London Scottish Regimental Gazette - G (London Scottish)

London Scottish Regimental Gazette 

The London Scottish 

Honorary Colonel 

HM Queen Elizabeth the 

Queen Mother 

Regimental Colonel 

Colonel J. A. Clemence, TD 

The 51st Highland Volunteers 

Commanding “G” (The London 

Scottish) Company 

Major K. Pearson 

Regimental Association 

Chairman 

Major T. R. S. Lyon, CBE, TD 

Hon Secretary 

H. J. Mackenzie 

Asst. Hon Secretary 

Vic Masters 

Hon Treasurer 

R. J. Barron 

Hon Editor of the Gazette 

Hamish Maclean 

Asst Hon Editor 

Jon Cairns 

Hon Curator of Regimental 

Museum 

John Haynes 

Hon Regimental Librarian 

Roy Stevens 

Regimental Secretary 

Alan C. Morris 

Published at Headquarters 

95 Horseferry Road 

London SWlP 2DX 

Tel: 01-630 1639 

2 

No 1001 - Volume XCV Spring 1990 

CONTENTS 

Frontispiece 

Another obstacle for Pte Reekin 

Serving Members Activities 

From the Regimental Colonel 

Reconnaissance Platoon 

5 Platoon 

‘Fit to Fight’ 

Canteen Chat 

Regimental Association 

Balance Sheet 

Features 

Spring 1990 

The Regiment - How it works 

Church Parade 

Pipes & Drums 

Messines, 1914 

Canteen Decorations 

Correspondence 

Obituary 

Page 

The opinions expressed in the articles of the London Scottish Regimental 

Gazette are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and 

views, official or otherwise, of the Regiment or the MOD. 

The Gazette contains official information which should be treated with 

discretion by the reader. 

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q!P 

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From the Regimental Colonel 

I FEEL that it may be useful if I try to put some comment 

into each issue of the Gazette, to give readers some update 

on matters generally, and to mention future events. 

On 7th November we had a most useful meeting in the 

dining room, which was very well attended by nearly all 

those who had been invited. Its purpose was to try and 

put over to the audience an outline of the financial 

structure of the Regiment and how it operates. There is a 

report in this Gazette of the matters discussed, and I hope 

this may become a regular forum in which all those who 

do jobs for the Regiment can have an opportunity to be 

briefed and to raise matters direct rather than in the 

canteen. I was very grateful to all those who took the 

trouble to come, and hope that the light refreshments 

served as a small gesture of thanks. 

Generally speaking, I am a traditionalist, but that is 

not to say that I condone the blind adherence to what has 

happened in the pastperse, and as we enter the 1990’s in a 

new Headquarters, it may well be appropriate to consider 

both conservation and change. 

1. Officer Accommodation 

I have now been able to negotiate with both the CO 

and the OC to make available an office next door to the 

Regimental Secretary to be used as the office of the 

Deputy Honorary Colonel who will, no doubt, see his 

way clear to making room for the Regimental Colonel. 

This will, I am sure, improve administration. The bed-sit 

will revert to its named use, and will be rather better 

equipped for that purpose. 

2. Clerical Assistance 

We think that we may have found an old comrade 

who will provide Alan Morris with clerical and general 

assistance. The details are not yet agreed, and I will 

announce the result later. 

3. Museum 

In consultation with John Haynes, we hope to speed 

up the display of items in the Museum, and also to 

refurbish and hang many more of the pictures and prints 

which we possess for display around the building. 

4. Messes 

After many years, during which the Officers’ and 

Sergeants’ Messes were responsible to the Regimental 

Trustees, and for most of which they have been unable to 

cope with that responsibility, a decision has had to be 

made about their future. I am not blaming the Messes for 

this failure. More than anybody in the Regiment I think I 

know from ten years’ experience as Officers’ Mess 

Treasurer, the burden which this places on the depleted 

number of serving members in “G” Company as compared 

with pre 1967. After discussion with CO and OC it has 

SERVING MEMBERS ACTIVI 

been agreed that both Messes will revert to military audit 

as from the 1st March, 1990, and the Regimental Trustees 

have agreed to make the necessary initial capital available 

by way of loan. The ownership of all property, however, 

as at the 28th February, 1990, will remain with the 

Regimental Trustees. I shall write to Officers’ Mess 

members about some of the details and how this will 

work. 

