SEAFORTH AND CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

The 2nd Battalion were noted as forming part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) throughout WWI. At the outbreak of War, the Battalion was stationed in Shorncliffe, Kent. They were mobilised on 22nd August 1914 with the BEF and saw the majority of action on the Western Front. Battles included: during the first year of conflict, the 2nd Battalion’s engagements included the Battle of Le Cateau, the Battle of the Marne, the Battle of the Aisne, the Battle of Messines 1914. The 2nd was involved in the Christmas Truce of 1914, an unofficial ceasefire in the trenches of the front line where British and German soldiers exchanged gifts and played football matches in no man’s land.

The Battalion went on to fight in the following engagements throughout WWI: the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Le Transloy, the First and Third Battles of the Scarpe, the Battle of Polygon Wood, the Battle of Broodseinde, the Battle of Poelcapelle, the First Battle of Passchendaele, the First Battle of Arras 1918, the Battle of Hazebrouck, the Battle of Bethune, the Advance in Flanders, the Battle of the Scarpe, the Battle of Drocourt-Queant, the Battle of the Canal du Nord, the Battle of the Selle, and the Battle of Valenciennes.

This Reserve Battalion was stationed in Fort George in Inverness, and was never called up to action in Europe. Nevertheless, reserve Battalions held a great responsibility – they were responsible for training recruits and men returning to duty after injury. The 3rd Reserve were later stationed in Cromarty.  

Stationed in Dingwall at the outbreak of War as part of the Seaforth & Cameron Brigade, the Battalion was then moved to Bedford. Mobilised on 7th November 1914, the 1/4th Battalion joined the Dehra Dun Brigade of the 7th (Meerut) Division. The Battalion was moved around and amalgamated with several other divisions, ending up with the 154th Brigade of the 51st Division at the start of 1916.

The 1/4th Battalion was involved in the attacks on High Wood and the Battle of the Ancre and then the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, the Capture and Defence of Roeux, the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, and the Battle of Menin Road Ridge throughout 1917. In 1918, they fought in the Battle of St Quentin, the Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Estaires, the Battle of Hazebrouck, the Battles of the Marne, the Battle of the Scarpe, the Pursuit to the Selle, the Battle of the Selle, and the Final Advance in Picardy.

“conspicuous gallantry displayed by him at the assault on the Asmai Heights, round Kabul, on the 14th December, 1879, in having in a marked manner led the attack, under a heavy fire, and, dashing on in front of the party up the slope, engaged in a desperate conflict with an Afghan who sprang out to meet him. In this encounter Lance-Corporal Sellar was severely wounded”.

The 1/5th was stationed at Golspie and the 1/6th was stationed at Elgin at the start of the War. Like the 1/4th Battalion, they both became part of the Seaforth & Cameron Brigade and moved to Bedford.

The Battalions arrived in France on 2nd May 1915 as part of the 152nd Brigade of the 51st Division, seeing action at the Battle of Festubert, the Second Action of Givenchy, the attacks on High Wood, the Battle of the Ancre, the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, the Capture and Defence of Roeux, the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, the Battle of St Quentin, the Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Estaires, the Battle of Hazebrouck, the Battles of the Marne, the Second Battles of Arras, the Pursuit to the Selle, the Battle of the Selle, and a phase of the Final Advance in Picardy.

The 2/4th Battalion (Ross Highland) was formed at Dingwall, Scotland in 1914, and then joined the 191st Brigade of the 64th Division. Stationed in the UK throughout the War, they moved to Fort George in April 1915 and then to Blair Athol, then Pitlochry. In 1916, the 2/4th moved o Norwich then Blickling Park, then Holt and then Cromer. The 2/4th was disbanded from Cromer in May 1917. Following the 2/4th Battalion to Fort George, Blair Athol and Pitlochry, the 2/5th Battalion (The Sutherland & Caithness Highland) was absorbed by the 2/6th in April 1916. Again, the 2/6th (Morayshire) followed the 2/4th to Fort George, Blair Athol and Pitlochry, then around Norfolk until being disbanded in May 1917.  

Formed in 1915, the Battalions moved to Ardersier, Scotland and then to Ripon, Yorkshire. On 18th April 1916, they became the 4th, 5th. and 6th Reserve Battalions, and were eventually absorbed into the 5th and 6th as part of the Highland Reserve Brigade Territorial Force. The new Battalion moved to Glencorse in May 1918 where it remained. 

Formed at Fort George in August 1914 as part of the First New Army, the Battalion then moved to Aldershot to join the 26th Brigade of the 9th Division and later moved to Bordon.  

Mobilised for war in May 1915, the Battalion landed at Boulogne and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including: the Battle of Loos, the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bazentin, the Battle of Delville Wood, the Battle of Le Transloy, the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, the First Battle of Passchendaele, the Action of Welsh Ridge, the Battle of St Quentin, the First Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Messines, the Battle of Bailleul, the First and Second Battles of Kemmel, and the Final Advance in Flanders. 

Formed at Fort George in August 1914 as part of the Second New Army (K2), the Batalion then moved to Aldershot to join the 44th Brigade of the 15th Division and later moved to Petersfield and then Chisledon and Tidworth.

In July 1915, the Battalion landed at Boulogne and spent the duration of the War on the Western Front, engaged in the following Battles: The Battle of Loos, Defence during The Actions of Spring, the Battle of Pozieres, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the Battle of Le Transloy, the First and Second Battle of the Scarpe, the Battle of Pilckem, The Battle of Langemark, the First Battle of Bapaume, the First Battle of Arras, the Battle of the Soissonnais, the Battles of the Marne 1918 and the Final Advance in Artois.

Again, the 9th Battalion was formed in Fort George in October 1914, later moving to Aldershot to the 9th Division. As a Pioneer Battalion of the 9th Division, they moved to Farnham in Surrey. On 10th May 1915, the Battalion left for France and were involved in: the Battle of Loos, the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bazentin, the Battle of Delville Wood, the Battle of Le Transloy, the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, the First Battle of Passchendaele, the Third Battle of Ypres, the Cambrai operations, the Battle of St Quentin, the First Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Messines, the Battle of Bailleul, the First and Second Battles of Kemmel, and the Final Advance in Flanders.

Formed in Cromarty as a service battalion of the Fourth New Army (K4), they later became a 2nd Reserve Battalion in the 9th Reserve Brigade. In May 1915, the Battalion moved to Tain and then Catterick, finally becoming the 39th Training Reserve in April 1916, based in Dunfermline.

Formed in July 1916 in Tillicoultry, Scotland, the 1st Garrison moved out almost immediately to Salonika, Greece, where they were absorbed into the 228th Brigade of the 28th Division.