1st Linlithgowshire Rifle Volunteers

916:, Royal Engineers' airfield construction teams, and local ground defence units as well as the AA units; all were represented in the joint reconnaissance parties that followed closely behind the leading battalions. They selected new sites for landing strips or renovated old ones, maintaining radio contact through RAF or RA channels with the main body so that movement orders could be passed to the following AA batteries. Movement was usually by 'leap frogging' from previously occupied landing grounds, though sometimes an AA battery was waiting in a hidden concentration area ready to move forward. RAF transport aircraft flew ground staff, equipment and battery staffs to the new locations. Within a few hours the fighter squadrons would arrive and the AA positions were manned. 12 AA Brigade had 20–30 separate convoys moving on any given day, and by November it was providing cover for six RAF wings and one 677: 762: 48: 65: 890:, beginning on 26 May, Rommel's Axis forces quickly broke into the British position and began attacking the defensive 'boxes'. After bitter fighting in the Gazala Line and the 'Cauldron', Eighth Army was forced to retreat. The British hoped to defend Tobruk as in the previous siege, but this time the Axis forces reached it before the defences were ready, and 4 AA Bde was among the 33,000 Allied troops who were captured in the 1040:). Its LAA regiments were committed to bridges, defiles, assembly areas and artillery positions, and enemy aircraft were active in low-level strafing and bombing. There were severe problems in getting the AA guns forward along the heavily congested routes. As XIII Corps advanced on a narrow front, 12 AA Bde found itself stretched along 80 miles (130 km) of roads protecting the long 'tail'. After the breakout from the 863:

high-level and night attacks. Despite hits on the gun positions and numerous casualties among the gunners, the RAOC workshops kept the guns serviceable and no gun was out of action for more than a few hours. During September and October 1941 most of the Tobruk garrison and some of the AA units were relieved, but RHQ and the three batteries of 14th LAA Rgt saw the whole siege through.

825: 603: 912:. 12 AA Brigade's role once again was to move up behind Eighth Army's advance and defend the DAF's landing grounds as they came into use. The brigade developed a very efficient system of providing rolling support for the DAF's tactical wings as they made long shifts forwards to maintain contact with the advancing army. This involved the 628:. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. 14th (West Lothian) LAA Rgt became part of 1067:

activity declined towards the end of the year, and the Allied forces in Italy were suffering an acute manpower shortage, so surplus AA gunners were transferred to other roles and several units disbanded. Although 14th LAA Rgt remained in the order of battle, in common with other units that had been

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in late March 1943 12 AA Bde covered nine forward landing grounds for five RAF wings, all within 20 miles (32 km) of enemy positions. The standard procedure was for both HAA and LAA guns to be sited to engage potential attacks by tanks as well as aircraft, and to be tightly integrated with the

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The Bolsheviks resumed the offensive early in 1919, and A Company had to be sent to reinforce a heavily pressed force on the Vaga, marching with sledges over 50 miles (80 km) in temperatures 40–60 degrees below freezing. The Bolsheviks now had artillery superiority, there was no anti-Bolshevik

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aircraft could fly off, the airfield remained under heavy and accurate enemy bombardment until 13 September and the LAA guns could not be effectively deployed until this ceased. The bridgehead was dangerously congested and so the intended AA reinforcements could not be brought in safely; the units

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During the 1930s the increasing need for anti-aircraft (AA) defence for Britain's cities was addressed by converting a number of TA infantry battalions into AA units. The 4th/5th Royal Scots was one of the battalions selected, becoming a searchlight (S/L) regiment in 1938. At the same time, the TA

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the Royal Scots cleared the triangle between the Dvina and Vaga and took a number of villages and prisoners. The strongly fortified village of Pless could not be attacked frontally, so A Company, less one platoon, attempted a flanking movement through the marshes. The following morning the company

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authorised the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit for each TF unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. They were filled with the volunteers who were

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switched to high-level attacks. Whereas there were 21 raids by a total of 386 aircraft in April, by July this had fallen to just four raids by 79 aircraft. 4 AA Brigade recorded that there was a steady decline in numbers of aircraft attacking as the siege went on, with the attackers switching to

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By late September, with a body of US Army troops, the battalion had reached Nijne-Toimski, which proved too strong for the lightly equipped Allied force, who established a defensive line. The monitor then had to withdraw before the Dvina froze, and the force was shelled by Bolsehvik gunboats. It

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troops mutinied in April, and the US troops were withdrawn in May. Nevertheless, the force remained in position; 2/10th Royal Scots was relieved by other British troops. The battalion returned by barge to Archangelsk and sailed for home on 10 June. It arrived at Leith where it was immediately

