unquenchable courage. There were many, especially those of the type
who, like Thucydides, doubted the ability of a democracy to govern an
Empire, who feared that the resolute spirit of Pitt and Castlereagh
had vanished, and that the country would take refuge in ignoble
neutrality. But all fears and doubts were dissolved by the manner
in which the nation as a whole took up the gage that the Kaiser
had thrown, and the course of the struggle showed that the Empire
possessed in full measure the more robust qualities it had shown
under royal and aristocratic rule, though before victory was achieved
it had surrendered all power to a small oligarchy, and allowed itself
to be subjected to a degree of compulsion and restraint that had not
been contemplated when hostilities began.
It was fortunate that the name and services of Lord Kitchener
were at the disposal of his country, for no other man enjoyed to
such an unusual degree the trust and esteem of his compatriots.
He was universally recognised as the man pre-eminently fitted to
lead the nation in its hour of peril, and his perspicacity and
sanity of judgment inspired general confidence. It is difficult
to over-estimate the sobering and steadying influence that his
personality exercised throughout the land. Perhaps more quickly than
any other man he grasped the gravity of the situation, and his first
speech as Secretary of State for War warned the people of Britain
that the conflict would not be the short, sharp affair many expected
it to be.
All available resources for war were immediately employed. The small
but extremely efficient Regular Army, at once transported to France,
played no inconsiderable part in checking the first onrush of the
German armies, while the Navy swept the seas and bottled up the
hostile fleet in its harbours. But our Regular land forces, amounting
to little more than 150,000 men, were a scanty and inadequate
contribution to the titanic contest that was raging in Europe,
and Lord Kitchener asked the civilian population to furnish fresh
armies. His appeal was answered with magnificent alacrity; recruiting
offices, which were opened in every large town in the United Kingdom,
were besieged by volunteers and the staff had to work day and night
to cope with the rush.
The pick of the nation offered itself for service. Youth, which had
hitherto satisfied in sport and athletics its craving for adventure,
was attracted rather than repelled by the novelty and danger of
war, and young men in thousands left workshops, offices, and
universities to join the Colours. Others, not so numerous, were drawn
from the class of casual labourers, and they cheerfully submitted
themselves to a routine more irksome though more wholesome than any
to which they had been accustomed. There was a minority of more
mature men who, having envisaged the situation, bravely sacrificed
their prospects on the altar of duty. The standard of physique was
exceptionally high, and many who afterwards passed the tests with
ease were rejected in the early months of the war. After selection
the “First Hundred Thousand,” the salt of their race, were sent to
the various battalion depots, and then on to the training camps near
Salisbury Plain.
One of the first divisions formed from the New Armies was the Ninth
(Scottish) Division, and its composition was as follows:—
G.O.C.—Major-General C. J. MACKENZIE, C.B.
G.S.O.I.—Lieut.-Colonel C. H. DE ROUGEMONT, M.V.O.
A.A. & Q.M.G.—Colonel A. V. PAYNE.
26TH (HIGHLAND) BRIGADE.
Brig.-General—H. R. Kelham, C.B.
B.M.—Capt. H. W. B. Thorp.
Commanded by
8th Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Lieut.-Col. Lord Sempill.
Highlanders)
7th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders (Ross- Lieut.-Col. W. T. Gaisford
shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s)
8th Bn. The Gordon Highlanders Lieut.-Col. G. Staunton.
5th Bn. The Queen’s Own Cameron Lieut.-Col. D. W. Cameron
Highlanders of Lochiel.
27TH INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Brig.-General—W. Scott Moncrieff.
B.M.—Capt. A. I. R. Glasfurd.
11th Bn. The Royal Scots Lieut.-Col. H. H. B. Dyson.
12th Bn. The Royal Scots Lieut.-Col. G. G. Loch.
6th Bn. The Royal Scots Fusiliers Lieut.-Col. H. H. Northey.
10th Bn. Princess Louise’s (Argyll & Lieut.-Col. A. F. Mackenzie,
Sutherland Highlanders) M.V.O.
28TH INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Brig.-General—S. W. Scrase-Dickins.
B.M.—Captain C. J. B. Hay.
6th Bn. The King’s Own Scottish Lieut.-Col. H. D. N. Maclean,
Borderers D.S.O.
9th Bn. The Scottish Rifles Lieut.-Col. A. C. Northey.
(Cameronians)
10th Bn. The Highland Light Infantry Lieut.-Col. J. C. Grahame,
D.S.O.
11th Bn. The Highland Light Infantry Lieut.-Col. H. C. Fergusson.
ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY.
C.R.A.—Brig.-General E. H. Armitage, C.B.
B.M.—Captain K. P. Ferguson.
Commanded by
50th Brigade, R.F.A. Lieut.-Col. A. C. Bailward.
51st Brigade, R.F.A. Lieut.-Col. A. H. Carter.
52nd Brigade, R.F.A. Lieut.-Col. F. W. Boteler.
53rd Brigade, R.F.A. Lieut.-Col. C. N. Simpson.
The first three brigades had four 18-pounder guns and the 53rd
Brigade four 4·5 howitzers, and each brigade had a B.A.C.
THE ROYAL ENGINEERS.
C.R.E.—Lieut.-Colonel H. A. A. Livingstone, C.M.G.
63rd Field Company Capt. C. Doucet.
64th Field Company Capt. W. E. Francis.
90th Field Company Major C. S. Montefiore.
PIONEERS.
The 9th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of
Albany’s)—Lieut.-Col. T. Fetherstonhaugh.
THE ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.
A.D.M.S.—Colonel C. Cree.
27th Field Ambulance Lieut.-Col. O. W. A. Elsner.
