The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War.
After the 1st South African Infantry Brigade Group joined in early 1916, the division was known colloquially as the Jock and Springboks.
History
Background
A 9th Division had been formed for service during the Second Boer War, and was commanded by Henry Edward Colvile. In 1902, a 9th Division was as formed and was commanded by Edward Pemberton Leach, but it was broken-up at some point prior to the start of the war.
First World War
In the Battle of Loos, notable for being the first battle in which British forces used poison gas, the 9th (Scottish) Division assaulted the Hohenzollern Redoubt, the 5th Camerons suffered horrific casualties, and Corporal James Dalgleish Pollock gained a Victoria Cross for his actions.
The 9th (Scottish) Division took part in major fighting during the Somme offensive. Notably it relieved the 30th Division at Montauban and later attacked German positions at Bernafay Wood, where it succeeded in capturing vital objectives and forcing a German withdrawal. In the Somme offensive, the 9th (Scottish) Division liberated the village of Longueval; the village now has a statue of a Scottish piper at its crossroads that commemorates this fact (see Caterpillar Valley Cemetery) and also other pipers who served in the First World War.
Order of battle
The division comprised the following brigades:
26th Brigade
8th (Service) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 7th (Service) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, Duke of Albany's) 8th (Service) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (transferred to 15th (Scottish) Division 7 May 1916) 5th (Service) Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 1/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Territorial Force (TF) (joined December 1915 left January 1916) 10th (Service) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (transferred from 27th Brigade 6 May 1916, transferred to 32nd Division 17 February 1918) 26th Machine Gun Company (formed 29 January 1916 left to move into 9th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (M.G.C.) 1 March 1918) 26th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 15 June 1916)
27th Brigade
11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) 12th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (transferred to 15th (Scottish) Division 7 May 1916) 10th (Service) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (transferred to 26th Brigade 7 May 1916) 6th (Service) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (transferred from 28th Brigade 6 May 1916) 9th (Service) Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (transferred from 28th Brigade 6 May 1916, transferred to the 14th (Light) Division in February 1918) 27th Machine Gun Company (formed 23 December 1915, left to move into 9th Battalion M.G. C. 1 March 1918) 27th Trench Mortar Battery (joined July 1916)
28th Brigade
(The 28th Brigade was broken up in May 1916 and replaced with the 1st South African Brigade. It reformed in September 1918) 6th (Service) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (transferred to 27th Brigade 6 May 1916) 9th (Service) Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (transferred to 27th Brigade 6 May 1916, returned September 1918) 10th (Service) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (transferred to South African Brigade 6 May 1916) 11th (Service) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (transferred to South African Brigade 6 May 1916) 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (transferred from South African Brigade 13 September 1918) 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment (joined September 1918) 28th Machine Gun Company (formed 3 January 1916 transferred to South African Brigade 6 May 1916) 28th Trench Mortar Battery(joined 11 September 1918)