8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)

   8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) was a unit of the Territorial Force with its HQ in Haddington. It was attached to 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. They proceeded to France on the 5th of November 1914 landing Le Havre and joining 22nd Brigade, 7th Division on the 11th. They were in action at The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers and The Battle of Festubert. On the 19th of August 1915 the 8th Royal Scots transferred to 51st (Highland) Division as a Pioneer Battalion. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of the Somme, including the attacks on High Wood and The Battle of the Ancre, capturing Beaumont Hamel, taking more than 2000 prisoners. In 1917 They took part in the Arras Offensive, The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Menin Road Ridge and the Cambrai Operations. They remained in the Cambrai area until the 21st of March 1918, when the enemy launched an overwhelming attack and the Division were engaged in a fighting withdrawal back to Bapaume. In April they moved north and fought in The Battles of the Lys before a quiet spell at Oppy near Arras, from May to July. They were then in action at The Battle of the Tardenois, The Battle of the Scarpe, The pursuit to the Selle and the Final Advance in Picardy. They were resting the Cambrai-Iwuy area at the Armistice and demobilisation began December.

17th November 1914 In the trenches

1st March 1915 Relocation and back into Action

8th Mar 1915 Orders

10th March 1915 In Action

11th March 1915 In Action

5th May 1915 On the Move

6th May 1915 Orders

8th May 1915 Orders

9th May 1915 In Reserve

10th May 1915 In Reserve

11th May 1915 In Reserve

12th May 1915 In Reserve

13th May 1915 In Reserve

14th May 1915 On the March

15th May 1915 In Reserve

16th May 1915 In Reserve

17th May 1915 In Reserve

18th May 1915 Orders Received

19th May 1915 Reliefs

21st May 1915 Trench Work

22nd May 1915 Trench Work

23rd May 1915 Some Shelling

24th May 1915 Intermittent Shelling

25th May 1915 Occasional Shelling

26th May 1915 Intermittent Shelling

27th May 1915 Heavy Shelling

28th May 1915 Quiet Day

29th May 1915 Line Advanced

29th May 1915 Instructions

30th May 1915 Order Received

31st May 1915 Reliefs

2nd Jun 1915 Trench Work

3rd Jun 1915 Trench Work

4th Jun 1915 Reorganisation

5th Jun 1915 Quiet

7th Jun 1915 Orders Received

8th Jun 1915 Orders

9th Jun 1915 Preparations

10th Jun 1915 Preparations

11th Jun 1915 Preparations

12th Jun 1915 Orders

13th Jun 1915 Artillery Active

14th Jun 1915 Artillery in Action

14th Jun 1915 Orders

15th Jun 1915 In Action

15th Jun 1915 Attack Made

16th Jun 1915 Attack Made

16th Jun 1915 Attack Made

16th Jun 1915 Communication

16th Jun 1915 Orders

17th Jun 1915 Reliefs

18th Jun 1915 Orders Received

19th Jun 1915 Artillery in Action

23rd Jun 1915 Trench Work

24th Jun 1915 Orders

25th Jun 1915 Orders Received

26th Jun 1915 Reorganisation

27th Jun 1915 On the Move

28th Jun 1915 HQ Moves

29th Jun 1915 Orders Issued

30th Jun 1915 Mine Explodes

1st Jul 1916 Shelling

2nd Jul 1916 Mine

3rd Jul 1916 Shelling

10th Jul 1916 Camouflet

11th Jul 1916 Shelling

12th Jul 1916 Reliefs

13th Jul 1916 Trench Raid

14th Jul 1916 Relief Completed

15th Jul 1916 On the Move

16th Jul 1916 On the Move

19th Jul 1916 Orders

20th Jul 1916 On the Move

21st Jul 1916 Orders Received

22nd Jul 1916 Reliefs Completed

23rd Jul 1916 In Action

24th Jul 1916 Heavy Shelling

25th Jul 1916 Heavy Shelling

26th Jul 1916 Relief

27th Jul 1916 Attacks Made

28th Jul 1916 Shelling

29th Jul 1916 Heavy Shelling

30th Jul 1916 Attack Made

31st Jul 1916 Consolidation

31st Jul 1916 Report

1st Aug 1916 Instructions

15th Oct 1917 Preparations

19th Oct 1917 Line Taken Over

13th Nov 1917 In Action

14th Nov 1917 In Action

16th Nov 1917 Report

21st of March 1918 Intense Barrage

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There are:5323 items tagged 8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have served with
