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1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
The 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was formed in 1881 from the 26th (The Cameronian) Regiment of Foot.
At the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914 the 1st Battalion was in Glasgow. They proceeded to France and landed at Rouen on the 11th of August 1914 as Lines of Communication troops with the BEF. On the 22nd of August 1914 they joined 19th Infantry Brigade, which was an independent command at this time, but became part of 6th Division on the 12th of October 1914. On the 31st of May 1915 the 19th Brigade transferred to 27th Division, and saw action in The Second Battle of Ypres. On the 19th of August 1915, 19th Brigade transferred to 2nd Division and saw action in the Battle of Loos in the Autumn before transferring to 33rd Division on the 25th of November 1915. They saw action in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Arras Offensive, the Hindenburg Line, the Flanders Coast and the Third Battles of Ypres during 1917. In 1918 they took part in the Battles of the Lys, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy.
13th Aug 1914 On the Move
14th Aug 1914 On the Move
24th August 1914 Orders
25th August 1914 Shelling
26th August 1914 In Action
26th Sep 1914 Nothing but Vegetables
10th Oct 1914 On the Move
12th Oct 1914 Enemy Encountered
13th Oct 1914 In Action
15th Oct 1914 Advance
17th Oct 1914 Advance
18th Oct 1914 Advance
19th Oct 1914 Digging In
20th Oct 1914 In Action
20th Oct 1914 Attack
22nd Oct 1914 In Action
29th Oct 1914 Attack and Counter Attack
30th Oct 1914 Ammunition Short
20th Dec 1914 In the Trenches
16th Feb 1915 In Billets 
1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) HQ billet with its draughts and broken windows, 16th February 1915. Bois Grenier Front. Left to right; Major J. G. Chaplin, Major R. Oakley, Lieutenant Davidson (Medical Officer) and Hill. IWM (Q 51585)
28th February 1915 New arrival from 1st Scottish Rifles Lt. Davidson RAMC from medical charge of 1/Cameronians reported his arrival for duty, having been relieved by Lt. Robertson of this Field Ambulance.War Diary 19th Field Ambulance RAMC, Armentieres
29th Mar 1915 Visit 
6th May 1915 Reinforcements
21st May 1915 53rd RFA arrives Lt. Macleod taken around trenches of 1/Cameronians by Lt. Robertson for instruction, also to 5/Scottish Rifles by Lt. Clark.
53 Btn Royal Field Artillery (9 Div) arrived in 19 1B area.
War diary RAMC 19th Field Ambulance, Erquinghem-Lys
22nd May 1915 Instruction
23rd May 1915 Instruction
3rd June 1915 Return Lt. Ford rejoined from the 1/ Cameronians on Lt. Robertson returning from leave.
War diary RAMC 19th Field Ambulance, Erquinghem-Lys
12th July 1915 Arrival of Sunbeam and Talbot cars Assistant Director of Medical Services visited Field Ambulance this morning to interview Lt. Robertson Medical Officer 1/Cameronians, who is applying for a regular commission in the RAMC. Afterwards accompanied by the ADMS to select a suitable site for a divisional rest station camp and in view of this Field Ambulance moving into the factory at Bac St Maur.
Lt.-Col. Rattray proceeding nine days leave this evening and hands over the command to Capt. C G Browne DSO.
(NB this entry signed M M Rattray)
Capt. CG Brown RAMC took over temporary command of the Field Ambulance from Lieutenant-Colonel MM Rattray, who proceeded on leave to England. Seven Sunbeam cars arrived this evening with14 drivers and one NCO and motor bicycle. Five Talbot cars with 10 drivers and one motor bicycle transferred to No.1 MA ( Motor Ambulance) Convoy. The Sunbeam cars are all new 12-16 HP cars and the cycle is a Douglas.
