Armadale & District War Memorial Association

The 10th Battalion the Royal Scots was, till the creation of the Territorial Force, the 8th (Volunteer) Battalion, and earlier still the 1st Administrative Battalion Linlithgowshire Rifle Volunteers.

The 10th (Cyclist) Battalion was one of only two Scottish Cyclist Units formed when Lord Haldane created the Territorial Force in 1908.

HQ Company - Linlithgow

A Company - Linlithgow with a drill station at Philipstoun

B Company - Boness with a drill station at Carriden

C Company - Armadale with drill stations at Whitburn, Pumpherston and Blackridge

D Company - Bathgate

E Company - Uphall with drill stations at Broxburn and Livingston

F Company - Fauldhouse with a drill station at Harthill

G Company - West Calder with a drill station at Addiewell

H Company - Kirkliston with drill stations at Dalmeny, Winchburgh and Newbridge

The unit, established at a time when the horse was very such to the fore, were in several respects unique. Equipped with cycles, motor cycles and motor transport, the cyclist battalions were undoubtedly, the forerunners of the mechanised forces of the British Army.

Shortly before 1914, as the war clouds gathered, it was realised that in the event of war with Germany there was the possibility of attempted invasion of Great Britain. Plans were accordingly made to meet such a situation should it arise. The formation of the cyclists was to form an outpost line on the cliffs and beaches and it is obvious that because of their mobility the cyclist units were created for this purpose.

The mobilisa­tion of the 1st/10th Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel M. W. Henderson, was carried through at Linlithgow without a hitch at the beginning of August 1914.

The first move of the unit was through Edinburgh to East Linton in East Lothian, and thereafter, coast defence was its principal role.

In October 1914 Lieut.-Colonel Henderson left to command a New Army Unit, and he was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel, subsequently Colonel, A. P. Simpson. The battalion was accepted for foreign service, but the coast defence duty, for which it had been detailed, prevented its employment abroad as a unit, though, by the end of 1916, fully 90 per cent, of the original personnel had gone abroad for service with other units.

Early in 1917 Colonel Simpson left the battalion for Foreign Service, and the next C.O. was the Marquis of Linlithgow.

In April 1918 the battalion was transferred from the Scottish coast to Ireland, first to Claremorris, then to the Curragh in August, to Port Arlington in October, and to Ballinrobe, County Mayo, in November.

The Marquis of Linlithgow relinquished the command early in 1919 and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel R. N. Coulson, D.S.O., under whom the 1st/10th moved in April to Castlebar, where Lieut.-Colonel J. J. Cameron, D.S.O., M.C., subsequently took over the command from Lieut.-Colonel Coulson.

In the autumn of 1919 the battalion went to Ennistimon, County Clare, where the majority of the men were demobilised, the cadre being despatched to Linlithgow in January 1920, where demobilisation was completed on the 26th February.

Imperial Service Volunteers

Departure From East Linton

The Army Council recently decided to give Imperial Service Cyclist Battalions a representative, in the meantime, in the newly formed Army Cyclist Corps, and called for the names of Volunteers, the officers being restricted to those not above the rank of Captain.

Later it was notified that one officer, nominated by seniority, and 20 men were to be furnished by each Imperial Service Cyclist Battalion out of those who had volunteered, and the officer commanding the 10th Imperial Service Battalion The Royal Scots received instructions to send Captain T.W. Hutchison with 20 men.

Captain Hutchison had, in the meantime, met with a slight accident, which involved his being laid up in the Military Hospital at Craigleith, and as the Medical Officer was not able to pass him as completely fit, the War Office called for the next Senior Captain.

The detachment therefore left East Linton n Thursday night for Southampton under Captain George Wolf, Jun. seconded for service with the Army Cyclist Corps, and it is understood that they have now joined the Expeditionary Force on the continent.

The detachment which travelled south in company with an officer and a similar number of men from the Imperial Service Battalion of the Highland Cyclist, was made up of the following: -

Captain George Wolf - Armadale

Sergeant John Yates - Kirkliston

Corporal John Murdoch - Uphall

Lance Corporal Robert Allan - Fauldhouse

Lance Corporal John Reid - Armadale

Private James Adamson - Fauldhouse

Private Walter C Bradley - Armadale

Private R Brownlie - Uphall

Private Ebenezar Clarkson - Bathgate

Private Samuel Cole - Armadale

Private John Connell - West Calder

Private Andrew Devlin - Bo'ness

Private john Dutton - Uphall

Private Andrew Harvie - Linlithgow

Private Robert Jamieson - West Calder

Private Henry McCallum - Fauldhouse

Private Robert Mains - Bo'ness

Private David Rarity - Kirkliston

Private Robert Simpson - Bathgate

Private Robert Stewart - Kirkliston

Private James Walker - Linlithgow

* All enlisted into the Army Cyclist Corps on the 17th December 1914, and were sent to France on the 14th January 1915.

Click here to edit text