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commanding the harbour area. 13th LAA Regiment had previously sent a battery to Greece, so the numbers were balanced by transferring 39 LAA Bty to its command, though in fact batteries were split between the two LAA Rgt HQs for operational convenience rather than strict regimental integrity:

943:. 12 AA Brigade continued to conduct airfield defence, against increasing opposition. The typical mobile group allocated to an airfield contained one HAA and two LAA batteries. To avoid detection, the groups moved by night, being allotted special priority for routes. For the 1306:. About 1890 the brown belts were replaced by black Slade-Wallace equipment, the facings were changed to red piping on the collar and a red crow's foot on the cuff, and the lower part of the busby plume was changed from green to red. This uniform was replaced in 1903 by a 357:

of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training. Under this scheme the 8th VB was included in the

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quickly turned the tide in Libya. A swift breakthrough pushed British forces backwards. The German columns, heading for the Egyptian frontier, bypassed Tobruk, whose garrison prepared to defend the port. This was invested from 11 April, beginning the epic

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already ashore had to meet all demands against multiple air raids delivered simultaneously with little warning. The Germans were finally forced to retire on 16 September. 12 AA Brigade was keen to follow up quickly with a column of mobile AA troops to

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ground defence units. Air raid engagements could be complicated by the presence of friendly aircraft using the airfield. After Mareth the units of 12 AA Brigade also began to take on responsibility for ports on the Tunisian coast. The advance ended at

459:. The 1/10th (Cyclist) Bn Royal Scots was joined at Berwick by the 2/10th in January 1915, and both battalions remained there until April and June 1918, when they were transferred to Ireland. The battalion was finally disembodied at 2876: 1188:, with RHQ, 124 and 126 Btys at Pinefields Camp, and 117 Bty split between St Barbara's Camp and Coral Bay. That regiment finally entered suspended animation on 31 October 1958 (117 Bty being formally disbanded on 1 January 1962). 2871: 508:

reached Kargonin, behind Pless, and the defenders – thinking themselves cut off by a large force – evacuated both villages. The regimental historian describes this as 'a quite remarkable march by predominantly B1 troops'.

985:, but this bold plan was vetoed. The brigade's units began to arrive in Naples by road and sea (having re-embarked in landing craft) on 1 October. This deployment only lasted three weeks before they moved on again to the 832:

Rommel made his first attack on the perimeter before dawn on 14 April but was driven out by a counter-attack. Thereafter there were a number of attacks on the perimeter, but almost constant air attacks, particularly by

599:(RA). The Linlithgow company formed Regimental HQ (RHQ), 39 (Linlithgow) and 40 (Bathgate) LAA Batteries; 57 LAA Battery was raised at South Queensferry on 17 January 1939 and 58 LAA Bty at Edinburgh on 15 May 1939. 1095:

When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the TA regiment and its three batteries was placed in suspended animation at Pilton Camp, Edinburgh, where the personnel continued in 14th LAA Rgt as a war-formed unit of the

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battery it drove off a number of attacks, culminating in a very heavy assault on 11 November. 2/10th Royal Scots was then reinforced by the company from Archangelsk, which had been engaged at Obozerskaya on the

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after seven months and 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of continuous movement, and the AA gunners began a programme of rest and refitting, while contributing to the AA defence of the ports from which the

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force, and after reorganising as an infantry battalion and being brought up to strength with drafts from other units in Ireland, the 2/10th returned to England in July 1918. It was then shipped to

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of 8 companies with headquarters at Linlithgow. Cyclist battalions did not form part of the TF's divisions but were 'Army Troops' held at Command level; 10th (Cyclist) Bn Royal Scots was under

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History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,

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The original uniform worn by the Linlithgowshire RVCs was dark Volunteer grey, a dark grey cap with ball tuft, and brown belts. The 1st RVC had scarlet piping, the other three had scarlet

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with a black-and-red plume and bugle badge in 1872. In 1876 the lower part of the plume was changed to light green, and the tunic cuffs were changed to rifle green with a light green

874:), which succeeded in ending the Siege of Tobruk. The first phase of 'Crusader' lasted until January 1942, when Rommel counter-attacked and Eighth Army fell back and dug in along the 644:

that lasted from September 1939 to April 1940. The first action occurred unexpectedly on 16 October 1939, when enemy aircraft suddenly appeared out of cloud and dived on warships off

2851: 1997: 1275: 848:, against which the guns' predictors were useless. With the gunsites themselves being targeted, the battery drivers, cooks and clerks manned LMGs for local protection. The 2846: 1162: 721: 753:

J.N. Slater of 4 AA Bde acted as AA Defence Commander (AADC) for the whole Tobruk area, with RHQ 14th LAA Rgt controlling the AA defences round the perimeter and RHQ