(NB this entry signed CG Brown)
War diary RAMC 19th Field Ambulance, Erquinghem-Lys
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
24th October 1915 Divine Service
9th Nov 1915 Orders
10th Nov 1915 Orders
11th Nov 1915 Orders Issued
12th Nov 1915 On the Move
13th Nov 1915 Experiences Related
17th Nov 1915 On the Move
18th Nov 1915 Orders
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
1st Dec 1915 Reliefs
2nd Dec 1915 Poor Conditions
4th Dec 1915 Quiet
6th Dec 1915 Bombardment
7th Dec 1915 Artillery Active
8th Dec 1915 Mine Exploded
9th Dec 1915 Wet Day
10th Dec 1915 Moves
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
11th Dec 1915 Reliefs
12th Dec 1915 Flooding
12th Dec 1915 Training
15th Dec 1915 Training
17th Dec 1915 Instructions Issued
19th Dec 1915 Instructions
21st Dec 1915 Storm
22nd Dec 1915 Conference
23rd Dec 1915 Orders Issued
24th Dec 1915 Flooding
26th Dec 1915 Flooding
27th Dec 1915 On the March
28th Dec 1915 Reliefs
29th Dec 1915 Reliefs
30th Dec 1915 Reliefs
31st Dec 1915 Shelling
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
2nd April 1916 Reliefs
2nd Apr 1916 Enemy Active
3rd April 1916 Patrols
4th April 1916 Patrol
5th April 1916 Shelling
2nd Jun 1916 Orders
4th Jun 1916 Reorganisation
20th July 1916 Attack Made
21st Feb 1918 Reliefs Complete
20th March 1918 Brigade H.Q. relieved
12th of April 1918 Enemy Advances
13th of April 1918 Under Heavy Attack
14th of April 1918 A Counter-Attack
30th of April 1918 Reliefs and Attacks
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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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 with1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the Great War 1914-1918. - Aire James Charleson . L/Cpl.
- Breed Fred. L/Cpl. (d.23th Oct 1918)
- Cameron William. Pte. (d.20th May 1916)
- Campbell-Bell John. Pte. (d.8th Jul 1917)
- Cavanagh Joe. CSM
- Cruickshank David Waddell. Pte.
- Dickson Archibald. Pte. (d.12th June 1918)
- Farman Peter. Pte. (d.21st May 1916)
- Ferry Ernest Leslie. Capt.
- Flynn James. Pte.
- Garside John William. Pte.
- Hassan John. Pte.
- Hogg George. Pte. (d.14th Apr 1918)
- Keenan Joseph. Pte. (d.14th April 1918)
- Little George. Pte. (d.8th May 1917)
- Mackness Ernest. Pte. (d.1st Oct 1917)
- McQuarrie Lachlan. Pte.
- McVey Richard. Pte. (d.14th July 1917)
- Norris William. Cpl. (d.10th May 1918)
- Slavin James Francis. Pte.
- Stewart James. Cpl. (d.19th May 1916)
- Trussler Henry George. Sgt. (d.16th Apr 1917)
- Wakelin Joseph. L/Cpl. (d.22nd Oct 1914)
- Willoughby John. Cpl. (d.20th July 1916)
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 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) from other sources.
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Cpl. John Willoughby 1st Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.20th July 1916) John Willoughby is buried in Saint Sever Cemetery at Rouen. He died of wounds.
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Pte. John Campbell-Bell 1st Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.8th Jul 1917) John Campbell-Bell fought in the French trenches in 1915 and was wounded. The next we hear about him is in India, where he died in 1917 of malaria. I have a photo of his gravestone at Jubbelpore Cantonment Cemetery and also am in possession of his death penny. He is my great-great-grandfather. He died on Sunday, 8th of July 1917, aged 36. He is buried in Jubbulpore Cantonment Cemetery, located just south of the city of Jubbulpore, which lies about 519 miles southeast of New Delhi.
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Sgt. Henry George Trussler 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles (d.16th Apr 1917) Henry Trussler was my great grandfather.
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L/Cpl. James Charleson Aire 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles My grandad, James Aire served with the 1st Scottish Rifles.
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Pte. John Hassan 1st Btn. Cameronians Scottish Rifles Information found on my great grandfather's marriage certificate reveals that he, John Hassan served with 1st Btn. Cameronians Scottish Rifles.
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Pte. John William Garside 1st Btn., B Coy Cameronians Scottish Rifles My grandad was John Garside known as Jack.
Recently we have discovered his war medals and were fortunate enough that one had his service number engraved on the reverse. I wasn't aware that he served in WW1 as he passed away in 1963, long before I was born.
With thanks to the National Archives I have been able to establish that he was discharged as he suffered a shell wound to his left foot on 19th of July 1917.
Currently I am trying to ascertain where the battalion were located at this time. If anyone could shed some light on this, it would be greatly appreciated.
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Cpl. James Stewart 1st Garrison Bdn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.19th May 1916) Corporal Stewart is buried in the Nagpur (Takli) Cemetery in India, Plot A. Row D. Grave 2.
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Pte. William Cameron 1st Garrison Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.20th May 1916) Private Cameron is buried in the Nagpur (Takli) Cemetery in India, Plot A. Row C. Grave 2.
