THE GLASGOW HIGHLANDERS (9 HLI)

[Guest]

I am interested in any information on the 9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Battalion, the Highland Light Infantry, in which my grandfather, Sergeant Alexander Wood DCM served from 1914 until 1918. He was wounded at High Wood on the Somme in 1916 and awarded the DCM for action on the Lys in 1918. He continued as a territorial after the war and re-enlisted in 1939. I would be especially interested in locating and purchasing a copy of Shoulder to Shoulder, the battalion history.

[Paul Reed]

There is also another book on the 9/HLI, by Alex Aitken, whose father served with the battalion. It is called something like Courage Remembered (I don't have the book to hand) and was published in the 1970s. It is pretty good on the fighting for High Wood with excellent maps. The book is out of print, but probably you could find it on the net.

The author was the person responsible for the unit's memorial at High Wood, by the way.

[Mark Hone]

If you can't get the Aitken book it was used as a key source by Terry Norman in 'The Hell They Called High Wood' (William Kimber 1984) which should be more easily available. This remains one of my favourite books on the Battle of the Somme and gives an excellent overall view of the fighting at High Wood.

[Raymond Bell]

Hi First Time Posting - just joined

A great site - I noticed an Alex Wood posted way back in 2003 looking for a copy of Shoulder to Shoulder the history of the Glasgow Highlanders 9th HLI - Alex if you read this you can get an on line copy from the Royal Highland Fusiliers web page by going to

www.rhf.org.uk

Click on the banner then on the next page you click on "on line books" and there is a copy on pdf format - there are also the war diaries of the GH that may prove interesting since he is looking for details on one of his relations.

On the same page there is details on the Glasgow Highlanders Association afain if interested

Thanks and hope this is of help

Raymond Bell - Dinger

[houseworkfairy]

Thanks for the website as I am looking for more info on 2nd Lt Alexander Meikle McCallum who sadly only survived about 6 weeks in France. He enlisted as a private with the 9th HLI reg no 3948 but was commissioned from the ranks on 7.4.1915 to the 18th HLI. He went into France on 12.2.1917 but died on 3.4.1917. However his medal card just gives his rank as T/Capt HLI and the memorial scroll gives his rank as Temp Capt his battalion as 16th HLI and says he died of wounds on 3.4.1917. He is buried in Foreste cemetery.

He was a Glasgow laddie and would have been 30 in 1915.

Can anyone fill in the story for me a little?

[AGWR]

There is a recently published book about the Glasgow Highlanders called Come on Highlanders by Alec Weir, whose grandfather was their RSM in 1914 and later became their adjutant. Details can be found here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Come-Highlanders-G...3370&sr=8-1

Regards,

AGWR

[Andre Chissel]

Hi Alex,

You may be interested in an article I have had published in the Glasgow Highlanders Association newsletter:

http://rhf.org.uk/rhf/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67&Itemid=81

It recounts th action at High Wood with maps from the books mentioned above in some detail.

Andre

[Andre Chissel]

You may find my article about the 9th HLI of interest:

http://scottishmilitary.blogspot.com/2011/06/george-penny-chissel-great-war-and.html

Best wishes

Andre