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- 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry



   6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry was a unit of the Territorial Force with its HQ at 172 Yorkhill Street, Glasgow. It was made up of Companies A to H. They were part of HLI Brigade, Lowland Division. They had just departed for annual summer camp when war broke out in August 1914, They were at once mobilised and moved to Dunfermline in a defensive role. On the 11th of May 1915 the formation was renamed 157th Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division. On the 26th of May they sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, via Egypt and Mudros. They landed at Cape Helles on the 3rd of July. 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 on the 11th of April, via Marseilles they concentrated near Abbeville. 52nd Divisiobn 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.

25th Apr 1915 Training

12th Jul 1915 Attack Made

14th Sep 1918 Patrol  location map

15th Sep 1918 Shelling  location map

16th Sep 1918 Patrol  location map

17th Sep 1918 Storm  location map

22nd September 1918 Orders received  location map

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry?


There are:5242 items tagged 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry 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

6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Aitchison Charles. Pte. (d.3rd October 1918)
  • Anderson John. Pte.
  • Archer Robert. Pte. (d.14th Aug 1915)
  • Duncan David. Pte.
  • Gibson Archibald Rutherford. Pte. (d.10th Jan 1916)
  • Gillon William. Pte. (d.17th Sep 1918)
  • Love Alexander. L/Cpl. (d.8th Aug 1917)
  • Macrae Murdo. L/Cpl.
  • Mavor Eric. 2nd Lt.
  • Meldrum John Alexander. Pte. (d.10th November 1918)
  • Muir James. L/Cpl. (d.24th Aug 1918)
  • O'Sullivan Patrick. Pte. (d.29th Sep 1918)
  • Russell CdG. Thomas Jardine. Pte.
  • Sharp David. Pte. (d.12th July 1915)
  • Sharp David. Pte. (d.12th July 1915)
  • Stewart John. Pte.
  • Williamson Althol. Sjt.

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 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry from other sources.


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  Pte. Thomas Jardine Russell CdG. 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry

Thomas Russell was injured and suffered with the affects of mustard gas. We have a Croix de Guerre which he was presented with.

Gillian Robertson






  Pte. David Duncan 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry

My family comes from Perth, but my great grandfather moved to Glasgow to work on the railways. They had one son David Duncan. His mother died in 1913 and his father in 1914. My grandfather joined the 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. The brigade sailed from Devonport to Epypt and thence to Gallipoli. He was shot in the hand and thigh in the Battle of Achi Baba and was taken to hospital in Alexandria Egypt. His brigade the sailed back to England where he transferred to the Army Service Corps. He saw action in the Battle of Amiens where he received a shrapnel wound in his head and shoulder. His war finished as a result. He settled in Edinburgh, where he worked, he died in 1976.

David Duncan






  Pte. Charles Aitchison 6th (City Of Glasgow) Btn. Highland Light Infantry (d.3rd October 1918)

This is a short life story of my great uncle Charles Aitchison. Charlie was born in Glasgow 1892 and joined the 6th (City Of Glasgow) Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry in June 1915 aged 22 years old. He served in various conflicts in the Middle East and then moving onto France and the western front.

He was sadly killed in action on the 3rd of October 1918 at The Battle of Canal du Nord and is buried at the Cantaing British Cemetery. I hope to visit his grave in 2018.

Eddie Aitchison






  L/Cpl. Murdo Macrae 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry

My Grandfather Murdo Macrae joined the 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in 1908. In 1914 his call up was delayed because his wife died giving birth to his son Duncan Macrae. Grandfather was recalled in 1916 and while on the ranges in France was shot in the head. He was demobbed in 1917 and become a shell inspector in Beardmore Foundry Parkhead. He lived until 1959 despite being told by the army doctors that he may not live 6 months or go blind.

Daniel Macrae






  Pte. David Sharp 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry (d.12th July 1915)

David Sharp was my Grandfather. My Mother was born three months after her father was killed. My Grandmother had a "Dead Man's Penny" she received with a letter from the King when David was killed but this sadly has long since disappeared.

