Scottish Command
Scottish Command or Army Headquarters Scotland (from 1972) is a command of the British Army. History. Early history. Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. The Scottish District was commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, Scotland. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. 8th Corps was to be formed within Scottish Command, based at Edinburgh. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District  Commands. Early twentieth century. The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by St John Brodrick allowed for six army corps based on six regional commands. As outlined in a paper published in 1903, VI Corps was to be formed in a reconstituted Scottish Command, with HQ at Edinburgh. Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker was appointed acting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOCinC) of VI Corps in April 1903. Scottish Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in 1955. First World War. Army Order No 324, issued on 21 August 1914, authorised the formation of a 'New Army ' of six Divisions, manned by volunteers who had responded to Earl Kitchener's appeal (hence the First New Army was known as 'K1'). Each division was to be under the administration of one of the Home Commands, and Scottish Command formed what became the 9th (Scottish) Division. It was followed by 15th (Scottish) Division of K2 in September 1914. The 64th (2nd Highland) Division was established in the Command by 1915 after the departure of 51st (Highland) Division for France. Second World War. In September 1939 consisted of Highland Area with 9th (Highland) Infantry Division and 51st (Highland) Infantry Division , and Lowland Area with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, plus other troops. By 1940 during the Battle of Britain the command was responsible to Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces. As France was capitulating, General Władysław Sikorski. the Polish commander-in-chief and prime minister, was able to evacuate many Polish troops—probably over 20,000—to the United Kingdom. After initially regrouping in southern Scotland these Polish ground units (as I Corps, comprising the 1st Independent Rifle Brigade, the 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade (as infantry) and cadre brigades largely manned by surplus officers at battalion strength) took  over responsibility in October 1940 for the defence of the counties of Fife and Angus; this included reinforcing coastal defences that had already been started. I Corps was under the direct command of Scottish Command. While in this area the Corps was reorganised and expanded. Post War. In 1950, the 51st/52nd (Scottish) Division was split, restoring the independence of the 52nd Lowland Division, which took regional command of Territorial Army units based in the Scottish Lowlands, including the Territorial infantry battalions of the Lowland Brigade regiments. In 1948, the 9th Special Communications Unit was formed in Forfar administered by Scottish  Command. The 30th Armoured Brigade was reformed in Scotland after the war as a fully Territorial Army formation, known as the 30th (Lowland) Independent Armoured Brigade. It was headquartered in Glasgow. In 1955, Headquarters Scottish Command moved into modern facilities at Craigiehall, close to Cramond, around 9 km (5.6 mi) west of central Edinburgh. At this time, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief had 92 separate locations under his command, with 2,500 regular service men and women and 8,800 members of the Territorial Army, representing 14% of the total across the UK. The Command was merged into HQ United Kingdom  Land Forces (HQ UKLF) in 1972 and the headquarters in Scotland was downgraded to the status of a district, known as Army Headquarters Scotland. Scotland continued to have district status until 2000 when the last General Officer Commanding Scotland stood down and the Army HQ Scotland was replaced by HQ 2nd Infantry Division with control of troops in Scotland and the North of England. General Officers Commanding. Commanders-in-Chief have included: