9th (Highland) Infantry Division

rdf:langString 9th (Highland) Infantry Division

rdf:langString 9th (Highland) Division

rdf:langString An example of the divisional insignia. The historian Michael Chappell wrote that the division used "the divisional sign of the Great War 9th (Scottish) Div., a silver thistle on a blue background."

rdf:langString Home defence, training, construction

rdf:langString The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, formed just prior to the start of the Second World War. In March 1939, after the re-emergence of Germany as a significant military power and its occupation of Czechoslovakia, the British Army increased the number of divisions in the Territorial Army (TA) by duplicating existing units. The 9th (Highland) was formed in August 1939, as a second-line duplicate of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. The division's battalions were all raised in the Scottish Highlands. It was intended that the division would remain in the United Kingdom to complete training and preparation, before being deployed to France within twelve months of the war breaking out. Instead, the division was dispersed in order to protect strategically important Royal Navy bases throughout Scotland, including the main base at Scapa Flow. This separation impeded the division's ability to train, leaving the formation ill-trained and ill-prepared by the time the Battle of France begun. As a result of the rapid German victory on mainland Europe in 1940, the division was not deployed overseas. The fighting in France resulted in the surrender of the majority of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, with only elements of one brigade able to escape to Britain. As a morale boost to the 9th Division's troops, and to the public at large who held the 51st in high esteem, it was decided to recreate the 51st Division by renumbering the 9th. On 7 August 1940, the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was re-designated 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. Two of the 9th Division's brigades were renumbered to match the ones lost in France, while the remaining brigade was merged with 51st Division survivors. The new 51st Division went on to fight in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and across North-West Europe. The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was not re-raised during or after the war.