10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots

The 10th (Cyclist) Battalion the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment).
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
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
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
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,
10th (Cyclists) Battalion, The Royal Scots ? Volunteers for Overseas Service - September 1914
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: -
Royal Scots Number |
Rank |
Surname |
Name |
Company |
Army Cyclist Corps Number |
Remarks |
|
Capt |
Wolf |
George |
Armadale |
|
Killed in Action 02/06/1915 |
690 |
Sgt |
Yates |
John |
Kirkliston |
612 |
Died of Wounds 28/05/1918 |
|
Cpl |
Murdoch |
John |
Uphall |
613 |
|
460 |
LCpl |
Allan |
Robert |
Fauldhouse |
614 |
MM Tank Corps |
|
LCpl |
Reid |
John |
Armadale |
615 |
MG Corps |
|
Pte |
Adamson |
James |
Fauldhouse |
630 |
|
746 |
Pte |
Bradley |
Walter C |
Armadale |
616 |
Killed in Action 19/10/1918 |
|
Pte |
Brownlie |
R |
Uphall |
617 |
|
622 |
Pte |
Clarkson |
Ebenezar |
Bathgate |
618 |
Labour Corps |
747 |
Pte |
Cole |
Samuel |
Armadale |
619 |
|
6053 |
Pte |
Connel l |
John |
West Calder |
620 |
Killed in Action 06/07/1915 |
|
Pte |
Devlin |
Andrew |
Boness |
621 |
|
868 |
Pte |
Dutton |
John |
Uphall |
622 |
Wounded |
|
Pte |
Harvie |
Andrew |
Linlithgow |
623 |
|
|
Pte |
Jamieson |
Robert |
West Calder |
624 |
|
|
Pte |
McCallum |
Henry |
Fauldhouse |
625 |
|
1020 |
Pte |
Mains |
Robert |
Boness |
626 |
Killed in Action 09/07/1915 |
|
Pte |
Rarity |
David |
Kirkliston |
627 |
MM |
|
Pte |
Simpson |
Robert |
Bathgate |
628 |
|
|
Pte |
Stewart |
Robert |
Kirkliston |
629 |
|
|
Pte |
Walker |
James |
Linlithgow |
631 |
|
All enlisted into the Army Cyclist Corps on the 17th December 1914, and were sent to France on the 14th January 1915.
10th Royal Scots Photos
2nd/10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots
In September 1914, the war office authorised all units of the Territorial Force to form second and third line units. Following an intensive recruiting campaign, The 2/10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots, was raised in ten days with recruits from the towns and villages of the County. It mobilised as a Battalion on 13th October, 1914.
In common with other units at the time, great difficulty was experienced in obtaining equipment. Cycles were more easily obtained than clothing and rifles.
Ultimately the Battalion moved to Berwick where it was employed on coast defence duties, the threat of invasion was very real at this time, and as long as this threat existed there was little hope of the Battalion proceeding overseas as a complete unit. However, at intervals and in total, hundreds of men were allowed to volunteer for service overseas. The first draft, all volunteers left for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Later drafts proceeded overseas to join other Battalions of Royal Scots and certain Lowland Regiments, primarily Royal Scots Fusiliers and Kings Own Scottish Borderers.
In 1917 the 2/10th Royal Scots with the 1/ 10th Royal Scots and other English Cyclist Battalions were moved to
Early in 1918, the 2/10th Royal Scots was brought up to strength and was part of the Expeditionary Force sent to
PDF - History of The 2nd/10th Royal Scots by Major John Ewing MC
In the course of operations two Russian Field Guns were captured, one of the guns now stands in front of the Guard Room at Dreghorn Barracks.