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Pte. Richard McVey 1st Garrison Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.14th July 1917) Private McVey is buried in the Kamptee Roman Catholic Cemetery in India.
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Pte. Peter Farman 1st Garrison Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.21st May 1916) Private Farman was buried in the Kamptee Roman Catholic Cemetery in India, Grave 32.
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Capt. Ernest Leslie Ferry 11th Btn. Scottish Rifles (Cameronians) Ernest Leslie Ferry went to France in August 1914 as a second lieutenant with A Company, 1st Cameronians. He was wounded on 9th September 1914. Ernest subsequently served in Salonika with the 11th Battalion in 1918.
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Pte. Archibald Dickson 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles (d.12th June 1918) According to his medal card, Archibald Dickson served in the 1st Battalion, Scottish Rifles and earned the 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal - which, unfortunately he did not live to receive.
He was born at Cambusnethan, Lanark and his parents were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dickson of 98 Beckford St., Hamilton, Lanarkshire. A UK Army Register of Soldiers Effects, 1901-1929 document confirms that Pte. Archibald Dickson died of wounds on 12th of June 1918, in France.
Thank you for this opportunity to help restore the memory of this brave soldier.
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Pte. David Waddell Cruickshank 1st Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) My Grandfather David Cruickshank fought the Battle of Le Cateau, He was born in Glasgow in 1894.
He joined the 1st Battalion the Cameronians (The Scottish Rifles) early in 1914. Army number 11132.
The Regiment was training in the Highlands in Perthshire, when they were called back to Merryhill Barracks Hamilton.
The Regiment was entrained to Southampton, and crossed over to Le Havre, from there they went to Mons, where the Cams were put into a new division, the 19th, they were put to the left of the Mons-Conde canal.
After the battle of Mons, 2nd Corps was the last to get away, they walked night and day in the sweltering August heat without food and water, getting involved in skirmishes along the way.
Eventually reaching Le Cateau, the Regiment was told to make for the train station or get some rest in the town square.
The battle of Le Cateau started the following morning at about 6.30 am.
My Grandad and another Cameronian were trapped in the town, he ran down a street but the Germans were coming the other way, he ran into a doorway, where there was a local woman with a bucket of water,
a shot was fired at him but missed and hit the bucket and the lady's dress.
He had already been wounded before the battle, so he laid down in the street feigning death, as he said in an interview in Paris in 1927, the street was full of dead horses and men, so I just led there hoping the enemy would pass me by, which they did.
He crawled into an alleyway and found a garden full of flowers and shrubs, he lay there for hours, and he said he could here British Artillery firing over his head.
He crawled into a cellar of a house, where Madame Baudhuin looked after him.
This brave lady kept him for over two years, until his capture in 1916.
He was sentenced to death by a German court marshall, and Madame Baudhuin was sentenced to ten years in prison in Germany. There is a lot more to this story, some funny some sad, further details can be found on
hellfirecorner.co.uk
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Cpl. William Norris 1st Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.10th May 1918) William Norris was my father's cousin. William is buried in Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, France.
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Pte. Joseph Keenan 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles (d.14th April 1918) Joseph Keenan served with the 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles.
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L/Cpl. Fred Breed 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles (d.23th Oct 1918)  Up to entering the Army Fred Breed was employed as a willeyer at Grove “Bantam†Mills. As a boy and youth he attended the Salvation Army Sunday School, and received prizes for regular attendance, and up to the time of joining H.M. Forces he was a member of the Morley Baptist Brotherhood. Alan Snowden has an ink well and pen and under it has an engraving “Fred died 23-Oct-1918â€; this was one of his prizes.
Fred Breed joined up on the 6th April 1916, under the Conscription Act. His record suggests he enlisted in Pontefract and was originally assigned to the D.L.I number 26493; later he was transferred to the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 1st Battalion.
Fred was conscripted but his younger brother, Willie had enlisted months earlier. Judging by Fred’s religious beliefs he may have been opposed to war, hence why he was conscripted.
Fred was deployed to France November 1916. In April 1917 he was wounded with a gunshot wound in the arm, and was brought to England to one of the military hospitals in the South. After recovery he was re-deployed back to the Western European front.
There is conflicting information on Fred’s rank and cause of death, ancestry.co.uk, CWGC, and medal records suggest his rank was a Private and he died from wounds. The Scottish National War Memorial suggests his rank was Lance Corporal. The latter would be consistent as there is a ‘Roll of Honour’ newspaper article from The Morley Observer November 1918 that lists Fred as a Lance Corporal.