8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Bathgate James. Pte. (d.12th April 1918)
Boss MM. John William. Sgt.
Cruickshank S. C.W.. Capt.
Delargy Edward. Pte. (d.6th Sep 1917)
Humphrys DSO MC. H. J.. Lt.Col.
McLennan MM William. Pte
Moffatt Alfred. Pte. (d.12th April 1918)
Moran John B.. Pte. (d.12th Oct 1917)
Weir Graham. Lt. (d.16th November 1916)
Weir Robert. Lt (d.16 November 1916)

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Records of 8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) from other sources.

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Pte. John B. Moran 12th Btn Royal Scots (d.12th Oct 1917)

John Moran, my Great Great Uncle, originally enlisted with the 12th Battalion, but is noted to be serving with the 8th at the time of his death.

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Lt. Graham Weir 1/8th Bn. Royal Scots (d.16th November 1916)

Robert Weir died on the 16th of November 1916, aged 29 he was serving with the 1/8th Btn. Royal Scots. He had been commissioned as Lieutenant to the 8th Royal Scots on 30th of January 1915. Son of William and Jane Weir of Roselea, Oxton, Berwickshire.
Extract from the Falkirk Herald: Lieut. Robert Weir. Former Falkirk Teacher Killed in Action. On Tuesday last the sad intelligence reached Falkirk that Lieutenant Robert Weir, Royal Scots, had fallen action in France on Thursday 16th inst. Lieutenant Weir was well known in Falkirk, having been an assistant master in Carmuirs School from 1907 to 1910, leaving Falkirk he was for brief period assistant teacher in Dalkeith Higher Grade School, when he was appointed headmaster of Channelkirk Public School, Berwickshire. On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Scots, and was drafted to France in October, 1914, taking part many important engagements, and in one which he was wounded. He was about 30 years age, and was the second son of Mr Weir, formerly headmaster of Heriot Public School. He was commanding 3 Platoon of D Company and was killed by a shell hitting his dugout.
Extract from War Diary November 1916: 16 Nov 1916 - 2nd Lieutenant H.E.R Jones and 2nd Lieutenant J.C. Taylor joined the Battalion on 14th Inst. and were posted to D and C companies respectively. Draft of 10 other ranks joined from the base. 3 platoon of D company under Lieutenant R Weir went up after dinner to dugouts in Seaforth trench where they were to remain overnight, they were under the 134 Infantry Brigade for work owing to the failure of the attack on Munich trench, no work was possible. Lieutenant Weir was killed by a shell striking the dugout in which he was sheltering in Beaumont-Hamel hostile barrage.
Night 17th/18th Nov 1916. It was found impossible to move Lieutenant Weir's body to a cemetery, he was accordingly left where he was buried at Q11.a.70.75 - L Beaumont-Hamel. A cross was erected and the grave railed in,
Graham Weir

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Lt Robert Weir 8th Battalion Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (d.16 November 1916)

The only information to hand is that Lt Robert Weir was killed on 16th November 1916 during the Battle for Beaumont-Hamel and is buried in the British Cemetery at Beaumont-Hamel, mentioned on Special Memorial number 2 - inscribed "Abide With Thee"
Graham Weir

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Lt.Col. H. J. Humphrys DSO MC. 8th Btn. Royal Scots

Lieutenant Colonel H.J. Humphrys CBE DSO MC, served with the 7th Black Watch, 179th and 251st Tunnelling Companies Royal Engineers, the 8th Royal Scots (as CO) and was one of three Ilkeston brothers serving in WW1. The others were, Lieutenant Leonard Humphrys, 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and Royal Engineers (home service) and Captain C C Humphrys, Royal Naval Reserve.
Charles Kenyon

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Pte. James Bathgate 1/8th Btn. Royal Scots (d.12th April 1918)

James Bathgate was taken prisoner at the Battle of Cambrai, from where he was taken to the Cassel Prisoner of War camp. Here he died from gunshot wounds on 12th of April 1918. He is buried at Niederweheren Cemetery.
Keith Palin

