the First Battle of Ypres which took place between September and November. Both battalions saw very heavy fighting at Ypres and in the surrounding area, which eventually saw over 50,000 British soldiers of the Regular army become casualties, though the British Army held the line against seemingly overwhelming German attacks, stopping the final German attempt to break the Allied line in 1914. The regiment saw further involvement in the bitter cold month of December, and in that month, on 19 December, Private James Mackenzie of the 2nd Battalion won the regiment its first Victoria Cross (VC) of the war, and the first VC won by the Scots Guards, rather than its predecessor name, the Scots Fusilier Guards. He was awarded the VC after he, under very heavy enemy fire and after a stretcher party had been forced to abandon its rescue attempt, came to the assistance of a British soldier severely wounded in front of the German trenches, and successfully brought him back to British lines. Private Mackenzie was killed later that day while performing a similar act of bravery. In March 1915, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, which was a relatively successful engagement, though it did fall short of its expected gains of advancing all the way to Lille. In May, both battalions took part in the Battle of Aubers, and later that month, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Battle of Festubert. On 3 August, Second Lieutenant George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort of the 1st Battalion was standing near a working party when a trench mortar bomb landed on the side of the parapet of the communications trench where he was standing. With no regard for his safety, Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort shouted to the men to look out, and subsequently rushed to the bomb, grabbed it and duly threw it over the parapet where it instantly exploded. For his courageous actions, Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort was awarded the Victoria Cross. Also in August, both battalions of the regiment were transferred from their respective divisions to the Guards Division. The 1st Battalion joined the 2nd Guards Brigade on 25 August, while the 2nd Battalion joined the 3rd Guards Brigade on 9 September. In September, both battalions took part in the Battle of Loos. On 27 September, when the 3rd Guards Brigade (2nd Battalion) were moving in preparation to attack a German-held position known as Hill 70, via