Scots Guards (1914)

An Empire at War

On the 28th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife the Countess Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. This event triggered the First World War that would eventually lead every major power on the continent and the UK into war by August, a war that would affect much of the world.

Related Topics:
1914 - Archduke Franz Ferdinand - Countess Sophie - First World War

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The 3rd (Reserve) Battalion was re-formed in August, though would not see service abroad, and would remain in the UK for the duration of the war, and was disbanded in 1919. Also in August, the 1st Battalion, part of the 1st (Guards) Brigade of the 1st Division, departed for foreign shores, arriving in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The first engagement of the war came at Mons where British forces successfully defended against the Germans, inflicting very heavy casualties on them, so much so that they believed the British Army had used far more machine-guns than they had actually used. Despite the victory, due to overwheming Germans number, as-well as the retreat of the French, lthe British had to withdraw from Mons which the 1st Battalion took part in. The retreat effectively saved the BEF and the French, and kept the British in France to continue the fight against the German -9..

Related Topics:
1919 - 1st (Guards) Brigade - 1st Division - France - British Expeditionary Force - Mons

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In September the 1st Battalion took part in its second major engagement, at the First Battle of the Marne, which saw the Germans advance halted after much bitter fighting, with the Germans eventually going into retreat. The sides soon dug-in, the trenches that would be made would become one of the defining symbols of the First World War. The battalion subsequently took part in the Battle of the Aisne where the battalion saw heavy fighting, including at the Aisne Heights and Chivy. In November, the 2nd Battalion landed in France as part of the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division. Both battalions as part of their respective divisions, took part in the First Battle of Ypres which took place between September and November. Both battalions saw very heavy fighting at Ypres and in the surrounding area, which eventually saw over 50,000 British soldiers of the Regular Army become casualties, though the British held the line against seemingly overwhelming German attacks, stopping the final German attempt to break the Allied line in 1914.

Related Topics:
First Battle of the Marne - Battle of the Aisne - Chivy - 20th Brigade - 7th Division - First Battle of Ypres - Ypres - Regular Army

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The regiment saw further involvement in the bitter cold month of December, and in that month, on the 19th December, Private James Mackenzie of the 2nd Battalion won the regiment its first Victoria Cross (VC) of the war, and the first VC won by the Scots Guards, rather than its predecessor name, the Scots Fusilier Guards. He won the VC after he, under very heavy enemy fire and after a stretcher party had been forced to abandon its rescue attempt, came to the assistance of a British soldier severely wounded in front of the German trenches, and successfully brought him back to British lines. Private Mackenzie was killed later that day while performing a similar act of bravery.

Related Topics:
James Mackenzie - Victoria Cross

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In March 1915, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, which was a relatively successful engagement, though it did fall short of its expected gains of advancing all the way to Lille. In May, both Battalion took part in the Battle of Aubers, and later that month, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Battle of Festubert. On the 3rd August, Second Lieutenant George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort of the 1st Battalion, was standing near a working party when a trench mortar bomb landed on the side of the parapet of the communications trench where he was standing. With no regard for his safety, Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort shouted to the men to look out, and subsequently rushed to the bomb, grabbed it and duly threw it over the parapet where it instantly exploded. For his courageous actions, Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort was awarded the Victoria Cross. Also in August, both battalions of the regiment were transferred from their respective divisions to the Guards Division. The 1st Battalion joined the 2nd Guards Brigade on the 25th, while the 2nd Battalion joined the 3rd Guards Brigade on the 9th.

Related Topics:
1915 - Battle of Neuve Chapelle - Lille - Battle of Aubers - Battle of Festubert - George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort - Parapet - Guards Division - 2nd Guards Brigade - 3rd Guards Brigade

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In September, both battalion's took part in the Battle of Loos. On the 27th, when the 3rd Guards Brigade (2nd Battalion ) were moving in preparation to attack a German-held position known as Hill 70, via Loos, an artillery barrage caught them, causing many casualties among the Guards. The following day, the 2nd Guards Brigade (1st Battalion) attacked a position known as Puits 14 bis, and in the process, suffered very heavy casualties, forcing the brigade to halt the attack..Both battalions continued to experience heavy fighting throughout September, and into October, and by the end of the Battle of Loos, the regiment had suffered over 500 casualties.