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Pte. Alfred Moffatt 8th Btn. Royal Scots (d.12th April 1918)

Last year I discovered by accident that my great great uncle Alfred Moffatt was killed in action on 12th April 1918. He joined the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots in late 1916 in Consett, Co. Durham although there is some suggestion he may have attested in December 1915. I guess from there he went to Haddington before going to France. He was 32, single and a coal miner.
I cannot be sure, but I assume he was involved in the Battle of Arras in early 1917. In September 1917 he was listed as wounded by The Scotsman newspaper but there was nothing about how or when he was wounded. He obviously recovered and returned to his Pioneer Battalion. I am assuming that he was killed, on 12th April 1918, when his Company or Battalion HQ was overrun during a German advance at the Pacaut Front. The Battalion seemed to have retired or retreated to Mont Bernenchon, then the Paradis Position and finally reformed in Busnes. The war diary for that day does not mention his name but four officers were captured and were POWs until the end of the war. I am confused by the fact he is seems to have died in France during the Battle of Lys but is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Comines-Warneton, Belgium. His original service number was 8301 but changed to 335617 later.
Any further information provided to clarify his service and death would be greatly appreciated.
Steve Moffatt

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Sgt. John William "Jock" Boss MM. 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps

With the outbreak of the WWI, John Boss enlisted in the Royal Scots on the 16th of December 1914, and was assigned to B Company of the 1/8th Battalion. B company was located at Tranent, and had their drill station at Ormiston. His battalion initially took up position on the Scottish coastal defences. John received his six week gunnery training at the Training Centre at Belton Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire, and served in the Machine Gun section of the 1/8th Battalion. He was then sent to France around early to mid 1915 to join up with the battalion.
On the 24th of July 1916 John was compulsorily transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and was based temporarily for further training at the MGC base in Camiers on the northern coast of France. In early 1917, he was transferred to the 126th Brigade Machine Gun Company. On the 23rd of Feb 1918, the 126th Brigade Machine Gun Company, along with the 125th, 127th and 268th Brigade MG companies combined to form the 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps, attached to the 42nd Division of the British Army. Combining the machine gun companies took place to more efficiently utilise the Vickers guns and men. This allowed them to be moved quickly and placed where they were most needed, instead of remaining attached to specific brigades. It also allowed the division to develop and use sophisticated MG tactics, which became the hallmark of the MGC in 1918.
At this point the 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps was about 800 strong with 64 Vickers guns. The Battalion was divided into 4 Companies (A, B C and D), with each Company consisting of several Platoons. Each Platoon contained 8 sergeants, and each sergeant led a Section. By now a Sergeant John was in D Company, which was affiliated with the 126th Infantry Brigade, and he had charge of four Vickers machine guns and 24 men.
During 1918, Sergeant Boss with his 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps was heavily engaged in the battles along the Western Front. And it was near Solesmes, during the Battle of The Selle in October 1918, that She was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. His citation read:
No. 44491 Sgt. J.W. Boss, 42nd Machine Gun Corps Awarded the Military Medal: For great gallantry and devotion to duty near Solesmes on 20th of October 1918. During the advance of his unit, one of his guns came under heavy fire with some of the team wounded. He personally mounted the gun and continued to fire until the "spare numbers came up". His magnificent conduct and gallantry during the operations have been a fine example to the men under him. Signed: A. Solly-Flood, Major General, Commanding 42nd Division.
With shells, both explosive and gas, accompanied by strafing machine gun fire from the German 25th Division. The decision had been made for a surprise night attack by the Third Army, at 2am on the morning of the 20th of October. However, before it could make the all-important thrust forward, the 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps and 42nd Division were tasked with the operation to push the allied line to the west, beyond the River Selle. It was during this action that his bravery won him the Military Medal.
The section of the Selle that the Third Army had to contend with was more difficult terrain than that further north and south, and heavily defended. The river was about 30feet wide and 6-8feet deep and all bridges had been destroyed, making advance of the Third Army impossible. Along the eastern side of the Selle was a railway embankment with branch lines forming an elongated triangular plateau, an ideal defensive position where numerous German machine gun posts had dug in. Above that was a very steep ridge providing the German 25th Division with the high ground covering the north, south and west.
On the evening of the 19th of October, D Company along with the 126th Infantry Brigade, moved into assembly positions west of the Selle River. The situation of the front during the day was relatively normal, with hostile artillery and machine gun activity. At 2am on the 20th of October, the offensive resumed. Conditions were dark with heavy rain and the slopes on the eastern side of the river muddy and slippery. The 42nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps was crucial in providing a barrage for the assault, as well as moving forward with the 42nd Division across the Selle. C company along with the Auckland NZ MG company provided the machine gun barrage cover for the 126th Infantry Brigade who, along with A and D companies of the 42nd Battalion MGC, pushed across the Selle River. Intense fire from enemy machine guns could be seen raining down onto the river while John in D company and A company carried their Vickers across with pack animals. Once the plateau was taken, both companies set up their HQs in the railway cutting. A and D companies proceeded to attack the ridge. During this operation they encountered hostile patrols, dug-in infantry and machine gun posts. Once the ridge and high ground to the east had been secured, A and D companies dug in to defend their position. From their positions, during the morning in very dull conditions with fine rain, they provided the barrage cover for the 127th Infantry Brigade, who pushed forward and leapfrogged the 126th Infantry Brigade. During this assault they fired 57,000 rounds fired from their Vickers. At around 13.00hrs, D company consolidated their position and A company took up fresh positions to protect the right flank, owing to the neighboring Division to the right of the 42nd Division not having been able to take the high ground. Later that afternoon, A and D companies provided barrage cover when the neighboring division re-attacked with the assistance of the 127th Infantry Brigade to gain and secure the high ground on the right flank.
The official war diaries of the 42nd Battalion MGC states "Throughout the day hostile artillery and MGs displayed great activity. The whole area was consistently shelled". The assault by the 42nd Division on the 20th of October paved the way for heavy artillery to be brought forward ready for the final assault on the 23rd October, through the town of Solesmes and onto Maubeuge.
John Boss survived the war, and soon afterwards immigrated to Mildura in Victoria, Australia. With the outbreak of WWII he enlisted in the Australian Army, served as a machine gun trainer and attained the rank of Warrant Officer II. He died in Mildura in 1975.
Wal Collins

