Armadale & District War Memorial Association

Registered Scottish Charity No. SC044493

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 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.

 

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

Bo’ness

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

Bo’ness

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.

 

10th (Reserve) Battalion Mobilised - Page with details taken from the West Lothian Couier 16th Oct 1914.

 

2nd/10th (Cyclists) Battalion, The Royal Scots - List of Officers and Men billeted in Bathgate - 30th 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 Ireland.

 

Early in 1918, the 2/10th Royal Scots was brought up to strength and was part of the Expeditionary Force sent to North Russia. It embarked at Newcastle and landed at Archangel. During the autumn and winter of 1918 - 1919, the Battalion took part in a difficult and harassing campaign and suffered many casualties, the operations' extending between the Rivers Dwina and Vaga.

 

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 Leith and was met by the Provost and Magistrates of Leith and later accorded a civic reception by Edinburgh Town Council. The Battalion then proceeded to Linlithgow where it was accorded a civic reception by the Town Council. Demobilisation followed, the County Battalion had completed almost five years of active service at home and abroad.

 

 

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

 

 

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