Scots on the Western Front

Scots on the Western Front

Overview

  • The Western Front was a series of trenches that ran from the Swiss border to the North Sea.
  • Scots were significant contributors to the military effort including men from multiple sectors of Scottish society such as fishermen, miners, farmers, and university graduates.
  • The 9th (Scottish) Division and 15th (Scottish) Division were two of the primary divisions composed largely of Scots.

Early Involvement (1914-1915)

  • Scots troops were involved from the very beginning of the war, with regular units part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to halt the German advance in 1914.
  • Particularly noteworthy were the actions of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots, at Le Cateau in August 1914, where they held back the German advance despite being outnumbered.
  • 1915 was a difficult year; Scots troops were present at battles that saw heavy losses, such as at Loos where the 9th (Scottish) Division and 15th (Scottish) Division suffered severe casualties.

Middle Period of The War (1916-1917)

  • Scots regiments played crucial roles in the Battles of the Somme in 1916 and Third Ypres (often known as Passchendaele) in 1917.
  • The 51st (Highland) Division, another primarily Scottish division, earned a reputation for being a formidable fighting force.
  • High casualty rates took a terrible toll on Scotland, with loss or injury affecting many homes and communities.

Later Involvement and Conclusion (1918)

  • Despite losses, Scottish troops made significant contributions to the Allied victories in the Hundred Days Offensive, which led to the end of the war.
  • The experienced 51st (Highland) Division was one of the leading divisions during this crucial concluding phase of the war.
  • Scots soldiers, like others, faced the difficult peacetime transition, in a society deeply impacted by war.

Legacy

  • Scots made up about 10% of Britain’s population but accounted for 20% of the war dead.
  • The sheer scale of loss had lasting impacts on Scottish society, particularly in communities where whole generations of men were lost.
  • War memorials scattered across Scotland and the annual Remembrance Day services are a testament to how deeply the Great War affected Scotland.