5. Officers’ Dinner 

The Officers’ Dinner was badly attended last year to 

such an extent that it begs the question of whether we 

should persevere with it. I would be very sorry to 

discontinue it. The day this year is Wednesday, 30th May. 

The location will be HQ, and the price will be between 

£23 and £28 per head, with a discount for young Serving 

Officers as I feel we must encourage them to come. I 

would be grateful if any reader, who would like to receive 

the pro former for this enjoyable function, and who does 

not already do so, could contact Alan Morris to be 

included on the list. 

6. Mess Suppers 

Ever since moving to “95” it has been my ambition 

to try and revert to Mess Suppers. It has been suggested 

that this might be our first Tuesdays, a light meal and 

some wine. Personally, I would not be averse to members 

bringing their ladies, and would welcome any comments 

or suggestions on this subject, together with any offers of 

assistance to lay on the first three as an experiment 

without going to the expense of hiring a caterer. 

7. Children’s Party 

Unfortunately I missed this due to the aftermath of a 

slipped disc. I gather that it was a success as usual, but I 

am sorry to learn that it seems that some parents still 

ignore the age limits for their children. The format of the 

Party has been largely unchanged for a very long time, 

and I shall be discussing with the Committee whether we 

can make improvements and changes for the 1990’s. I 

personally feel that we should direct the efforts in this 

area towards children in need more than to Regimental 

offspring. 

8. Ceilidh 

I hope that this will be well supported and will be the 

forerunner to other functions in the future. 

9. Regimental Association A.G.M. 

This will take place in April as usual but, as 

discussed at the meeting on 7th November, I propose that 

it will become more of a Regimental Annual Meeting and 

Continued overleaf at foot of column 

3

Reconnaissance Platoon 

I AM writing these notes (under extreme pressure from 

Mr Norman) having been in command of the Recce 

Platoon for just over three months. Captain Mark 

Ludlow, my predecessor, has now packed off to N.I. 

scaring the Regulars with tales of war, armed only with 

his Red Hackled (***) TOS! 

Since his departure the platoon has been engrossed in 

theory work, much of the backbone coming from our 

‘borrowed’ Netheravon precis. This is about to come 

crashing to an end and the practical aspects to receive an 

airing instead. 

Our first ‘out-of-Bromley’ incident was the Battle 

Group Trainer at Catterick, Yorks where myself, C/Sgt 

Small and one very strange Scottish lance-jack from 

Perth ran the forward screen battle. The first battle 

fought on the map-board and fortunately sponsored by 

the Battalion was a disaster as we had no integral antitank 

assets. However, the main battle saw us equipped 

with a troop of tanks and a detachment of mobile ‘Milan’; 

with those and the two bravely-wielded LAW of the 

platoon, we well and truly stuffed the enemy Recce! Cpl 

Cornell as the enemy mover can be appproached on this 

for confirmation. 

Disaffection is rife in the platoon at present - several 

of the Jocks are now looking at joining Captain Ludlow 

in N.I. either with the BJs or preferably the Gordon 

Highlanders. 

From the Regimental Colonel - continued 

there will be Reports from the Trustees of all three Trusts 

and a chance for further discussion and suggestions. 

10. Big Blaw 

On the 12th, 13th and 14th June, there is to be a 

Massed Retreat at Horseguards. We acquired a stock of 

tickets for sale to members, most of which have been sold 

- Enquiries to Alan Morris. On the evening of the 14th 

June “95” will be open. Entries are by ticket only; which 

will be issued free up to the fire limits. Bars will be open, 

and on the second floor there will be buffet supper with a 

wine bar. Tickets are available for the Supper of a 

different colour; there is a pro forma for use in this isue. 

11. Canadian Visit 

Probably coincidentally with the “Big Blaw”, the 

Toronto Scottish are due to pay a visit. No details are 

available as yet, but I will try to provide some as soon as 

they are known - by bush telegraph, if necessary. 

P.S. I suggest that you mark 27th June in your diaries for a 

reason which is not yet public, but on which there will be a 

celebration of one of this year’s great anniversaries. 

John Clemence 

Regimental Colonel 

The future holds some interesting cards for us. Firstly 

our private test exercise on Barossa, which is already 

familiar to the platoon commander. This will be the first 

time that the platoon will be working together under the 

new command; it should prove to be an interesting 

experience. 

