No. 141 May 2014
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No. 141 May 2014 THE RED HACKLE The HIGHLAND MILITARY 5-7 September TATTOO A mighty setting for a spectacular show Fort George, Inverness Join us for an evening of spectacular entertainment and music with highlights from an RAF Typhoon, a range of Pipes and Drums and a variety of traditional Highland dances, plus much more! For more information and to buy tickets visit Media Partners www.highlandmilitarytattoo.com Scottish Provincial or call 0844 499 9990 Press Ltd No. 141 42nd 73rd May 2014 THE RED HACKLE The Chronicle of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), its successor The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Affiliated Regiments and The Black Watch Association On 3 May 2014 over 300 members of the Regimental family gathered at Black Watch Corner, three miles east of Ypres. They had travelled to Belgium to take part in the ceremony to dedicate the magnificent statue that commemorates the service and sacrifice of members of the Regiment from 1914-1918 as well as the action at Black Watch Corner. Pipe Major Alistair Duthie plays the Regimental Lament during the Service of Dedication. (The photos of the Service in Belgium are published by kind permission of Graeme Hart). MAY 2014 THE RED HACKLE 1 Opening 2014: Bellrock Close, Glasgow 51 new flats for let to Armed Forces veterans Perth and Kinross is proud to be home to the Black Watch Museum and 21 one and two bedroom independent properties 30 one bedroom flats with transitional Home support provided Wheelchair adapted flats available Headquarters Gym, café, Wi-Fi and landscaped gardens For more details see www.svronline.org Delivering Quality to the Heart of Scotland SVR is a registered Charity No. SC015260 Email: [email protected] Phone:0131 556 0091 MUNRO & NOBLE Solicitors & Estate Agents Dedicated Legal Professionals Providing legal advice for over 100 years Proactively serving the Armed Forces: Family, Child & Matrimonial Law Property Conveyancing Property Shop & Estate Agency Wills, Powers of Attorney and Executry Commercial Law Injury & Compensation Claims Other Legal Service 2 THE RED HACKLE MAY 2014 THE Contents Editorial .............................................................................................................................................. 3 RED HACKLE Regimental News ............................................................................................................................... 4 The Black Watch Museum and Friends of the Black Watch ................................................................... 8 Correspondence ............................................................................................................................... 14 Obituaries ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Articles .............................................................................................................................................. 23 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland ............................................ 29 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland .................................................. 61 The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada .......................................................... 64 HMS Montrose................................................................................................................................. 65 Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force .................................................................................... 68 Tyneside Scottish .............................................................................................................................. 71 Association News ............................................................................................................................. 74 The Chronicle of Editorial The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) This latest period has been relatively quiet as the staff at Balhousie Castle and in the museum, its successor have settled into a pattern of work preparing for the 2014 season and the new Chief Executive The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion Kathryn Howell has also settled into her, new role. The Friends of the Museum have also been The Royal Regiment of Scotland active. The Association has continued to focus on the project to erect the memorial at Black Watch The Affiliated Regiments Corner and in carrying out its welfare and benevolence objectives. The small staff has been very and stretched arranging the bus tours, carrying out recces and liaison trips to Belgium, preparing The Black Watch Association Service sheets, Main Events Lists and planning a host of other detail that is required to make the weekend a success. At Branch level, Burns Suppers were held in Angus and Perth and in January the Dundee Branch enjoyed their annual Red Hackle Dinner. The London Branch held May 2014 their annual dinner in November and the Fife Branch not to be outdone held the Rhine Crossing No. 141 Dinner in Kirkcaldy. On the other hand The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland have been extremely busy as the planning and preparation to deliver a six month training package to a Libyan Army battalion has been carried out. This particular target has moved on a number of Published for The Black Watch occasions and the start date has slipped more than once. The task will involve many command- ers and presents a management problem as the training will be based on Bassingbourn Barracks near Royston whilst many of the soldiers will remain in Fort George. As they look forward into 2015, Battalion Headquarters and a strong Company Group will deploy in support of the United Nations in Cyprus. In the Articles section, there are two interesting Great War related pieces of work and as operations in Afghanistan draw down, Lieutenant Colonel David Orr Ewing has written a personal perspective about the conflict having served there for 28 months. Lieutenant Colonel Pete Little, CO of the 7th Battalion, has written an update on the future shape of the Reserve Army and finally we look back at the very successful Educational Outreach project run by Fraser Brown and Major Ronnie Proctor. METHOD PUBLISHING Sutherland Press House, Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland KW10 6RA Telephone (01408) 633871 Fax (01408) 633876 to whom all enquiries regarding advertising should be addressed. The opinions expressed in the articles of the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Regiment or the MOD. This publication contains official information. Editorial Matter and Illustrations It should be treated with discretion by the recipient. © Crown Copyright “The Red Hackle” is published every six months in May and November. Contributions large and small will always be welcome. They should be typewritten in double spacing on one side of the paper only. Photographs, cartoons and sketches of Regimental interest are also welcome and will be returned if requested. Design and Typography All material for inclusion in the various issues must reach the Editor not later than 1 April and 1 October © Method Publishing 2014 respectively. From 1 January 2013, bulk orders are supplied at a rate of £7 per copy. Individual copies are sent out to permanent subscribers, both in the UK and abroad, at a subscription rate of £14 annually for UK subscribers, £14 annually to Europe and £16 annually Worldwide by airmail. A Gift Aid Scheme is available for individual subscribers who are subject to UK tax. The magazine fund benefits from tax reclaimed in this way. All subscriptions should be sent to the editor, “The Red Hackle, Home Headquarters, The Black Watch, Balhousie Castle, Hay Street, Perth PH1 5HR, and those interested in the Gift Aid Scheme, will on request be provided with the correct forms for completion. MAY 2014 THE RED HACKLE 3 Officer; he also served as a Platoon Instructor at RMA Sandhurst. After promotion to Major, he commanded Bravo Company, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland in Afghanistan during Op HERRICK 10. Appointments at Grade 2 have included the General Staff and MA to Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy). Promoted in 2013, he is currently attending the Advanced Command and Staff Course. He assumes command of the 3rd Battalion in December 2014. He is married to Lizzy and has two daughters, Flora and Hettie. His hobbies include telemark skiing, cricket and painting. Regimental News FORECAST OF EVENTS 2014 4/5 June HLBC Spring Meeting-Golf Scotland 17 June Golf v A&SH Kinross 17 June Officers and Ladies Lunch London 20 June Regimental Golf Competition Muckhart 21 June Association AGM (am) Perth 21 June Regimental Reunion (pm) Perth TBC June Visit to National Memorial Arboretum Alrewas 1 August BW Wives Association Reunion Queens Hotel Dundee 14 September Rededication Branch Standard Guthrie & and Lunch – Angus Branch Arbroath 14 September Alma (Ladies) Lunch – Fife Branch Victoria Hotel Kirkcaldy 20 September Loos Commemorative Service – Dundee Branch Dundee 11 October Croix de Guerre Dinner – Perth Branch Perth 18 October El Alamein Dinner – Angus Branch Royal British Legion Forfar 24 October Officers’ Gathering Dinner Perth 7 November Balhousie Castle Remembrance Service Perth 20 November London Branch Dinner Victory Services Club London 20 December Officers Regimental Ball Perth (TBC) CONGRATULATIONS To Major RJW