The British 51st (Highland) Division was a Territorial Army division that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War. The division's insignia was a stylised 'HD' inside a red circle. Early doubts about the division's performance earned it the nickname of "Harper's Duds" after the name of its commander Major General G.M. Harper. During the Second World War the division was also referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had passed through.

Unit history

Formation

152nd (1st Highland) Brigade 

• 1/5th (The Sutherland and Caithness) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders
• 1/6th (Morayshire) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders
• 1/8th (The Argyllshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (from 154th Bde. April 1915)
• 1/4th Bn, the Cameron Highlanders (until February 1915)
• 1/6th (Renfrewshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (from 154th Bde. April 1915 to June 1915)
• 1/6th (Banff and Donside ) Bn, the Gordon Highlanders (from June 1916)

153rd (2nd Highland) Brigade 

• 1/6th Bn, the Black Watch
• 1/7th Bn, the Black Watch
• The Shetland Companies, the Gordon Highlanders
• 1/4th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders (until February 1915)
• 1/5th (Buchan and Formartin ) Bn, the Gordon Highlanders (until February 1918)
• 1/7th (Deeside Highland) Bn, the Gordon Highlanders (until October 1918)

154th (3rd Highland) Brigade 

The original brigade comprised the following battalions until April 1915 when some of the battalions moved to the 152nd Brigade:

• 1/7th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
• 1/6th (Renfrewshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
• 1/8th (The Argyllshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
• 1/9th (The Dunbartonshire) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Between April 18 1915 and January 1916, the brigade was replaced by the battalions of the 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade from the 55th (West Lancashire) Division.

• 1/4th Bn TF, the King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
• 1/8th (Irish) Bn, The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
• 2/5th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers
• 1/4th Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
• 1/6th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

After early 1916, the brigade contained the following battalions:

• 1/4th (Ross Highland) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders
• 1/4th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders
• 1/9th (Highlanders) Bn, the Royal Scots Regiment
• 1/7th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Battles

External links

• The British Army in the Great War: The 51st (Highland) Division