To avoid war, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in September and brokered the Munich Agreement. 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. 30 Aug 44    Col. John G. Van Houten, Chief of Staff    Gen. Hammond D. Birks, Artillery Commander [53] Within 24 hours, Le Havre and the 154th Brigade had been cut off. The men from the latter were used to bring 154th Brigade's depleted battalions up to full strength. "[55], On 7 August, the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was re-designated as the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. 7 Jan 45     Brig. After the surrender of the 51st Highland Division in 1940, the 9th Division, a replica of the 51st Division, was reorganised as the new 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. [c] In November 1939, the division was assigned a role in this initial defensive plan, which it retained until 1940. 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. These losses were made up over several months, by new waves of recruits and conscripts. 27 Nov 43     Brig. [43] As a result of the loss, Cunningham agitated for the division to be renamed to re-create the 51st. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! On 7 August 1940, the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was re-designated 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. 27 Nov 43     Lt. Col. Alver B. Sundin, Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was a second line Territorial Army formation at the beginning of the Second World War. The plan envisioned troops in the affected area immediately locating and defeating German parachutists, or cordoning off and thereby immobilising any German forces until the division could be relieved. The 274th Field Company, Royal Engineers was vital in the opening stages of the Cowie Line construction. This resulted in 34,500 twenty-year-old men being conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before deployment to the forming second-line units. Assistant Chief of Staff G-1    [60][61] The 9th Division was not re-raised during the war, nor when the TA was reformed in 1947. Instead, the division was dispersed in order to protect strategically important Royal Navy bases throughout Scotland, including the main base at Scapa Flow. The division's brigades were not kept intact, and the infantry battalions were dispersed across Scotland to protect these RN assets. Few formations had their full establish of Bren light machine guns, Vickers machine gun, or ML 3-inch mortar. During the 1930s, tensions increased between Germany and the United Kingdom and its allies. [10][15] This process was dubbed "duplicating". The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, formed just prior to the start of the Second World War. It was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. 16 Jun 44     Col. Jesse L. Gibney (Acting), Chief of Staff 12 Oct 44     Col. William C. Westmoreland. [2][3], At the end of the First World War, Rosyth had been the main base of the Royal Navy (RN). The battalion was assigned to defend RAF Castletown, which provided air cover for Scapa Flow. French wrote .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, "there was also an important incentive to the War Office to create another Highland Division, since that Division was held in popular esteem in British hearts, and, in view of the reforging of the national army after the battle of France, the Highland Division was to be a vital element in the promotion of a reborn Army. [34] The remaining battalion, the 7th Black Watch, was dispersed to protect vulnerable points around Fife and Perthshire, including the Forth Bridge. [51] At this point, the British government was determined to reinforce the French, and prepared to dispatch a new BEF as soon as forces became available. The 9th (Highland) was formed in August 1939, as a second-line duplicate of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. Because of the anticipated threat to the south, the 9th (Highland) was left as the sole division in Scotland. [32] They included the 5th Black Watch, based in Alloa, west of Rosyth. [48][49] As a result of the German advance during their invasion of France, the division had been cut off from the rest of the BEF. 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.