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17th (1st Rosebery) Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
17th (Rosebery) Battalion, Royal Scots was raised in Edinburgh in February 1915 by Lord Rosebery, as a Bantam Battalion from men who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches. After initial training close to home, they moved to Glencorse in April 1915 then to Selkirk in May. In June they joined 106th Brigade, 35th Division at Masham and went on to Chisledon, for final training in August. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France landing at Le Havre on the 1st February 1916, and the division concentrated east of St Omer. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm. The division received new drafts of men to replace losses suffered on the Somme, but the CO. soon discovered that these new recruits were not of the same physical standard as the original Bantams, being men of small stature from the towns, rather than the miners and farm workers who had joined up in 1915. A medical inspection was carried out and 1439 men were transferred to the Labour Corps. Their places being taken by men transferred from the disbanded yeomanry regiments, who underwent a quick training course in infantry methods at a Divisional depot set up specifically for that purpose. In 1917 they were in action during The pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, at Houthulst Forest and The Second Battle of Passchendaele.In 1918 they fought in the First Battle of Bapaume, and the Final Advance in Flanders including The Battle of Courtrai and The action of Tieghem. Hey crossed the River Scheldt near Berchem on the 9th of November and by the Armistice they had entered Grammont. They moved back to Eperlecques and many of the miners were demobilised in December. In January 1919, units of the Division were sent to Calais to quell rioting in the transit camps. The last of the Division were demobilised in April 1919.
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
31st Jan 1916 On the Move
1st Feb 1916 On the Move
2nd Feb 1916 On the Move
3rd Feb 1916 On the March
4th Feb 1916 Equipment
5th Feb 1916 Route March
6th Feb 1916 Lectures
7th Feb 1916 Lectures
8th Feb 1916 Route March
9th February 1916 Call Ups
9th Feb 1916 On the March
10th Feb 1916 Route March
11th Feb 1916 Inspection
12th Feb 1916 Route March
13th Feb 1916 Church Parade
14th Feb 1916 Route March
15th Feb 1916 Lecture
17th Feb 1916 Preparations
18th Feb 1916 Very Wet
19th Feb 1916 On the March
20th Feb 1916 Instruction 
21st Feb 1916 Instruction
22nd Feb 1916 Instruction
24th Feb 1916 Instruction
26th Feb 1916 Instruction
27th Feb 1916 Instruction
28th Feb 1916 Instruction
29th Feb 1916 Baths
11th Jun 1916 Reliefs
2nd Jul 1916 Orders Received
3rd Jul 1916 On the Move
4th Jul 1916 In Billets
5th Jul 1916 Posting
6th Jul 1916 On the March
7th Jul 1916 In Camp
8th Jul 1916 In Camp
9th Jul 1916 In Camp
10th Jul 1916 Orders
11th Jul 1916 In Billets
12th Jul 1916 On the March
13th Jul 1916 On the March
14th Jul 1916 Working Party
17th Jul 1916 Recce
19th Jul 1916 Bivouac
20th Jul 1916 Working Parties
23rd Jul 1916 Advance
24th Jul 1916 Trench Work
25th Jul 1916 Reliefs Complete
26th Jul 1916 In the Line
27th Jul 1916 Bivouac
28th Jul 1916 Orders
30th Jul 1916 Attack Made
2nd Oct 1917 Reliefs Complete
1st Jan 1918 Training
2nd Jan 1918 Exercise
3rd Jan 1918 Exercise
4th Jan 1918 Exercise
5th Jan 1918 Training
6th Jan 1918 Training
7th Jan 1918 Training
8th Jan 1918 On the Move
9th Jan 1918 Working Parties
10th Jan 1918 Working Parties
11th Jan 1918 Working Parties
12th Jan 1918 Working Parties
13th Jan 1918 Working Parties
14th Jan 1918 Working Parties
15th Jan 1918 Working Parties
16th Jan 1918 Reliefs
17th Jan 1918 In Reserve
18th Jan 1918 In Reserve
19th Jan 1918 In Reserve
20th Jan 1918 In Reserve
21st Jan 1918 Reliefs
22nd Jan 1918 Working Parties
23rd Jan 1918 Working Parties
24th Jan 1918 Working Parties
25th Jan 1918 Reliefs
26th Jan 1918 Patrols
27th Jan 1918 Patrols
28th Jan 1918 Defence Work
29th Jan 1918 Reliefs
30th Jan 1918 Working Parties
31st Jan 1918 Working Parties
9th Mar 1918 Reliefs
23rd Mar 1918 On the Move
24th Mar 1918 In Defence
25th Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
27th Mar 1918 In Defence
28th Mar 1918 In Defence
29th Mar 1918 In Defence
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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Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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L/Cpl. James "Dodger" Higgins 17th (Rosebery's Bantams) Battalion Royal Scots My grandad James Higgins volunteered to fight in WW1, I don't know much about my grandfather's time in WW1 (I think he fought at the Somme) other than my mum said he sent all the money he could home to my grandmother who was expecting their first child.