The rumour that we are likely to be moving drill halls 

looks to be founded on more than just wind. Yeomanry 

House here we come! This should see the Recce Platoon 

and 6 Platoon out and about recruiting like mad in 

Catford (of all places). However, the accommodation 

looks large and hopefully, with careful attention, will 

provide us with everything we need - I shall keep you 

posted. 

5 Platoon 

Orbat 

Platoon Commander: 2Lt A. F. B. Norman 

Platoon Sergeant: Vacant 

1. Section: L/Cpl Woodall 

2. Section: L/Cpl Hetherington 

3. Section: Vacant 

WITH THE training year fast approaching its end, many 

may wonder what the future holds for the Territorial 

Army. The changes that we have seen recently in Europe 

have been both alarming and encouraging. However we 

must not allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of 

security nor into the belief that we, as Territorials, are no 

longer required. As each day passes our job becomes 

more vital, particularly if the Regular Army is to be 

trimmed down. 

With the aforegoing in mind recruiting is very much in 

the fore at the moment. Speak to your friends about The 

London Scottish - tell them that you have a good time 

- Bring them in - the recruiting team will do the rest. 

The Platoon, in conjunction with 4 Platoon, put in a 

praiseworthy effort for the Brigade Military Skills 

Competition, held this year at Cultybraggan, Perthshire. 

Despite appalling weather we covered the distance in 

good time - and did well at the stands. 

The Mobilisation Exercise was poorly attended by the 

Platoon - but “Well Done!” to the few who did turn up 

for the weekend. Apart from the usual Bounty Tests, the 

Saturday culminated in a March and Shoot over the 

assault course at Pirbright, followed by a two-mile run to 

the Falling Plate Shoot. A good effort was put in by the 

team, though they did not win. 

We welcome several new members to the Platoon who 

have joined us over the past few months - Privates 

Ward, Ronnie, Etherington and Whelan. 

A.F.B.N.

‘Fit to Fight’ 

ON FRIDAY 10th November at 1930 hours ‘G’ (The 

London Scottish) Company mobilised for war. With 

them went a person fortunate enough to be included in 

their movement order as an official war reporter. Actually 

he did not arrive at HQ until well after 1930 due to Lts 

Anderson and Norman being late something to do 

with the consumption of beefburgers from MacDonalds 

- or so he was led to believe. They were met at the door 

of HQ by CSM Brian Welsh, Sgt Hanford and L/Cpl 

MacPherson, the latter marching about armed with a 

clipboard and muttering “They’re hiding . . . I know 

they’re hiding somewhere”. This turned out to be a 

reference to soldiers, or the lack of them, and not as had 

first been imagined, the absence of some vital parts of his 

equipment such as his socks! 

In the event about 60 Jocks actually appeared and were 

quickly processed through the Admin desks before 

having a drink in the canteen and finally bedding down in 

the Drill Hall. Meanwhile the officers also had a drink or 

two, in some cases more than two - No names, no 

packdrill - before they were summoned to an ‘O’ Group 

in the Company Commander’s office. They came back 

into the mess much later to find their war reporter 

comfortably dozing in two chairs with all his kit neatly 

stacked away. A tremendous battle ensued for possession 

of the chair cushions, soon to become mattresses. Lt 

Clements looked on with an amused and rather smug 

expression since he had his mat to sleep on. Lt Anderson 

won the bed battle easily - principally because he got to 

the mess first - having presumably sneaked away from 

the ‘0’ Group early. He then proceeded to unpack the 

most enormous suitcase - everyone else had efficient 

and warlike ‘Bergens’ - from which he produced, of all 

things, a ‘Laura Ashley’ wash-bag. His claims that this 

was due to the fact that his suitcase had been packed by 

his wife only added to the prolonged guffaws of laughter. 

Reveille was at 0400 hours Saturday. The only good 

thing that could be said about that is that at least it was 

not raining! The Company moved to the Guards Depot 

at Pirbright in a variety of 4-tonners and landovers. Lts 

Anderson, Norman, Randall and the war reporter travelled 

in style and at enormously high speed in Lt Norman’s 

comfortable car. Lt Anderson slept. Captain Wirgman 

and Lt Clemence travelled at a more sedate pace in 

Wirgy’s car. 

Once dismounted at Pirbright the Company assembled 

in the car-park and stood shivering nervously, whilst they 

awaited the arrival of a P.T.I. from The Parachute 

Regiment. Rumours abounded as to how ghastly he was 

and how he liked to ‘beast’ Scotsmen since he disliked 

them so intensely. 

