APRIL 2016 WWW.LONDONSCOTTISHREGT.ORG Major Stuart Young TD 1958-2016 THE LONDON SCOTTISH REGIMENTAL FAMILY Contents APRIL 2016 Honorary Regimental Colonel Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT GCMG FRSE PC 4 Colonel’s Notes 4 OC’s Notes Regimental Colonel 6 2 Platoon Update Brigadier Alastair Bruce The Toronto Scottish The London of Crionaich OBE ADC DL Regiment 7 CSM’s Notes G Company 1/51 Highland The Gordons merge Volunteers becomes 8 Exercise Jock Jaunt with the Queens Own A Company, in 1992 Highlanders to form as part of the newly The Highlanders under formed London the SDR of 1994. Regiment. 12 Pipes and Drums Officer Commanding The Highlanders “A” (London Scottish) Coy 17 In the News Major N Storey The Highlanders become the 4th Bn Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 Scots) and 20 London Scottish Rifles Lodge wear the new cap badge worn by all the Scottish The Highlanders Regiments. 25 Regimental Noticeboard (4 Scots) Company Sergeant Major AFFILIATIONS 26 Cadets “A” (London Scottish) Coy CSM Ian Dawson 28 Scots Guards Notes Scots Guards 31 London Scottish Golf Club The opinions expressed in the articles of the London Scottish Regimental Gazette are those of the authors and 34 Regimental Association Notes Editor/Production of the Gazette do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or Rob Blackledge other wise, of the Regiment or MOD. 36 Obituaries The Gazette contains official information which should be Submissions to the Gazette via email: treated with discretion by the reader. [email protected] Published at Headquarters 95 Horseferry Road London SW1P 2DX Member of the Association Tel: 020 7630 1639 Front Cover: Major Stuart Young 1958-2016 of Service Newspapers. Fax: 020 7233 7909 © Crown copyright. 2 London Scottish Regimental Gazette London Scottish Regimental Gazette 3 REGIMENTAL COLONEL’s NOTES Our Regiment has been profoundly the route to solving every regimental achieve full capability, I ask the younger struck by the sudden death of Major question; the manager of all our events; soldiers to take a lead. You may not realise Stuart Young, our Regimental Secretary. he could lay his hands on every key, this but you understand the nature of how knew the contents of every locker and to convince people of your age to enlist. We marked our respect for him as handled the administrative cogs, along Teach us how we can use the skills that a Regimental family, after a very good with Laura Truman, which enabled us are second nature for you, in order to Association meeting and a routine all to Strike Sure. He was the dedicated motivate more to be London Scots. We are evening’s training for the Horseferry personification of the regiment we all all involved in turning this round and with Road platoon. It struck me that this expected to be there, our employee and your ideas and our capacity to drive the would have pleased a man who spent his now we must collectively thank him. process, we can take joint responsibility professional working life ensuring that for shaping a healthy future. the regiment could do its business, mark We must meet our duty to honour his its anniversaries, treasure its inheritance life, salute him in death and extend the Hopefully the results of the Army’s and have the facilities in which to train for love of our family to his, with enduring decisions will be made clear soon and combat. heart. the Council of the London Regiment, on which I represent all of you, which is Death is no stranger to soldiers. We But then we must move on. This is the chaired by Colonel Marc Overton, can understand its presence in our particular military way. then do its duty and make the plan work, discipline. Indeed, the place where we There is much to do and, as I have while preserving the cultures that mark us gather and feel our traditions most is explained, the Army has directed that out as London Scots. framed by memorials to the Fallen. Yearly the London Regiment must recruit more we note the deaths of long-lived veterans successfully and, to do this, it must define There is much to do. Now let us prepare The cadets at the open evening with affectionate respect. Yet this is a more coherent brand. This task is about to bury our friend. different because the man we relied upon our survival, not our identity. That said, of members of 2 Platoon, introducing Dining Room at Horseferry Road to brief afternoon visit to the Scottish Parliament to be there - has gone. If we took him for I will actively negotiate on your behalf to Alastair Bruce them to the training that we undertake. his reserve Commanding Officers. And building at Holyrood. Saturday evening granted, we can’t now. If