One Christmas he received a letter from my granny from home in which she said she'd included a postal order for him to treat himself. He delightedly told all his mates that he'd treat them all to a drink only to find she had sent him a postal order for a shilling!! Hahaha!! He said if she'd have been standing in front of him he'd have shot her, she later told him she didn't send more incase he was dead by the time her letter arrived as she didn't want to waste good money.
During WW2 he dyed his hair (it had turned white after his time in France) forged his d.o.b and volunteered and went off to train for the barrage balloons down south, until they discovered his true age and sent him home, I think he got drunk and spilled the beans.
He was a real old soldier and when I was little I loved how he would fold all my clothes and stack them up neatly on the chair every night before I went to bed.
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Henry Hydes 17th (1st Rosebery) Btn Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (d.23rd February 1917) Henry Hydes served with the 17th Battalion, Royal Scots in WW1. He died 23rd of February 1917 and is buried St Pierre Cemetery, Amiens in
France. Husband of Mrs. B. Hydes of 22 Fleming St., Barnsley, Yorks.
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Pte. William G. Ramsay 17th Btn. Royal Scots (d.2nd Oct 1918) William Ramsay was the son of James and Janet Ramsay of 130 Taylor St., Townhead, Glasgow. Third youngest of nine children John, James, Janet, Thomas, Isabella, Anne, William, Alexander and Robert. His brother James also died in WW1.
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Pte. John Ferguson Arthur 17th Btn. Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) John Arthur of the 17th Battalion of the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) was wounded in an incident on 4th of June 1918.
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Pte. William Ness 17th Btn. Royal Scots (d.28th Mar 1918)  William Ness was my great uncle who I found out about when I helped take out the poppies at the Tower of London in 2014. My mother had always said that she had a uncle who had died at the Somme. So I looked for him and this is what I have found out so far. Her father James Ness and his older brother William enlisted at Glencorse Barracks, Midlothian. They were sent to France and James was gased and returned home November 1917. William must have continued and was killed in action on 28th of March 1918. He is buried at the
Senlis Communal Cemetery extension near Albert, France. There are 104 First World War burials here and I visited his grave one very cold December day 2014 with my family.
Now at the commemoration of the end of WW1 I am very proud to have tickets to be part of the people's thank you march on 11th November at the Cenotaph London. I will lay a wreath for William and all those brave young men known and unknown who served their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us all.
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Pte. Thomas John Girdwood 17th Battalion (d.30th Sep 1918) Thomas Girdwood was my great grandmother's first husband.
We don't know much about what happen and would love to know more.
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Pte. James Gallagher 17th Battalion Royal Scots (d.29th September 1918) James Gallager was my maternal great uncle who was killed in the last days of WW1 serving with 17th Royal Scots. He enlisted in January 1917 at the age of seventeen and eleven months and his occupation was listed as spirit salesman.
Sadly, his body was not identified and his name is listed in Tyne Cot Military Cemetery. I have been unable to track down any photographs of him.
I have been looking into his background since his service medal was given to me by my mother, his niece before she died.
I hope to visit the area in Belgium where he died as well as the cemetery at Tyne Cot later this year on the 100th anniversary of his death and would appreciate any help you are able to provide to narrow down the relevant area.
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Pte. David Brown 17th Btn. Royal Scots (d.27th Aug 1918) David Brown served with the 17th Btn. Royal Scots and I have been asked by a relative of this soldier to find out as much information as I can about him. I have a story from the local newspaper by his mother Mrs. Brown of 119, Cowgate, Kirkintilloch asking for information on her son who she believed was being held prisoner had died in Caudry Hospital on 27th August 1918. A note of caution. This article is said to have been published in the Kirkintilloch Herlad on January 8th 1918 so it could be that he died in 1917. He is buried in Caudry British Cemetery, Nord, France. Do you know what action he had been part of?
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Pte. James Archibald 17th Btn. Royal Scots (d.4th Jun 1916) Pte. James Archibald served with the Royal Scots 17th Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 4th June 1916,aged 19 and is buried in Beuvry Communal Cemetery Extension in Beuvry, France.
James Archibald was employed as a Plumber before he enlisted on 8th June 1915. He named his next-of-kin as his sister, Mrs Elizabeth Gray of 9 Rosevale Place, Leith.
He was sentenced, after trial by Field General Court Martial, to be shot for desertion and the sentence was duly carried out.
He told his comrades he "felt queer" while en route to the trenches at 6.30pm on 14th May 1916. At 3pm the next day, he was found asleep in a barn. He was shot by firing squad three weeks later.
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