51ST Highland Division Order of Battle
Please note that there are some discrepancies in the various orders of battle that have been published. This does not pretend to be the definitve one. What is important, however, is that the 1st Lothians are first in the order of battle. The 1st Lothians (and other units) joined the 51st Highland Division in April 1940 to form Saar Force.
Major General V.M. Fortune, CB, DSO
Divisional Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
1st Bn. The Lothians & Border Yeomanry (Lt Col MP Ansell)*
152nd Brigade: Brigadier H.W.V. Stewart, DSO
2nd Bn. The Seaforth Highlanders (regular army: Lt Col IC Barclay MBE)
4th Bn. The Seaforth Highlanders (Lt Col H Houldsworth MC)
4th Bn. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (Lt Col the Earl of Cawdor)
152nd Infantry Brigade Antitank Company was included as part of Saar Force
153rd Brigade: Brigadier G. T. Burnet, MC
4th Bn. The Black Watch ** (Lt Col RC Macpherson)
1st Bn. The Gordon Highlanders (Lt Col H Wright MBE, MC)
5th Bn. The Gordon Highlanders (Lt Col AD Buchanan-Smith>
153rd Infantry Brigade Antitank Company was included as part of Saar Force
154th Brigade: Brigadier A.CL. Stanley-Clarke DSO
1st Bn. The Black Watch (regular army: Lt Col GEB Honeyman)
7th Bn. The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ** (Lt Col EP Buchanan, MC)
8th Bn. The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ** (Lt Col DJ Grant MC)
154th Infantry Brigade Antitank Company was included as part of Saar Force
Royal Artillery: CRA. Brigadier H.CH. Eden, MC
17th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery ** (Lt Col LGRF Hamilton-Bell MC)
23rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery ** (Lt Col LF Garrat DSO, MC)
75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery ** (Lt Col GT Nugee DSO, MC)
76th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
77th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
51st (West Highland) Anti-tank Regiment, Royal Artillery **(204 Anti-tank battery only)
(Lt Col EK Page)
Royal Engineers: CRE. Lt Col H M Smail, TD
26th Field Company, Royal Engineers (Major WH Blagdon)
236th Field Company, Royal Engineers ** (Major JP Jeffrey)
237th Field Company, Royal Engineers ** (Major JJD McInnes)
238th Field Company, Royal Engineers
239th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers ** (Captain EM Munro)
Royal Corps of Signals: Lt Col T.P.E. Murray 51st Divisional Signals Company
Royal Army Medical Corps: AD.M.S., Lt Col D.P. Levack
152nd Field Ambulance (Lt Col WEA Buchanan)
153rd Field Ambulance (Lt Col JC Mackay)
154th Field Ambulance ** (Lt Col JC Adam)
No. 13 Field Hygiene Section
Royal Army Service Corps: CRASC - Lt Col T. Harris-Hunter TD
Divisional Ammunition Company** (detachments): 525th (ammunition) company
Divisional Petrol Company** (detachments) : 526th (petrol) company
Divisional Supply Column** (detachments): 527th (supply) company
Royal Army Ordnance Corps: ADOS - Lt Col AA Roth OBE
Divisional Provost Company: (Military Police)
Divisional Postal Unit RE
Attached troops
51st Medium Regiment, RA
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (less one Battery)
97th Field Regiment,
RA (one Battery)
213th Army Field Company, RE **
1st Bn Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (Machine-Gunners) ** (less two companies)
7th Bn The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine-Gunners)
6th Bn The Royal Scots Fusiliers (Pioneers) **
7th Bn The Norfolk Regiment (Pioneers)
Sections of the RAOC and the RASC.
* The cavalry division with the 51st Highland Division on embarkation was the 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. In April 1940 they were replaced by 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, who had landed in France as part of the 48th (South Midland) Division who, in turn, were part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
** All or a part of these units escaped with Ark Force, which was formed 9 June 1940.
On 9 June 1940, part of the 51st Highland Division was sent west to escape France. ARK force (Brigadier ACL Stanley-Clarke DSO) comprised the following:
Maj Brigadier ACL Stanley-Clarke DSO
'A' Brigade (from Beauman Division***) (Brigadier MA Green)
4th Bn, the Border Regiment
5th Bn, The Sherwood Foresters
4th Bn, The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)
154th Brigade (a/Brigadier DJ Grant MC)
4th Bn, The Black Watch
7th Bn, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
8th Bn, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
6th Bn, The Royal Scots Fusiliers (Pioneers)
Royal Artillery
17th Field Regiment RA
75th Field Regiment RA
204 Anti-tank Battery (from 51st Anti-tank Regiment RA)
Royal Engineers
236th Field Company RE
237th Field Company RE
239th Field Park Company RE
213th Army Field Company RE
154th Field Ambulance
Detachments from 525, 526 and 527 Companies RASC
1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (less two companies)
*** By 9 June, the 51st HD was only a fraction of its full strength and 'A' Brigade from Beauman Division (about 900 strong) was sent to reinforce it. This brigade comprised 4th Buffs, 1st/5th Foresters and the 4th Border Regiment.