we thought his protect the golden threads that shape who The aim of the evening was to foster closer then on the first Tuesday in March, we involved being hosted at his home by effervescent presence unquenchable we we are and what we are, as a regiment. Regimental Colonel The London Scottish Regiment links between us and them, as part of my were visited by Assistant Commander 11 Brigadier d’Inverno (father of London now know the strength of Fate. He was In this battle to move forward and wider A Company Recruiting strategy, and (Inf) Bde, Col Ingrid Rolland, who had Jock, Capt Monty d’Inverno), followed to introduce the opportunities available if come to see A Company training. by another company smoker. The Sunday they transfer to the Army Reserves. In March, we had two weekend involved a tour of the Scottish National Closing off January was Ex Cockney exercises. First up was Ex Jock Bounty, a War Memorial from Lt Col Binks, the Craftsman, a Battalion-led driver training MATTs training weekend organised by Keeper of the Rolls, and then a wreath OC’s NOTES weekend that we sent a small handful of Capt Barklem to cover training and testing laying for which we managed to obtain soldiers on to practice their off-road Land on CBRN, Values & Standards, Law of special permission for our Pipe Major to Rover driving. Armed Conflict, Navigation, as well as a play. The period I write upon covers weekend carrying burdens over a military Night Supper. This year it was expertly The primary training weekend in Personal Fitness Assessment (PFA) and The whole weekend proved a real success December 2015 to March 2016 inclusively. assault course, before moving on to the organised and run by Company Second February was a return to core green Army Fitness Test (AFT). This proved and also managed to integrate a couple of I often have to double check the dates as survival training, consisting of learning In Command, Capt Jamie Barklem. training in the field. Ex Diamond Fortress successful in mopping up the last of the new recruits. the amount that the company appears to to kill and prepare various animals. The As well as around 30 soldiers from the was a defensive operations exercise down soldiers who needed MATTs passes to The ‘First Tuesday’ scheme continues achieve in each reporting period doesn’t evening training involved shelter building company, we also hosted the Commanding in Pirbright. It was a good chance to qualify for their Certificate of Efficiency to work well, with officers and SNCOs seem to fit into four months! and fire starting, before cooking their Officer and new Sergeant Major, as well shake out for a green weekend where I and subsequent bounty. in barrack dress, piper playing and Training in December centred around well-earned dinner. Sunday morning then as the Regimental Secretary, Maj Stuart commanded a company minus of about The second weekend was Ex Jock Jaunt. presentations made at final parade, a company-run MATTs training weekend. involved scrambling round the World Young, and Chairman of the Regimental 60 troops carrying out recce patrols and I had felt that we had not fostered our ties followed by hot food served in the bar after However, the focus for the soldiers is Championship Assault Course. Association, Steve Lovelock. The evening company harbours and culminating in with Scotland as much as we could, and in training. I intend to continue this through usually the platoon socials. 1 Platoon From an adventure training perspective, included a super combination of piping a full company ambush. Stretching and fact some of our soldiers had never been 2016. headed around the Winter Wonderland January also included the annual Guards poetry and excellent food prepared by our challenging yet enjoyable training for all. north of the border! I therefore set up Despite the incredible variety of training at Hyde Park, and 2 Platoon hosted their ski trip. This year we sent 2Lt Williams and own LCpl Bronitz and I am certain this In addition to the priority training a three day trip to Edinburgh to educate being conducted, the main effort remains usual Catford soirée. I don’t know much Pte Carr on Ex Tiger Tartan Snowplough, will remain a permanent fixture on the A weekend, there was also an Infantry Basics our soldiers as to our Scottish heritage on recruiting. New recruits have been hard more than that… which is probably for the the Scots Guards trip to Val d’Isere in the Company social calendar. Radio Users Course run by D Company and forge closer links with our brothers in to come by in 2015, but we have seen some best! French Alps. This is always an excellent The day after Burns’ Night, we ran an that we sent three soldiers on.