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Capt. S. C.W. Cruickshank Royal Tank Corps

7423 Pte S.C.W. Cruickshank served with the 8th Royal Scots. He entered the War early and fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. I have the 1914-1918 Medal trio for Capt. S.C.W. Cruickshank. His medal index card shows him with two different numbers, for 8 R Scots. They are: 7423 and 335090. The number 7423 appears on the rear of his 1914 Star. The BWM and the AVM both show him as an officer, therefore there are no numbers.
His medal index card shows him as a 2/Lt Tank Corps. But he was later promoted to A/Captain, and then to Captain. The actual medals are engraved as follows:
1914 Star: 7423 Pte. S.C.W. Cruickshank 8/R.Scots
BWM: Capt S.C.W. Cruickshank
AVM: Capt S.C.W. Cruickshank
There is no "Mons" Bar on the 1914 Star. This is because, I am reliably informed by another correspondent of mine, Cruickshank was with the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots, who were a Territorial Force battalion at the time and that they arrived in France (as the first Scottish battalion to do so) on 5th November, joining the 22nd Brigade of the 7th Division on 11th November. That they did not qualify for the "Mons" bar (5th August-22nd November) was very probably because they only saw action much later, that is, only on 10th to 13th March 1915 at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Cruickshank transferred from the Royal Scots to the Royal Tank Corps in 1917. There are a number of London Gazette entries showing his promotion from temporary 2nd Lt through to A/Captain and Captain. His Great War medal trio are part of the David Bennett Collection.
David Bennett

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Pte. Edward Delargy 1/8th Btn. Royal Scots (d.6th Sep 1917)

Edward Delargy served with the 1st/8th Battalion Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) during WW1. He was executed for desertion on the 6th September 1917, aged 19 and buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery in Belgium He was the son of Mrs. Winnifred Delargy, of 42, Mount Pleasant, Leslie, Fife.
S Flynn

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Want to know more about 8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)?

Those known to have served with8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)during the Great War 1914-1918.

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If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

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Recomended Reading.

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The Wartime Memories Project
- 8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
8th Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
during the Great War 1914-1918.