Patricia Caldwell






  Pte. Patrick O'Sullivan 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry (d.29th Sep 1918)

Patrick O'Sullivan was conscripted sometime in early 1916. He was wounded on October of that year and sent home to recover. His only daughter was born in March 1916. He died of his wounds near the village of Moeuvres (northern France) during the attack on the Canal du Nord. He is buried in the village of Ficheux.

Richard






  Pte. David Sharp 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (d.12th July 1915)

David Sharp was my grandfather. He was my mother's father whom my Mother never knew as she was born three months after he died. Somewhere in Scotland there is a framed Dead Man's Penny with his name David Sharp on it which I would love to see once again.







  Pte. Robert Archer 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry (d.14th Aug 1915)

At present very little is known about my grandfather's war service, other than he served with 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, together with the fact he served at Gallipoli and died there in action on 14th August 1915. His name was Robert Archer.

Bob Rome






  L/Cpl. Alexander Love 6th Bn Highland Light Infantry (d.8th Aug 1917)

Alexander Love served with the 1st/6th Bn, Highland Light Infantry.

Neil McBride






  Pte. William Gillon 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (d.17th Sep 1918)

We know very little regarding our grandfather's brother William Gillon. We believe he died of his wounds at the Battle of Procourt-Queant, and is buried in the military cemetery at Queant. We would appreciate any information regarding this battle and information on the 6th Battalion.

Alan Johnson






  L/Cpl. James Muir 1st/6th Bat. Highland Light Infantry (d.24th Aug 1918)

James was one of 19 children, he was an accountant with the Clydesdale bank in Irvine, Ayrshire, one night he was late home from work, and his sister (my grandmother) and his brother were sent to look for him, he had missed the last bus and they found him walking home, they had been a half-penny out on their balancing, and the manager of the bank made everyone stay until it had been found.

once he left for overseas service with the HLI, he never returned to Scotland, his mother got a letter one Saturday saying he would be home before Christmas, the following week she got a visit from the local doctor and the mayor tell her that Jimmy had died of wounds. He is buried in Wancourt British War Cemetery, which is near Arras.

Catherine Muir Davidson






  Pte. John Stewart 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry

My Grandfather, John Stewart, enlisted in the 6th Battalion Highland Light Infantry on 14/1/1915. He served at Gallipoli, Mudros, Suez Canal, Gaza and Palestine, before transferring to the Western Front with the 52nd Lowland Division in early 1918, where he survived till the end of the war. He was demobbed in 1919, then rejoined the 6th HLI on 2/9/1939, aged 46. A glutton for punishment or maybe just in need of a job at the end of the great depression.

John






  Sjt. Althol Williamson 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry

My Grandfather Althol Williamson was honourably discharged on the 30th November 1917

He was so badly injured during one battle that his friend hitched him to a gun carriage by his kilt. He was taken back behind British Lines where he was laid out under a sheet as he was presumed dead. We have no further details on this as my grandfather died in 1965. He didn't really want to talk much about this.

My grandfather told me that whilst he was lying on the battlefield, someone or something was moving from the bodies lying on the field and when it came to him it told him he would be aright. He said it was a bright light in the form of a man.

He was sent home, and used to sleep between his mother and father owing to the severe shellshock

One day he went out in London where he then lived using his crutches, he got onto a bus and sat on one of the side seats, the conductor took his crutches and put them under the stairwell. A couple of stops later a woman got on the bus, she was wearing a hat with white feathers in it, she took one of the feathers and put it in my grandfathers lapel. He did nothing, when he got to his stop the conductor gave him his crutches, he looked at the woman, my grandfather said he would never forget her face. He kept the feather in an England's Glory matchbox for many years, and told me he wished he could find that woman to give her back the feather

He remembered waiting in the trenches with the german machine gun bullets pinging on the top of the trench. All waiting for the officer to blow the whistle knowing that as they climbed the ladder to the top of the trench some of them would be instantly killed, my grandfather told me that even with them knowing this no-one faltered and up that ladder they went.

He was 6' 6" tall and cut himself out a special place when they were in the trenches, one day when he came back from a sortie, someone was using my grandfathers special cutout, my grandfather commented to the other soldier but he stayed in my grandfathers cutout. As my grandfather moved along the trench a shell exploded above his cutout and the occupant was killed.

Philip A Jenkins






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