Clyde Brigade

The Clyde Brigade was a Scottish infantry formation of Britain's Volunteer Force from 1888 to 1902.

Clyde Brigade
Active1888–1902
Country United Kingdom
Branch Volunteer Force
TypeInfantry
SizeBrigade
Garrison/HQGlasgow
Stirling
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Colonel Sir William Cuninghame, VC

Origins

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.[1][2][3] The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed a comprehensive 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.[4][5] Under this scheme a number of Volunteer Battalions in Southern Scotland would assemble together at Glasgow as the Clyde Brigade.[6]

Organisation

From 1888 the Clyde Brigade had the following composition:[6]

The Brigade Headquarters (HQ) was at 137 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, and the brigade commander was Colonel Sir William Cuninghame, VC, appointed 17 October 1888.[6]

Reorganisation

With a total of 17 battalions this brigade was larger than most VIBs and in 1890 it was split into two, the Volunteer Battalions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders continuing in the Clyde Brigade, while the Scottish Rifles and Highland Light Infantry formed a separate Glasgow Brigade. Sir William Cuninghame went to command the Glasgow Brigade and was succeeded in command of the Clyde Brigade by Col Sir Donald Matheson, commanding officer of the 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Volunteer Corps and Honorary Colonel of the Clyde Division, Engineer Volunteers, Submarine Division. The new HQ of the Clyde Brigade was at 142 West George Street, Glasgow.[6][7]

Sir Donald Matheson resigned in 1898,[7][8][9] after which the HQ was moved to Stirling and the Officer Commanding 91st Regimental District (the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders' depot) became ex-officio brigade commander.[6]

Boer War

All the battalions provided volunteers to serve alongside the Regular regiments in the 2nd Boer War and gained the Battle honours South Africa 1900–01 or South Africa 1900–02.[6][10]

Disbandment

The Volunteer Infantry Brigades were reorganised in 1902 and the Clyde Brigade was split up. The seven Volunteer Battalions of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (including the 4th and 7th VBs from the Tay Brigade) constituted the new Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Brigade, while the two VBs of the Royal Scots Fusiliers joined the existing Scottish Border Brigade.[6]

Notes
  1. Beckett.
  2. Spiers, pp. 163–8.
  3. Westlake.
  4. Beckett, pp. 135, 185–6.
  5. Dunlop, pp. 60–1.
  6. Army List, various dates.
  7. Matheson at Ubique.com
  8. London Gazette, 1 February 1898.
  9. London Gazette, 24 May 1898.
  10. Leslie.

References
  • Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0 85936 271 X.
  • Col John K. Dunlop, The Development of the British Army 1899–1914, London: Methuen, 1938.
  • N.B. Leslie, Battle Honours of the British and Indian Armies 1695–1914, London: Leo Cooper, 1970, ISBN 0-85052-004-5.
  • Edward M. Spiers, The Army and Society 1815–1914, London: Longmans, 1980, ISBN 0-582-48565-7.
  • Ray Westlake, Tracing the Rifle Volunteers, Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84884-211-3.

External sources
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