Liverpool Scottish Museum Archive

Post Second World War

THE POST-WAR BATTALION

1947 - 1967

The following short history was kindly submitted by Sandy Ellis and reflects the content of 'A Brief History of the Liverpool Scottish' by Dennis Reeves with Sandy Ellis.

 

New 1st Bn. Liverpool Scottish

While the 1st Bn. Liverpool Scottish was in Gibraltar in 1947, a new 1st Bn. Liverpool Scottish. was being formed in Liverpool, so for a short time there were two battalions with the same designation corresponding with each other! The new 1st Bn. was raised for a mechanised infantry role, becoming a motor battalion equipped with M16 White half-track vehicles, T16 and Oxford Universal Bren-Gun Carriers, Willys Jeeps and innumerable No.19 Wireless sets. Together with the Cheshire Yeomanry, the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the 40th Royal Tank Regt., all equipped with Centurion and Comet Tanks, they comprised the 23rd Independent Armoured Brigade.

 

1953 Annual Camp. White half-tracks at Shankend Viaduct

 The battalion and the other units in the brigade were strong in both numbers and experience. The commanding officer, the company commanders, the warrant officers and most of the N.C.O.’s had six years of war experience. So did some of the jocks, and the remainder had completed their two years National Service with the Regular Army. The battalion was further strengthened by the arrival of several subalterns who had served with motor battalions in Germany throughout their National Service. The Brigadier and his commanding officers were all exceptionally gifted men. Thus, when the brigade carried out the seventy-two hour War Office ‘Exercise Summerdown’ on Salisbury Plain in 1954, the standard test devised to assess the efficiency of armoured brigades, it was rated second amongst the seventeen armoured brigades, most of them Regular Army, who undertook it that year.

Liverpool Scottish Officers,. Tilshead Lodge, Salisbury Plain. Annual Camp 1954

Back Row: Dick Bridgeman, Walter Holmes, Simon Reid, James Bruxner, Keith Johnson, David Orme, Neil Nicol, Sandy Ellis

Middle Row: Tom Hodson, Peter Miller, Dick Rougier, Mark Tennant, Tony Coates, Robin Todd, Humphrey Wightwick, Rob Walker

Front Row: Doc Gloster, Alastair Smellie, Donald Rogerson, Jimmie Smith, Pat Tweedie, Pat Allan, Eric Tweedle, David Hughes, Dick Grundy

 

During this period, the battalion also twice won the Duke of Edinburgh’s Trophy competition, competed for by all those regiments of which he was Colonel-in-Chief. On the second occasion the team scored 2,021 points to win the Territorial Army competition, only 3 less than the winners of the Regular Army competition, the Royal Marine Commandos. The Duke subsequently visited the battalion, first at Fraser Street and then at the Annual Camp in Castlemartin.

 

 

The Duke of Edinburgh inspects the guard accompanied by MajorD.C.L.Rogerson during a visit to Fraser Street 1957

 

L.Cpl Powderly,. Maj.S.P.K.Miller & Sgt.L.Ralph examine the Duke of Edinburgh’s Shield 1960

 

These were also the years of battalion church parades which marched from Fraser Street led by the pipe band and completely filled St. Andrew’s in Rodney Street. The march back was along Lime Street where the 6ft 7in tall Honorary Colonel, Lt.General Sir Colin ‘Tiny’ Barber would take the salute from St.George’s Hall plateau in Lime Street.

 

1956 : The battalion changed its role back to that of heavy infantry and was posted to the 42nd (Lancashire) Division.

 

1967 :This was another year for government cuts to the Territorial Army, with most T.A. battalions being reduced to company strength and then amalgamated into new formations. The Liverpool Scottish was no exception and on 31st March 1967 the 1st Bn. Liverpool Scottish. Q.O.C.H. (TA) was disbanded, to be succeeded by a company of the new TAVR.

 

Commanding Officers

• 1947. John Douglas Willoughby Renison DSO
• 1950. Gilbert Andrew Nixon MC
• 1953. Patrick C.C.Tweedie OBE
• 1954. Ian Buchanan
• 1958  Jock Maitland McGill Crighton
• 1961. Alastair Smellie
• 1962. Donald Rogerson
• 1966. James S.Houston MBE

 Adjutants

• 1950. Douglas Beaton MC
• 1951. Patrick A.W.Allan
• 1953. Patrick Brown
• 1958. Ian S.Cameron
• 1961. Ian D.Cameron MC
• 1964. Paddy Holt

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