Related Topics:
Battle of Loos - Loos

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On the 1st July 1916, the first Battle of the Somme began, and on the very first day of the offensive, over 57,000 British soldiers became casualties. In September, the Scots Guards got involved in the Somme Offensive for the first, taking part in the subsidiary Battle of Flers-Courcelette, which saw the first introduction of the tank, and at another subsidiary battle, at Moval, where the Guards captured Lesboeufs. On the 15th, Lance-Sergeant Frederick McNess of the 1st Battalion, led a bombing party under very heavy shell and machine-gun fire. The party successfully reached the first enemy trench but found the left flank to be exposed, and the enemy were lobbing bombs. Sergeant McNess duly led a counter-attack, being badly wounded in the jaw and neck in the process. Despite the severe wounds the Sergeant subsequently made a 'block', encouraged his men and continued to throw grenades until eventually succumbing to the loss of blood.

Related Topics:
1916 - Battle of the Somme - Battle of Flers-Courcelette - Tank - Moval - Lesboeufs - Frederick McNess

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In July 1917, the regiment began its involvement in the Third Battle of Ypres, which lasted into November. The regiment took part in the subsidiary engagements at Pilckem, Menin Road, Poelcapelle, Passchendaele, experiencing very severe fighting which saw the British suffer very heavy casualties against stiff German defenders in terrible fighting conditions. In November, the regiment took part in the Battle of Cambrai, most famous for the first large-scale use of British tanks, eventually 476 tanks in total, in battle.

Related Topics:
1917 - Third Battle of Ypres - Pilckem - Menin Road - Poelcapelle - Passchendaele - Battle of Cambrai

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On the 27th November, Sergeant John McAulay, of the 1st Battalion, assumed command of his company after all its officers had become casualties, and under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, the company held and consolidated the company's gained objectives. The Sergeant subsequently reorganised the company and upon noticing a counter-attack developing, he successfully repulsed it by skillfully exploiting machine-guns to his advantage to inflict very heavy casualties on the German attackers. Sergeant McAulay also carried a considerable distance to a safer location, while under heavy fire, the mortally wounded company commander. He performed valiantly in doing this duty, and did not waver, despite being knocked off his feet twice by shell blasts. For his heroic and professional actions, Sergeant McAulay was awarded the Victoria Cross.

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In March 1918, the second Battle of the Somme began, and would last until April, though further Somme region would last until September. The regiment took part in the subsidiary battles at St. Quentin, Bapaume, Arras and Albert. In September, the regiment took part in the Battle of Havrincourt during the operations against the Hindenburg Line, as well as the Canal du Nord and, in October, took part in the Battle of Cambrai.

Related Topics:
1918 - Battle of the Somme - St. Quentin - Bapaume - Arras - Albert - Battle of Havrincourt - Hindenburg Line - Canal du Nord - Battle of Cambrai

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On the 13th October, Corporal Harry Blanshard Wood of the 2nd Battalion, at St. Python, took command of his platoon, the leading platoon of the company, after the platoon sergeant was killed, under very heavy fire, during the advance on the village of St. Python. The company that Corporal Wood was part of, was tasked with taking the western half of the village and to secure the crossing of the River Selle, as-well as secure the ruined bridge. However, the space in front of it was covered by snipers, but this did not deter Corporal Wood. The Corporal took a large brick into the open space, lay behind it, and contiously shot at the snipers, ordering his men to get across the open space while he covered them, remaining in the open space until all his men had got across. Later that day, Corporal Wood drove off a number of German counter-attacks on his position, proving his professional and gallant leadership throughout the day. For his actions Corporal Wood was awarded the Victoria Cross, the last VC won by the regiment during the First World War.

Related Topics:
Harry Blanshard Wood - St. Python - River Selle - Sniper

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The regiment took part in the final battles of the war on the Western Front, on the 17th October, the Battle of the Selle began which eventually saw the town of Valenciennes captured by the Allies, and on the 4th November took part in the Battle of the Sambre. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the Armistice was signed between the victorious Allies and the Germans. The Guards Division soon after the end of the war, was ordered to the Rhine, eventually crossing the frontier on the 11th December. The Scots Guards subsequently joined the British Army of Occupation in Cologne and returned home in 1919. For its part during the First World War, the regiment gained thirty-three battle honours though sadly lost just under 3,000 men during the war.

Related Topics:
Western Front - Battle of the Selle - Valenciennes - Battle of the Sambre - Armistice - Rhine - British Army of Occupation - Cologne - 1919

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