Corp James Annan 1914-1915

[Guest helenr]

I am trying to find out any information about the 4th SA Scottish Infantry.

They were raised in 1915 as the Scottish battalion of the South African Infantry brigade for service in Europe and then disbanded in 1919. they earned 15 Battle honours to include: 1st somme, Ypres 1917, and Flanders 1916-18. Murray of Atholl Tartan. James Annan on his records has written Star 8th Infantry 1914-1915.

[Steven Broomfield]

I am trying to find out any information about the 4th SA Scottish Infantry.

They were raised in 1915 as the Scottish battalion of the South African Infantry brigade for service in Europe and then disbanded in 1919.  they earned 15 Battle honours to include: 1st somme, Ypres 1917, and Flanders 1916-18.  Murray of Atholl Tartan.  James Annan on his records has written Star 8th Infantry 1914-1915.

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John Buchan's history of the SA Bde in France is quite detailed: the Bn was formed the 1st and 2nd Transvaal Scottish and the Cape Town Highlanders. As originally formed, it had 1,282 of all ranks - 337 Scottish born, 258 English, 30 Irish, 13 Welsh, 595 South African and 49 other. 292 were not older than 20, 350 between 20 and 25, 232 between 25 and 30, 212 between 30 and 35, and 196 between 35 and 40. Only 344 of the rank and file were without prior militray training, 64 had been in the regular army, 760 in territorial, volunteer or irregular units, 97 in both the regulars or territorials, etc, and 17 had been in the police.

234 were from the mining industry,69 agriculature, 21 police and militray, 145 in government service, 722 in business, and 91 from the professions.

I hope that helps. Something tells me that the Naval and Military Press have reprinted Buchan's book....worth getting if you can.

The Star, 8th Infantry 1914-15 would indicate (I think) that your chap had aslready seenservice. The 8th Infantry were the Transvaal Scottish, which served in German South West Africa (now Namibia), clearing the Bosche out of that colony; when that campaign ended, volunteers will have joined the 4th SA Battalion and headed for France (via the Libyan desert and the Senussi campaign).

The TS were part of the Active Citizen Force (I suppose a TA equivalent), and all the regiments were consecutively numbered and had names - the Durban Light Infantry was the 1st regiment, the Kaffrarian Rifles the 5th, and so on. When the 4 battalions were formed for inperial service, the regiments were utilised as sources of men, but 'new' regiments were formed.

Regards

Steven