28th Field Ambulance Lieut.-Col. W. E. Hardy.
29th Field Ambulance Lieut.-Col. F. R. Buswell.
ARMY SERVICE CORPS.[1]
9th Divisional Train—Major R. P. Crawley, M.V.O.
9th Divisional Supply Column, Motor Major Dugmore.
Transport
104th Company Major H. MacDougal.
105th Company Capt. J. R. King.
106th Company Capt. F. K. Norman.
107th Company Capt. C. de M. Hutcheson.
In addition to these units the Division was equipped with Ordnance
and Veterinary Sections, D.A.D.O.S. being Major J. S. Brogden, and
the A.D.V.S. Major W. H. Nicol. There were also a battery of R.G.A.,
a company of Cyclists, and a squadron of the Glasgow Yeomanry.
During the period of training several changes in command occurred.
General Mackenzie went to France in October 1914 and was succeeded by
Major-General Sir C. Fergusson, who had commanded the Fifth Division
in the original Expeditionary Force. In March 1915 Sir C. Fergusson
crossed to France to take over the II. Corps and his successor was
Major-General H. J. S. Landon. In the 26th Brigade Brig.-General
E. St G. Grogan, C.B., succeeded Brig.-General Kelham on the 16th
November, while Lieut.-Colonel Harry Wright, D.S.O., a veteran of
the famous Kandahar march, took over the command of the Gordons
in February 1915; in the 27th Brigade, Brig.-General C. D. Bruce
succeeded Brig.-General Scott Moncrieff in January, and Lieut.-Col.
R. C. Dundas was appointed to the command of the 11th Royal Scots in
October. Changes occurred also amongst the Gunners and the Sappers,
and by the time the Ninth was ready to cross the Channel the 50th
Brigade was commanded by Lieut.-Col. C. C. van Straubenzee, the 52nd
by Lieut.-Col. A. M. Perreau, and the 53rd by Lieut.-Col. K. K.
Knapp, while the 63rd Field Company was commanded by Major L. W. S.
Oldham, and the 64th by Major G. R. Hearn.
After the various units were organised, training[2] was carried on
with the utmost vigour. An average of eight hours a day was spent in
fitting the men for the grim business of war; it was a heavy strain
but their keenness and excellent physique enabled them to undergo
the hardships without a murmur. The difficulties at this early stage
were enormous owing to scarcity of instructors and lack of stores,
clothing, and arms, but there was a sprinkling of Regular officers
and N.C.Os., and with their skilled assistance the several units soon
reached a very creditable state of efficiency.
The problems regarding stores and clothing were solved comparatively
quickly, but at first the men in their civilian clothes with
various types of headgear presented an appearance more ludicrous
than martial. The training was on lines identical with those of the
old army and a similar syllabus was carried out with satisfactory
results. The hardest lot fell to the young recently commissioned
officers; they went through exactly the same routine as the men but
they were also obliged to spend their spare time learning their
particular duties as officers. The parsimonious scrutiny to which
in peace times all army estimates had been subjected now showed its
crippling effects. The manual dealing with tactics and strategy,
_Field Service Regulations_, was excellent in its statement of
general principles but it did not give a young officer, unfamiliar
with military terms, much assistance in such a matter as the handling
of a platoon. In this respect the German Army was much better
equipped than ours and possessed numerous pamphlets for the guidance
of junior and non-commissioned officers in their profession. The war
revealed the need of similar assistance for the British Army and a
spate of unofficial publications flooded the book-shops, but none
were as good or as useful as the official pamphlets, notably S.S.
143 and S.S. 135, which unfortunately did not appear until the war
had been long in progress. The lack of such guidance in 1914 was
almost as serious as the scarcity of munitions and added enormously
to the difficulties of training.
The course of training was naturally affected by experience of
the war and lectures by officers from France were followed with
the closest attention. The siting of trenches gave rise to a keen
controversy which raged for a considerable time; some held that they
should be dug on the forward slopes of a hill, others that they
should be on the reverse slope. But the experience of France showed
that such niceties and distinctions were really unimportant and could
be disregarded, since men dug in only where the enemy allowed them to
do so. The infantry devoted much time to musketry and digging, and
as a fair proportion of the men were miners the Division became very
proficient in the rapid excavation of trenches.
As the weeks passed the troops were gradually taken through the
various stages necessary for efficiency, and training by units was
followed by field manœuvres in which the whole Division took part.
Reviews and route marches were always welcome as a change from the
ordinary routine and the divisional field days in March and April
were an agreeable as well as a useful exercise. _Esprit de corps_
had taken firm root in the several formations, and each unit, after
the fashion of all British soldiers, considered itself the salt of
the army. The divisional _esprit de corps_ had not yet attained the
fierce intensity that was afterwards to distinguish the Ninth; that
resulted later from the ordeal of battle, but a good start in the
right direction had been made.
After eight months of incessant and strenuous training the men were
fit and eager for active service and instructions for a move to
France were daily expected. But in 1915 spring had passed into early
summer before the orders were received. With them came a rousing
exhortation from H.M. King George V. on the 10th May:—
“_Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Men of the Ninth
(Scottish) Division_,
“You are about to join your comrades at the Front in bringing to
a successful end this relentless war of more than nine months’
duration. Your prompt patriotic answer to the Nation’s call to
arms will never be forgotten. The keen exertions of all ranks
during the period of training have brought you to a state of
efficiency not unworthy of my Regular Army. I am confident that
in the field you will nobly uphold the traditions of the fine
regiments whose names you bear. Ever since your enrolment I have
closely watched the growth and steady progress of all units.
I shall continue to follow with interest the fortunes of your
Division. In bidding you farewell I pray God may bless you in all
your undertakings.”