On its return to this country in July 1919, the Battalion landed at
10th Royal Scots Territorial Medals
Ser | Number | Rank | Surname | First Name | Year |
1 | 89 | Pte | Bates | J | 1908 |
2 | 56 | Pte | Bell | J | 1908 |
3 | 9 | Cpl | Downie | A | 1908 |
4 | 47 | Sgt | Grant | A F | 1908 |
5 | 133 | Sgt | Hunter | W | 1908 |
6 | 5003 | Cpl | Inglis | J | 1908 |
7 | 211 | Sgt | Kennedy | W | 1908 |
8 | 48 | Sgt | McCaig | J | 1908 |
9 | 14 | Pte | McCombie | W J | 1908 |
10 | 50 | Cpl | McEvoy | B | 1908 |
11 | 45 | CSgt | Napier | J | 1908 |
12 | 213 | Cpl | Robertson | W | 1908 |
13 | 84 | Pte | Rodger | D | 1908 |
14 | 105 | CSM | Smith | William | 1908 |
15 | 330 | Sgt | Barnaby | AJ | 1909 |
16 | 97 | Pte | Bell | P | 1909 |
17 | 184 | Pte | Fleming | W | 1909 |
18 | 195 | LCpl | Laing | J | 1909 |
19 | 5006 | Pte | Lee | M | 1909 |
20 | 6 | Sgt | Marshall | T | 1909 |
21 | 40 | Pte | McNair | R | 1909 |
22 | 158 | Pte | Nathaniel | J | 1909 |
23 | 5004 | LCpl | Smirrell | 1909 | |
24 | 5005 | Cpl | Walker | T | 1909 |
25 | 212 | Cpl | Whigham | G | 1909 |
26 | 86 | Sgt | Binnie | R | 1910 |
27 | 139 | LCpl | Bishop | J | 1910 |
28 | 207 | Pte | Finnie | J | 1910 |
29 | 5012 | LCpl | Seggie | T | 1910 |
30 | 5007 | CSM | Wilson | J | 1910 |
31 | 198 | Cpl | Black | J | 1911 |
32 | 95 | Pte | Robertson | CM | 1911 |
33 | 172 | CSgt | Thomson | W | 1911 |
34 | 2 | Sgt | Wood | A | 1911 |
35 | 249 | Sgt | Wood | R | 1911 |
36 | 338 | LSgt | Aitken | H | 1912 |
37 | 49 | LSgt | Bell | A | 1912 |
38 | 326 | Pte | Cavanagh | W | 1912 |
39 | 255 | Sgt | Clarkson | J | 1912 |
40 | 119 | Sgt | Edwards | Esseua | 1912 |
41 | 332 | Sgt | Gray | J | 1912 |
42 | 317 | Sgt | Johnston | W | 1912 |
43 | 350 | Pte | Johnstone | Robert Dewar | 1912 |
44 | 345 | LCpl | Tait | W | 1912 |
45 | 261 | Sgt | Chalmers | William | 1913 |
46 | 264 | Sgt | Chalmers | W J | 1913 |
47 | 467 | Sgt Bugler | Cosgrove | G | 1913 |
48 | 260 | Sgt | Foster | E | 1913 |
49 | 259 | LSgt | Martin | Thomas | 1913 |
50 | 262 | Cpl | McCord | R | 1913 |
51 | 258 | Sgt | Meikle | D | 1913 |
52 | 5002 | Sgt | Potter | W | 1913 |
53 | 5010 | Sgt | Seggie | J | 1913 |
54 | 5011 | CSgt | Collins | J | 1914 |
55 | 339 | Sgt | Gray | W | 1914 |
56 | 62 | LCpl | Hay | 1914 | |
57 | 28 | Pte | Morrison | W | 1914 |
58 | 341 | Pte | Shepherd | R | 1914 |
59 | 53 | Cpl | Anderson | Alexander | 1915 |
60 | 51 | Sgt | Ferrier | J | 1915 |
61 | 156 | LSgt | Marr | J | 1915 |
62 | 267 | Sgt | McLaren | R | 1915 |
63 | 351 | LCpl | Scott | J | 1915 |
64 | 74 | LCpl | Thomson | J | 1915 |
65 | 375016 | Sgt | Campbell | G | 1917 |
66 | 265 | Sgt | Marshall | A | 1917 |
67 | 375007 | Sgt | Martin | T | 1917 |
68 | 375012 | Sgt | McGrouther | D | 1917 |
69 | 375001 | A/Sgt | Stobie | Thomas | 1917 |