All other information in the article is consistent, such as address 6 Gillroyd Place, mothers name Mrs. Eliza Breed, regiment 1st Scottish Rifles, date of death 23 Oct 1918.
Here is the text from the newspaper article:-
"Lance-Corpl. Fred Breed.
News has been received of the death in France, from pneumonia on October 23rd last, of Lance-Corpl. Fred Breed of the Scottish Rifles, aged 26 (?), son of Mrs. Eliza Breed, of 6, Gillroyd Place, Morley.
A Church of England Chaplain, Mr. (Rev) J. G. Thornton, has written to Mrs. Breed as follows:
“26-10-18
Dear Madam, - I write to offer my deepest sympathy with you in the death of your son, Lance-Corpl. Breed, 1st Scottish Rifles. He was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. All possible efforts were made to save his life and make him comfortable, but I regret to say that he passed away on the 23rd inst. I buried his body in the military cemetery here. His grave is marked with a cross and will be cared for. I feel sorry for you in your great bereavement. If out of this great war comes a new peace and brotherhood between the nations then your son will not have laid down his life in vain. May God help you to see this and strengthen you to bear bravely the great sacrifice you have made for your country. Yours in sympathy.â€
Lance-Corpl. Breed joined up on the 6th April 1916, and went out to France two years ago this month. He was wounded in April, 1917 (a gunshot wound in the arm), and was brought to England to one of the military hospitals in the south.
Up to entering the Army he was employed as a willeyer at Grove “Bantam†Mills. As a boy and youth he attended the Salvation Army Sunday School, and received prizes for regular attendance, and up to the time of joining H.M. Forces he was a member of the Morley Baptist Brotherhood."
Rev J. G. Thornton was part of the Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) No. 18 and it is likely Fred died in a field hospital and the CCS used the cemeteries.
Fred is buried at the Commonwealth War Grave Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Picardie, France.
It is not known if Fred had any children, he may have been married to Mavis. There is a photo of him with Mavis taken prior to his deployment. The photo was taken in Queen Street, Morley.
Fred’s great great grandnephew, Danyal, visits the Morley War Memorial once a month.
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Pte. Ernest Mackness 1st Btn. Cameronians Scottish Rifles (d.1st Oct 1917) Ernest Mackness served with the Cameronians Scottish Rifles1st Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 1st October 1917 aged 25 and is buried in Blaringhem Churchyard, Nord, France.
He was born at St Margarets, and was the son of Arthur and Louisa Mackness of 3, Dundonald Road, Leicester.
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L/Cpl. Joseph Wakelin 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles (d.22nd Oct 1914) My great grandfather's brother Joseph Wakelin was the son of David and Emily Wakelin, of 103, Princes Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex. L/Cpl. Wakelin served with the 1st Battalion, Scottish Rifles and was killed in action on 22nd October 1914 aged 30. He is commemorated at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium.
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Pte. James Francis Slavin 1st Btn. Cameronians Private James Slavin of the 1st Cameronians was one of a large number of men who were wounded during a very heavy shrapnel bombardment on the 17th July 1916. They had withdrawn to positions 1,000 yards behind the village of Bazentin Le Petit and taken shelter in some small caves scooped out of a high bank. Packed in 2 or 3 men to each cave it offered some shelter from the rain, but they could not pull their legs, then the bombardment started and moved down the line hitting man after man.
Private Slavin was moved to Rouen and eventually sent back to Scotland. He was never able to bend his leg again.
Transferred to the Labour Corps he was invalided out of the Army in October 1917.
Information gathered from; The Hell They Called High Wood by Terry Norman, Bazentin Ridge by Edward Hancock and A Very Unimportant Officer. Diaries of Captain A Stewart 5/6th Scottish Rifles 1915/1918. A photograph in the book by Edward Hancock on page 146 and 147, taken on the 16th July 1916 south east of Bazentin Village shows a large body of men settling in to caves on a high bank. Believe this to be his regiment in the location that they to be wounded in.
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CSM Joe Cavanagh 1st � Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) My late Father, CSM Joe Cavanagh 1st Bttn. Seaforth Highlanders, served on the Western Front 1914-1919 in the 2nd 'Cameronians' as a Linesman/Telegrapher, behind the lines. Wounded in action and also decorated several times he remained but a Boy of 14/16 'Volunteer'.
I am anxious to trace his 2nd Cameronians history.
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