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on 26 February 1920. A 3/10th Bn was formed in 1915 and then disbanded in March 1916, when its personnel were distributed to the 1/10th, 2/10th and the newly formed

1690: 342:), the Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia and a number of RVCs from neighbouring counties into Brigade No 62, which was a purely administrative formation. Under the 902:(DAF) and now fought a series of rearguard actions as the Eighth Army retreated in confusion beyond the Egyptian frontier. The Axis advance was finally halted at 688:, 3 AA Division had some 119 LAA guns (mainly Bofors) defending VPs. Scotland largely escaped air attack during the Battle of Britain, but in September 1940 the 1271: 1255: 1206:

When AA Command was disbanded on 10 March 1955 there was a major reduction in the number of AA units in the TA. 514th LAA Regiment amalgamated with R Bty of

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Group. As the advance progressed the retreating Germans took greater pains to make abandoned landing grounds unusable; at one field near 'Marble Arch', 2000

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following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular

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By 1918, 2/10th Bn had sent many drafts overseas and was now composed mainly of men of B1 medical category. However, the War Office needed troops for a

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on 26 July 1948 and placed in suspended animation on 16 August. However, RHQ and the three batteries were resuscitated on 15 September that year as

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records that the AA artillery in Tobruk was 'incessantly in action against attacks of all kinds, from all heights, but especially by dive-bombers'.

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with Royal Scots badge, buff belts, and black leggings. In 1908 the battalion adopted the scarlet full dress with blue facings of the Royal Scots.

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coming forward in large numbers – 2/10th Royal Scots was recruited in under a week in September – and 3rd Line training units were formed in 1915.

2708: 1913: 1486: 2775: 2567: 1200: 2429: 696:). However, even while the Blitz was getting under way there was also an urgent need to reinforce the AA defences of the British bases in 964:

14th LAA Regiment was not involved in Sicily, but instead sailed with 12 AA Bde direct from Tunisia to the landings on mainland Italy at

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from October to December. Then in January 1944, they moved forward to cover the assembly areas and ferry sites for the crossing of the

629: 1656: 2754: 2739: 2724: 2701: 2682: 2664: 2646: 2627: 2606: 2585: 2542: 2527: 2512: 2486: 2464: 1822: 551: 225: 2378: 1267: 1259: 652:. Other attacks on bases followed, and 3 AA Division was given priority for new Heavy AA (HAA) guns in January 1940, but only 10 346:

of 1881, the 1st Linlithgowshire became a Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Scots on 1 July, and was formally redesignated as the

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German bombs explode during one of the heaviest air raids on Tobruk. The photograph was taken from a trench adjoining an AA gun.

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and some Naval 2-pounders were available for LAA defence; otherwise LAA defence of Vulnerable Points (VPs) relied on AA

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4th Linlithgowshire RVC, formed at Bathgate 9 August 1862 from employees of Young's Chemical Works under the command of

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and the capture of Rome in early June, 12 AA Bde was deployed in the Tiber plain protecting airfields, river crossings

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Robert Stewart. It was soon followed by companies formed in other towns of West Lothian, and they were combined as the

1025: 909: 1219: 1215: 1147: 908:

After a period out of the line, 14th LAA Rgt (39, 40, 57 LAA Btys with 48 Bofors guns) was back in 12 AA Bde for the

563: 1299: 1063:. AA units were hampered by lack of early warning radar, while enemy aircraft were initially very active. However, 761: 750: 374:, principally with the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Service Companies of the Royal Scots, earning the battalion its first 2548: 953: 944: 794: 476: 362:. In 1902 the Forth Brigade was split into the 1st and 2nd Lothian Brigades, with the 8th VB in the 2nd Brigade. 193: 127: 2808: 318:

on 16 March and the individual RVCs became lettered companies, the subdivision of the 6th becoming F Company at

1746: 1326: 990: 894:. However, 14th LAA Rgt was not among them, having been outside the perimeter at the time. It was collected by 513: 2333: 1730: 989:, where they were required to provide cover for routes, bridges, landing-grounds and field gun positions for 575: 2206: 1520: 936: 801: 323: 265: 149: 973: 625: 486:

Leaving one company in Arkhangelsk, the battalion operated along a 50 miles (80 km) stretch of the

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On the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, the battalion mobilised and was assigned to coastal defence at

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casualties were heavy: 53 aircraft shot down and 43 damaged in April, 45 and 56 in May. After that the

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Gerald Eastwood, arrived in Egypt with 39, 40 and 57 LAA Btys on 3 March 1941 and was sent straight to

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front. Over the next six months the army advanced only 100 miles (160 km), finally reaching the

845: 717: 487: 2615:"History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East 2505:

History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941

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