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DelBoy
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 4858
Location: The County of Angus
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 Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:53 pm Post subject: Scottish Regiments WW1 Casualties |
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I know casualty league tables are considered distasteful, but it had not occured to me before as to how the Scottish infantry regiments compared in WW1. I'd have thought they would be much the same, but not so.
Some had more territorial battalions or raised more wartime battalions than others, also populations within recruiting areas varied, notably the Royal Scots & H.L.I. were based in Scotlands two big cities. Once conscription came in men were sent anywhere needed from all over Britain.
The Scots Guards were unique in that they remained with their two regular battalions and a Reserve for the entire war, never having had territorial or wartime battalions.
Royal Scots - 11569
H.L.I. - 10301
Gordons - 9247
Seaforths - 8778
Black Watch - 8664
Argyll's - 7189
Scottish Rifles - 7180
K.O.S.B. - 7051
Royal Scots Fusiliers - 6178
Camerons - 6068
Scots Guards - 2952
Derek. |
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Adam Brown
Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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It may be worth comparing the number of front line battalions for each regiment.
Royal Scots - 11569 - 15 Bns - 2 regular, 6 TF [later 2 merged into 1 (5th and 6th Bns)], 6 Service (2 disbanded), 1 TF late-war service in North-Russia
H.L.I. - 10301 - 13 Bns - 2 regular, 4 TF, 7 Service [later 2 merged into 1 (10th and 11th Bns), 1 disbanded and 1 converted to Pioneer]
Gordons - 9247 - 9 Bns - 2 regular, 4 TF, 2 Service (later merged to 1 and later disbanded), 1 Pioneer
Seaforths - 8778 - 9 Bns - 2 regular, 3 TF, 2 Service, 1 Pioneer. Plus 1 late-war Garrison Bn in Balkans
Black Watch - 8664 - 11 Bns - 2 regular, 4 TF [2 merged into 1 in 1916 (4th and 5th Bns)], 2 Yeomanry, 3 Service (1 disbanded)
Argylls - 7189 - 11 Bns - 2 regular, 5 TF, 4 Service
Scottish Rifles - 7180 - 11 Bns - 2 regular, 4 TF[later 2 merged into 1 (5th and 6th Bns)], 4 Service (1 disbanded), 1 late-war service
K.O.S.B. - 7051 - 8 Bns - 2 regular, 2 TF, 3 Service, 1 late-war Service
Royal Scots Fusiliers - 6178 - 8 - 2 regular, 2 TF, 1 Yeomanry, 3 Service (1 disbanded)
Camerons - 6068 - 8 Bns - 2 regular, 1 TF, 3 Service, 1 late-war Service, 1 Yeomanry
Scots Guards - 2952 - 2 regular Bns |
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DelBoy
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 4858
Location: The County of Angus
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| Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the extra detail Adam, the Royal Scots really were an enormous regiment.
Not too easy to tell how many of all the extra battalions saw active service abroad though. In a very basic calculation the Scots Guards seemed to take a much higher casualty rate per battalion. |
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anne park
Our first ever 2000 poster
Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 21197
Location: Aberdeen
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:14 am Post subject: CWGC INFO |
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When I checked there were 11636 names recorded........for Gordon Highlanders
_________________
Researching WWI info from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire & Morayshire. |
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Adam Brown
Curator
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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| Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| DelBoy wrote: | | Not too easy to tell how many of all the extra battalions saw active service abroad though. |
Derek
The list I provided was of front-line battalions, I excluded 2nd and 3rd line and the battalions which served overseas but not on the front-line.
You can't do a simple calculation based on total dead divided by the numbers of battalions I listed because some were pioneer battalions, some fought in the Middle East where there were fewer battles, one battalion only fought in North Russia for a few months, some fought for a year before being amalgamated / disbanded in 1916, and only some of the regulars fought on the Western Front from August 1914 until November 1918
| DelBoy wrote: | | In a very basic calculation the Scots Guards seemed to take a much higher casualty rate per battalion. |
Yes, although they were in the position of having only two front-line regular battalions and both served on the Western Front from 1914 and throughout the whole war. If you compare them with 1st and 2nd Bns Gordon Highlanders which suffered 2095 and 1469 fatalities respectively, according to CWGC, then their loses don't seem disproportionately high compared to the other Scottish infantry regiments.
| anne park wrote: | | When I checked there were 11636 names recorded........for Gordon Highlanders |
Anne
11636 is for both World Wars. CWGC has 9247 for the First World War.
Cheers
Adam |
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