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7th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
7th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) was a unit of the Territorial Force with its HQ at Dalmeny Street, Leith. It was part of the Lothian Infantry Brigade. They had just departed for annual summer camp war broke out in August 1914, they were at once recalled to base. They were mobilised for war service on the 5th of August 1914 and moved to take up position on the Scottish coastal defences. On the 24th of April 1915 they transferred to 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division. On the 22nd of May, A and D Companies were involved in a rail accident at Quintinshill near Gretna, whilst travelling to Liverpool from Larbert in Stirlingshire. It was the worst disaster in British railway history, with 473 casualties, including 210 men of the 7th Royal Scots who lost their lives with a further 224 being injured. The remainder of the battalion sailed from Liverpool on the 24th of May 1915 to Gallipoli, via Egypt. They were in action at Gully Ravine, Achi Baba Nullah, Krithia Nullahs and The evcuation of Helles on the 8th of January 1916. They moved to Egypt and concentrated at Abbassia near Cairo. They moved to El Kantara and took over No 3 Section of the Suez Canal defences on the 2nd of March. They were in action at Dueidar in April and The Battle of Romani in August. In 1917 they were in action during The First, Second and Third Battles of Gaza, at Wadi el Hesi, The capture of Junction Station, The Battle of Nabi Samweil and The Battle of Jaffa including the passage of the Nahr-el-Auja. 52nd Division remained in the line near Arsuf until March 1918 when it was relieved by the 7th (Meerut) Division and proceedrd to France, sailing from Alexandria in early April, via Marseilles they concentrated near Abbeville. 52nd Division took over a sector of front line near Vimy on the 6th of May until the 23rd of July when they moved to take over the line north east of Arras. They were in action inThe Battle of Albert, The Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line, The Battle of the Canal du Nord and The Final Advance in Artois. At the Armistice 52nd Division was north of the Mons canal engaged on clearing Herchies.
22nd May 1915 Rail disaster at Quintinshill The worst rail disaster in British history occurred on the 22nd of May 1915 when three trains were involved in a collision outside the Quintinshill signal box near Gretna Green, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Over 200 people died, most being soldiers from the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Scots who were travelling from Larbert to Liverpool to embark for Gallipoli. The first train hit a stationary train waiting on a passing loop, due to several signalmen forgetting the train was there waiting. A minute after the first train hit a second train, a northbound express sleeper train, struck the wreckage on the tracks, igniting gas lighting system in the troop train. The fire engulfed five trains, killing 215 soldiers, nine passengers and three railway employees. There were four other victims, that many thought were children, but they could not be identified due to the burns. The last survivor of the wreck, Michael Simkins, told The Guardian in 2001 that an officer went about the scene shooting men trapped in the burning wreckage. 'That was true. I saw that. He was a Scottish gentleman, eventually a millionaire. But he had to ... And there were one or two other survivors who made themselves scarce'.
Many of those injured were taken to Carlisle, and were treated at the Carlisle Infirmary, Murrell Hill House, Fusehill, and Chadwick Hospitals.
Of the 500 soldiers of the 7th Battalion, Royal Scots, only 58 men were present for roll call that afternoon, along with seven officers. In total, 226 people died and 246 were injured. The soldiers were buried in a mass grave in Edinburgh's Rosebank cemetery. The surviving men of the Royal Scots went by train to Liverpool, but on arrival there they were medically examined: all the enlisted men and one officer were declared unfit for service overseas and were returned to Edinburgh. It was reported in the Edinburgh Weekly that on their march from the port to the railway station the survivors were mistaken for prisoners of war and children threw rocks at them.
"Few Leith Residents are likely soon to forget the anxious whisperings of that Spring afternoon, and the wave of dismay that later swept over the Burgh when it became known that the local Battalion on its way to the Front, had been involved in an appalling railway collision at Quentin's Hill Junction near Gretna. The next morning and afternoon brought further particulars of the disaster to the first train in which 3 Officers, 29 N.C.O's and 182 men lost their lives, and as many more had sustained injuries." Lt.Col. W. Carmichael Peebles, D.S.O in the Battalion History, 1/7th Battalion, the Royal Scots.
28th Jun 1915 British attack
1st August 1915 Schedule of Reliefs
24th Sep 1915 Quintshill Rail Disaster Trial
19th Dec 1915 Recce
21st Dec 1915 Relief Complete
8th Jan 1916 Last Troops Evacuated
8th Jan 1916 A Aense of Relief
7th June 1916 Patrol captured 24 Goats and 7 Sheep
11th June 1916 B.M.888 to 52nd Division
14th June 1916 G.248 received.
17th June 1916 G.R.193/128 received
18th June 1916 B.M.876 to units
20th June 1916 New roster for Outposts.
1st July 1916 Sentries sleeping in their posts
31st August 1916 Reinforcements August 1916.
14th September 1916 Dumps.
14th September 1916 After Orders
5th May 1917 Brigade Operation Order No. 8. 
