Hodden Grey
22nd August 1914, St Albans.
The three original infantry battalions of the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders as well as the Artillery, Engineers and other personnel of the Brigade were drawn up on the new parade ground adjacent to St Albans School. The brigade was headquartered at the school and the soldiers were locally billeted. As the men stood to attention, a battalion in kilts of Hodden Grey marched onto the parade ground, the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish playing Highland Laddie as the marched to form the fourth side of the hollow square.
The London Scottish had previously been attached to the 2nd London Division but with the decision to allow them to retain the FQH Mk 1 Rifle, they had been transferred to the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders Brigade. The Cameron Highlanders Battalion had been reinforced to full strength with London Scots who had re-joined the colours and the two Seaforths battalions had subsumed most of the third battalion, which would then be fleshed out with new recruits and act as training cadre. This parade was a chance for the Brigadier General commanding the brigade to meet and formally accept the new battalion into his command. He was already highly impressed by the soldierly bearing of the men of the Battalion, they clearly were a fine body of soldiers and would bring his brigade up to full strength.
His brigade would be handing in their older Long Lee Enfield rifles and receiving the new FQH Mk 1 in exchange, how he wished that they could also be rid of the divisional artillery, a mixture of useless 5” Howitzers, 4.7” Guns and 15 pounder guns, all of them obsolete but all that was available.
The moral of the brigade was excellent, they would be training hard to ready for their deployment to France. It was not yet certain as to when the 51st Division would go to France or Belgium. Already the Territorial Force had begun deployed three divisions to the continent, two divisions had commenced deployment to France, the 1st London Division and the North Midland Division they would assemble with the rest of the army between Mauberge and Le Cateau, the Wessex Division had gone to Belgium and had already begun landing in Bruges. It was expected that these first three divisions would take a further week to be fully deployed and then would be the turn of the next three divisions. The Territorial Force divisions would be added to each of the 3 Corps already present, once the 2nd trio of territorials arrived then the Corps would form an army and each territorial division would pair with a regular division. When the initial reinforcement was complete there would be 3 armies present each with 2 corps of 3 divisions. This would give a total of 18 divisions in the BEF, with 6 Divisions deployed to Belgium and 12 divisions in France. The splitting of the BEF was seen as a risk, should Belgium collapse rapidly, the possibility of the Germans reaching the coast and then rolling up the British army was a real possibility. Flanders was not a place filled with glory for British arms even the great Wellington had struggled in that place. Thus far though the Belgian resistance was proving stronger than anticipated, the Siege of Liege was ongoing with thousands dying on both sides the fortress and town were still holding on. The Belgian army was using the time well, they had called up all of their reservists and were digging ever greater fortifications around Antwerp. The Garrison at Namur had been reinforced with a French Infantry brigade and 3 French Artillery Batteries.
The Belgian division based in Ghent had moved up to screen Brussels, German Cavalry and Infantry units were filtering past Liege but without the road, canal and railways which passed through the town their movements were very slow.
The Brigadier General ceased his reverie and began to address the assembled Brigade.
The three original infantry battalions of the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders as well as the Artillery, Engineers and other personnel of the Brigade were drawn up on the new parade ground adjacent to St Albans School. The brigade was headquartered at the school and the soldiers were locally billeted. As the men stood to attention, a battalion in kilts of Hodden Grey marched onto the parade ground, the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish playing Highland Laddie as the marched to form the fourth side of the hollow square.
The London Scottish had previously been attached to the 2nd London Division but with the decision to allow them to retain the FQH Mk 1 Rifle, they had been transferred to the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders Brigade. The Cameron Highlanders Battalion had been reinforced to full strength with London Scots who had re-joined the colours and the two Seaforths battalions had subsumed most of the third battalion, which would then be fleshed out with new recruits and act as training cadre. This parade was a chance for the Brigadier General commanding the brigade to meet and formally accept the new battalion into his command. He was already highly impressed by the soldierly bearing of the men of the Battalion, they clearly were a fine body of soldiers and would bring his brigade up to full strength.
His brigade would be handing in their older Long Lee Enfield rifles and receiving the new FQH Mk 1 in exchange, how he wished that they could also be rid of the divisional artillery, a mixture of useless 5” Howitzers, 4.7” Guns and 15 pounder guns, all of them obsolete but all that was available.
The moral of the brigade was excellent, they would be training hard to ready for their deployment to France. It was not yet certain as to when the 51st Division would go to France or Belgium. Already the Territorial Force had begun deployed three divisions to the continent, two divisions had commenced deployment to France, the 1st London Division and the North Midland Division they would assemble with the rest of the army between Mauberge and Le Cateau, the Wessex Division had gone to Belgium and had already begun landing in Bruges. It was expected that these first three divisions would take a further week to be fully deployed and then would be the turn of the next three divisions. The Territorial Force divisions would be added to each of the 3 Corps already present, once the 2nd trio of territorials arrived then the Corps would form an army and each territorial division would pair with a regular division. When the initial reinforcement was complete there would be 3 armies present each with 2 corps of 3 divisions. This would give a total of 18 divisions in the BEF, with 6 Divisions deployed to Belgium and 12 divisions in France. The splitting of the BEF was seen as a risk, should Belgium collapse rapidly, the possibility of the Germans reaching the coast and then rolling up the British army was a real possibility. Flanders was not a place filled with glory for British arms even the great Wellington had struggled in that place. Thus far though the Belgian resistance was proving stronger than anticipated, the Siege of Liege was ongoing with thousands dying on both sides the fortress and town were still holding on. The Belgian army was using the time well, they had called up all of their reservists and were digging ever greater fortifications around Antwerp. The Garrison at Namur had been reinforced with a French Infantry brigade and 3 French Artillery Batteries.
The Belgian division based in Ghent had moved up to screen Brussels, German Cavalry and Infantry units were filtering past Liege but without the road, canal and railways which passed through the town their movements were very slow.
The Brigadier General ceased his reverie and began to address the assembled Brigade.