70 | 3109 | Sgt | Cockburn | Thomas | 1918 |
71 | 375005 | Sgt | McHattie | Alexander | 1918 |
72 | 375027 | Sgt | Black | J | 1919 |
73 | 25 | Sgt | Gilroy | T | 1919 |
74 | 377088 | Sgt | Gooding | Horace | 1919 |
75 | 294 | Pte | Nelson | A | 1919 |
76 | 530 | Sgt | Nicol | W | 1919 |
77 | 377087 | Sgt | Quinton | Charles F | 1919 |
78 | 377013 | CSM | Upperton | Jack | 1919 |
79 | 375020 | Pte | Wylie | J | 1919 |
80 | 536 | Sgt | Armour | Robert | 1920 |
81 | 376836 | A/Sgt | Baker | Albert | 1920 |
82 | 375023 | Sgt | Cook | A | 1920 |
83 | 803 | Pte | Foster | W | 1920 |
84 | 755 | Pte | Friskey | R | 1920 |
85 | 375034 | Cpl | Golloway | J | 1920 |
86 | 646 | Pte | Grant | R | 1920 |
87 | 809 | Pte | Meikle | A | 1920 |
88 | 761 | Pte | Moore | S | 1920 |
89 | 4310 | Cpl | Wilson | C | 1920 |
90 | 376191 | A/CQMS | Wilson | R | 1920 |
91 | 790 | Pte | Yorkston | J | 1920 |
92 | 696 | Pte | Adamson | J | 1921 |
93 | 747 | Pte | Cole | Samuel | 1921 |
94 | 6012 | Pte | Jamieson | R | 1921 |
95 | 805 | Pte | McCallum | H | 1921 |
96 | 187 | Cpl | Chapman | D | 1922 |
97 | 29 | Pte | Cockburn | R | 1922 |
98 | 5068 | Pte | Crookston | D | 1922 |
99 | 375625 | Pte | Kennedy | R | 1922 |
100 | 375029 | Sgt | McCord | John | 1922 |
101 | 741 | Pte | Prentice | William | 1922 |
102 | 323 | Pte | Stewart | R | 1922 |
103 | 376187 | Sgt | Wilson | Charles F | 1922 |
104 | 376190 | Sgt | Greig | Thomas | 1926 |
105 | 304 | Cpl | Owen | James | 1927 |
106 | 460 | LCpl | Allan | Robert | 1928 |
107 | 375045 | Cpl | Gardner | George | 1930 |
108 | 375381 | Sgt | Rodger | James | 1930 |
109 | 125 | LCpl | Pollard | William | 1935 |
110 | 315 | Sgt | Allan | Stephen | 1936 |
111 | 318 | Pte | Arbuckle | Robert | 1936 |
112 | 661 | Pte | Hardie | David | 1937 |
113 | 369 | Sgt | Crombie | Andrew | 1938 |
114 | 377232 | CSM | Fox | Horace V | 1943 |
2nd/10th Royal Scots Civic Reception
LINLITHGOW TOWN COUNCIL
CIVIC RECEPTION 2nd/10th (CYCLIST) BATTALION THE ROYAL SCOTS, 22.11.1969
The surviving members of the 2nd/10th Battalion were honoured by the Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow at a civic reception held on Saturday, 22nd November, in the Town House, Linlithgow.
This was in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the demobilization of the Battalion which was raised in 1914 from within the county of Linlithgow.
Back row: |
G. Brown (Town Clerk), Sgt J. McCord. M.M., J. Shanks, G. Robertson, W. D. Mill, Lt. T. Preston, Col D. A. D. Eykyn, D.S.O., D.L., Rev. Dr. D. Steel, Sgt C. Borthwick, Sgt H. Brodie |
Middle row |
W. W. Scott, D. Drummond, C.Q.M.S., L. Brown, Sgt M. Boyce, T. C. Shanks, A. Brown, T. Cockburn, J. A. Cormack |
Front row |
Lieut. J. A. Dow, C.S.M. E. Edwards, Provost F. Byrne, Sgt W. J. Smith, J. O’Hara |