31st May 1917 Casualties
31st May 1917 Brigade Strength
10th June 1917 Brigade Order No.9
16th June 1917 RE: Memorandum No.28
30th June 1917 Effective Strength's
30th June 1917 Casualties
7th July 1917 Table of Reliefs.
7th July 1917 Operational Order No.10.
12th July 1917 Ref G.R.2/1/25
27th July 1917 Left Sub-Sector
31st July 1917 Pioneer Battalions moving in
1st August 1917 Relief of the 156th Inf. Brigade
1st August 1917 Operation Order No.12.
2nd August 1917 Table of Reliefs.
2nd August 1917 Unit effective Strength's
6th August 1917 Relief completed
20th August 1917 Administrative Instruction
31st August 1917 Effective Strength - August 1917
31st August 1917 Casualties during August 1917.
8th February 1918 Operational Order 5/18.
1st Apr 1918 Preparations
2nd Apr 1918 Advance Parties
3rd Apr 1918 On the Move
4th Apr 1918 On the Move
5th Apr 1918 On the Move
5th April 1918 Arrived at Gabbary Quay, Alexandria
10th Apr 1918 Embarkation
11th Apr 1918 On the Move
16th Apr 1918 Good Weather
17th Apr 1918 Arrival
20th Apr 1918 Slow Progress
21st Apr 1918 At Rest
22nd Apr 1918 Inspections
23rd Apr 1918 Clothing and Equipment
24th Apr 1918 Instructions
24th Apr 1918 Orders
25th Apr 1918 On the Move
26th Apr 1918 On the Move
27th Apr 1918 Crops
28th Apr 1918 Advisor
29th Apr 1918 Route March
30th Apr 1918 Lecture
5th May 1918 Regimental Exercise.
27th June 1918 Relieved by the 1st / 4th Royal Scots.
30th June 1918 Inspection by the Duke of Connaught tomorrow.
5th July 1918 l56th Infantry Brigade Order No.42
6th July 1918 Ref. Order No.42.
22nd August 1918 Proceed by bus to Blairville.
24th August 1918 Orders for an Attack
27th August 1918 Brigade would Advance
20th September 1918 Conference of C.O's.
1st November 1918 Operational Orders
1st November 1918 Operation Order No."X".
8th November 1918 eported Enemy withdrawn from Jard Canal.
8th November 1918 Operational Orders
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with7th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) during the Great War 1914-1918. - Campbell Francis Buchan Murray. Pte. (d.19th April 1917)
- Craig Robert McAndrew Davidson. Pte. (d.19th Dec 1917)
- Finnigan James. L/Cpl. (d.5th Jun 1917)
- Finnigan James. L/Cpl. (d.5th June 1917)
- McLeod John. Pte.
- Milligan John Donaldson. Pte. (d.21st Sep 1918)
- O'Neill Patrick. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1915)
- Owen William. Pte. (d.21st September 1918)
- Rosie George. L/Sgt. (d.28th June 1915)
- Slattie David. (d.28th Jun 1915)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 7th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) from other sources.
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Pte. Robert McAndrew Davidson Craig 1/7th Btn. Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (d.19th Dec 1917) Remembering my great uncle Robert Craig who died aged 20 in the First
World War. He is buried in Port Said War Cemetery. We don't have any details about how or where he died.
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Pte. John McLeod 7th Btn. Royal Scots My grandfather, John McLeod, served with the 7th Royal Scots. He was on the second train for Liverpool which was diverted after the first train carrying half his battalion was involved in the collision at Gretna Green.
He went to Alexandria and Malta then on to Lemnos. They sailed to Gallipoli and landed on V Beach. He was badly wounded in the attack on H12 and was bayoneted as he lay in the trench. The bayonet pierced both cheeks. He was rescued when the Hampshires came up in relief but had to have his left arm amputated at the elbow.
He was brought back to Britain. He was married twice and had six children and lived till he was seventy nine.
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L/Cpl. James Finnigan 7th Btn. Royal Scots Regiment (d.5th June 1917) James Finnigan died of wounds 5th June 1917 age 25 and is buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt.
He was the husband of Elizabeth Ellen Finnigan of 170 Hollingreave Rd., Burnley.
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L/Sgt. George Rosie 7th Btn. Royal Scots (d.28th June 1915) L/Sgt. George Rosie died on the 28th of June 1915. he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.
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L/Cpl. James Finnigan 7th Btn. Royal Scots Regiment (d.5th Jun 1917) James Finnigan served with the 7th Battalion Royal Scots Regiment during WW1 and died of wounds on the 5th June 1917, age 25. He is buried in the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt.
He was the husband of Elizabeth Ellen Finnigan, of 170, Hollingreave Rd., Burnley.
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David Slattie 7th Btn. Royal Scots Greys (d.28th Jun 1915) My 2nd Cousin 2 x removed on my mother's maternal Grandmother's side. David Slattie, born 1897. He joined the Royal Scots Greys (7th Lothian’s). He died 28.6.1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign at Helles aged 18. The first battle of Krinthia took place on the 25th April 1915 and he died on the third day of it. His name is on panel 26-30 at the Helles Memorial Cemetery, Turkey.
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