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Remembered Today:

Coldstream Guards


Sue Light

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I've been looking at the web site while tracing the movements of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards in 1914, and have a query. I understand that the 1st Battalion were part of 1st Division, 1st [Guards] Brigade, prior to the formation of the Guards Division in 1915, but having clicked on '1st Division' on the Coldstream Guards page, the order of battle does then not show evidence of either the 1st Coldstream or the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, who I think were there as well. I'm sure I must be missing something obvious, but were 1st Brigade and 1st [Guards] Brigade the same, and have the 1st Coldstreams just been omitted, or were they somewhere else?

Thanks

Sue

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Sue

On 4th August 1914 1st Coldstream Guards along with 1st Scots Guards were at Aldershot as part of the Ist (Guards) Brigade, 1st Division and stayed with the Division until the 25th August 1915 when they were transferred to the 2nd Guards Brigade in the Guards Division.

Terry Reeves

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Terry

I think my question must be as confused as my brain! On the web site [1914-1918.net], neither the 1st Coldstream Guards nor the Scots Guards appear as part of 1st Brigade, 1st Division Order of Battle in 1914. Either this is because they have been missed off in error, or that 1st [Guards] Brigade was a different entity from 1st Brigade itself - I just needed to confirm which.

Regards

Sue

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Sue

Yes it is confusing. They were part of 1st Division in 1914.

There were eventually two 1st Brigades. The 1st (Guards) Brigade that went to war in 1914 consisted of 1st Coldstream Guards, 1st Scots Guards, Ist Black Watch and 2nd Royal Munster Fusilers, all part of 1 Div.

In August 1915 when the Guards went off to join their newly formed division, the original Brigade simply became 1st Brigade of the 1st Division which consisted of 1st Black Watch, 1st Cameron Highlanders, 10th Gloucesters and 14th Bn London Regt.

The Guards Division on formation in August 1915 consisted of three brigades with their own distinctive "guards" titles:

1st (Guards) Brigade containing 2nd Grenadier, 2nd Coldstream, 3rd Coldstream and 1st Irish Guards and 1st (Guards) Bde MG Coy

2nd (Guards) Brigade - 3rd Coldstream, 1st Coldstream, 1st Scots and 2nd Irish Guards and 2nd (Guards) Bde MG Coy

3rd (Guards) Brigade - 1st Grenadier, 4th Grenadier, 2nd Scots and 1st Welsh Guards and 3rd (Guards) Bde MG Coy.

Source: Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1 - The Regular British Divisions Major AF Becke.

Hope this helps.

Terry Reeves

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Thanks Chris - Phew, what a relief! I just thought I'd got the movements of the Battalion straight, and then clicked on the web site to make sure I was on the right lines and found 1st [Guards] Brigade devoid of Guards! And of course I have more faith in you than in myself!

Also many thanks to Terry.

Regards

Sue

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