52nd (Lowland) Division

Lowland Division 52nd (Lowland) Division 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
Shoulder badge of the 52nd (Lowland) Division, World War II
Active	1908–1919 1920–1947
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Infantry, Air Landing, and Mountain
Size	Second World War: 18,347 men
Engagements	First World War Battle of Romani First Battle of Gaza Second Battle of Gaza Third Battle of Gaza Second World War Battle of the Scheldt Operation Blackcock Invasion of Germany
Battle honours	The Scheldt The Rhineland The Rhine
Commanders
Notable commanders	Neil Ritchie Edmund Hakewill-Smith

The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was originally formed as the Lowland Division, in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It later became the 52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland) Division fought in the First World War before being disbanded, with the rest of the Territorial Force, in 1920. The Territorial Force was later reformed as the Territorial Army and the division was again raised, during the inter-war years, as the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division - a 1st Line Territorial Army Infantry Division - and went on to serve during the Second World War. After the war, the division was merged with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in 1948. The history of the division was carried on by the 52nd Lowland Brigade, and later the 52nd Lowland Regiment.

The famous territorial regiments that were incorporated in the division were all drawn from the Scottish Lowlands, and have a history that in some cases goes back more than 300 years. It consisted of three infantry brigades, the 155th (South Scottish) Brigade, 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, and 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigades.

Initially assigned to the defence of the Scottish coast, the division moved to Gallipoli (without two of its artillery brigades), arriving there in early July 1915. While moving from Scotland the division suffered the loss of 210 officers and men killed, and another 224 injured in the Quintinshill rail crash, near Gretna, that involved the 1/7th Royal Scots.