The Clyde Brigade was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

infantry formation of Britain's

Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...

from 1888 to 1902.

Origins

The enthusiasm for the

Volunteer movement The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...

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 The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in time of need. The

Stanhope Memorandum The Stanhope Memorandum was a document written by Edward Stanhope, the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on 8 December 1888. It set out the overall strategic aims of the British Empire, and the way the Br ...

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. Under this scheme a number of Volunteer Battalions in Southern Scotland would assemble together at

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

as the Clyde Brigade.''Army List'', various dates.

Organisation

From 1888 the Clyde Brigade had the following composition: * 1st Volunteer Battalion,

Royal Scots Fusiliers The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...

* 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers *

1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers The 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers was a Scottish Volunteer unit of the British Army. Originally raised in Glasgow from 1859, it later became a battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). During World War I it served on the Western Front ...

(a Volunteer Battalion of the

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...

) * 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Scottish Rifles * 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps (a Volunteer Battalion of the Scottish Rifles) * 4th Volunteer Battalion, Scottish Rifles * 5th Volunteer Battalion, Scottish Rifles * 1st Volunteer Battalion,

Highland Light Infantry The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusi ...

* 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry * 3rd (Blythswood) Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry * 9th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps (a Volunteer Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry) * 5th (Glasgow Highland) Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry * 1st (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion,

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

* 2nd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders * 3rd (Renfrewshire) Volunteer Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders * 5th Volunteer Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders * 1st Dumbarton Rifle Volunteer Corps (a Volunteer Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) * Supply Detachment, Army Service Corps The Brigade Headquarters (HQ) was at 137 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, and the brigade commander was

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Sir William Cuninghame, VC, appointed 17 October 1888.

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 The Glasgow Brigade was an infantry formation of Britain's Volunteer Force from 1890 to 1902. It was the forerunner of two formations of the Territorial Force that saw service in both World Wars. Origins The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement ...

. 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.Matheson at Ubique.com
/ref> Sir Donald Matheson resigned in 1898, after which the HQ was moved to

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

and the Officer Commanding 91st Regimental District (the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders' depot) became ''ex-officio'' brigade commander.

Boer War

All the battalions provided volunteers to serve alongside the Regular regiments in the

2nd Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

and gained the

Battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s South Africa 1900–01 or South Africa 1900–02.Leslie.

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.

Notes

References

* Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, . * 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, . * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, . * Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, .

External sources

Ubique.com
{{Authority control Military units and formations of Scotland Military units and formations in Glasgow Military units and formations in Lanarkshire Military units and formations established in 1888 Military units and formations disestablished in 1902 Volunteer Infantry Brigades of the British Army