United Kingdom 1939 - 1940

Scottish Command



Regular Army


Scottish Command had a small Regular Army presence, with three infantry battalions stationed in the country. One battalion was based at Edinburgh Castle on ceremonial duties, with another stationed in Glasgow and the last at Fort George near Inverness. There was also one battery of a field artillery regiment, and detachments of the Royal Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals in the command.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, all the Regular Army units in the command mobilised and moved to join new formations elsewhere in the U.K..

Territorial Army


Scottish Command was divided into two areas, the Highland Area and Lowland Area, and both had one Territorial Army infantry division based within the area. The two formations were the:

  • 51 (Highland) Infantry Division;
  • 52 (Lowland) Infantry Division.

In April 1939, with the duplication of the Territorial Army, both these formations produced duplicate (or second-line) divisions. The 51 (Highland) Infantry Division produced the 9 (Highland) Infantry Division and the 52 (Lowland) Infantry Division produced the 15 (Scottish) Infantry Division.

The 51 Infantry Division mobilised at the outbreak of the war and was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. It was sent to the Saar Front, to come under command of the French Army. When the German forces attacked in May 1940, the division retreated towards Le Havre, where all but one brigade were captured at St. Valery. The 9 Infantry Division was used to reconstitute the 51 Infantry Division.

The 52 Infantry Division also was sent to France, but after the B.E.F. had been evacuated. It was quickly withdrawn back to the U.K. The 15 Infantry Division remained in the U.K. until being deployed to North West Europe in 1944.