As a result members of the Company could be seen 

scuttling surreptitiously into the bushes with pained 

expressions. A latrine in one of the blocks was 

subsequently found, to the immense relief of all. 

The P.T.I. finally turned up, and after a number of 

Parachute Regiment-type jokes fired into the crowd as 

‘warming rounds’, none of which anyone found in the 

P. Carson, official war reporter. 

least amusing, he launched the Company into their Battle 

Fitness Test (BFT), dividing them into groups according 

to age. The first to leave was L/Cpl MacPherson - a 

small, slightly rotund but nevertheless very determined 

figure, yomping off on his solitary tour of the course 

amidst the cheers of the rest of the Company. But soon 

everyone had gone as well, running the gauntlet of catcalls 

from a number of bemused guardsmen who were 

able to watch the proceedings from the windows of their 

cell-blocks. 

It was not long before the first straining and sweating 

figures approached the finishing-line, followed at intervals 

by the rest of the Company - everyone with arms and 

legs pumping, tendons, muscles and eyes bulging with the 

effort to beat the clock, every man being encouraged by 

his officers, sergeants and friends - “C’mon mon, ye can 

dae it” - and indeed all bar three did - a commendable 

effort. 

A quick towel-down and then breakfast, consisting of 

sausages, scrambled eggs and beans-washed down with 

tea. 

Officers and senior NCOs departed to points spread 

over a wide area to set up their various stands - mapreading, 

first-aid, intelligence, NBC, signals, and the two 

ranges - one for zeroing, and the other for the APWT 

shoot. Junior NCOs and the Jocks sorted themselves into 

their sections and began adjusting equipment - rifles, 

webbing, and their helmets - with the distinctive 

Hodden Grey patch sewn into the camouflage on the 

back. 

The war reporter went first with Lt Norman, Sgt Lane 

and Cpl Orpwood to the zeroing range. The first section 

soon appeared panting (out of breath again) took an issue 

5

Captain R. Clements. 

of ammunition, covered off targets and flung themselves 

down into the prone position, squeezing off rounds in 

groups of five after being reminded by Lt Norman to 

apply the marksmanship principles. Safety catches applied, 

they then ran down to inspect targets, the laggards being 

harried by Sgt Lane. Adjustments were made to the sight 

units, then another 5 round confirmatory group was 

fired. After clearing up the brass, they ran down to the 

next range for the APWT. The war reporter, needless to 

say, followed them at a pace more befitting a man who is 

thinking far nobler thoughts than of merely killing the 

enemy. In this frame of mind he stumbled upon the 

signals stand where Cpls Miller and Purdy presided over 

Jocks crouching around radio things with long antennae 

and trailing leads which emitted hisses and crackles as 

though they contained angry snakes. 

Beyond the signals was the ETR - a splendid range 

with pop-up targets which fell over satisfactorily when they 

were hit. Lt Clemence was in charge here, ably assisted by 

SPSI Vic Lees and Cpl Atcheson, the latter operating the 

complicated buttons and switches which controlled the 

targets from inside a glass-fronted bunker. Lt Clemence 

was armed with a microphone with which he danced 

about the firing point like some demented pop-star. 

Another section arrived and having been issued with 

their ammo commenced zapping excitedly away at the 

targets as they appeared, all totally oblivious to Lt 

Norman’s stern admonitions concerning marksmanship 

- as jubilant shouts from along the mound indicated 

that the jocks were hitting targets in spite of him; or were 

failing to do so - as when hands went up to indicate yet 

another stoppage and Vic Lees ran forward to ensure that 

6 

the offending obstruction was dealt with in accordance 

with the prescribed drills. 

Finally, with the enemy in full retreat, the scores were 

read out groans from those who did not manage to 

make the grade, cheers from the others, then the section is 

off again in the direction of the next stand. 

The war reporter moves on too transported by Lt 

Anderson to the First Aid stand where Captain McArthur 

and Cpl Hills have set up their ‘casualty’ who needs her 

pulse checked and who, on occasions needs mouth-tomouth 

resuscitation applied. Most of the Jocks wish she 

was real! There is also a mysterious tent affair into which 

Captain McArthur and the Jocks disappear, one after 

another, from which groans and other strange noises 

emanate. The war reporter does not enquire too closely as 

to what is happening within, and moves on to the NBC 

stand. Here Major Pearson is presiding over the donning 

of ‘noddy-suits’ and gas-masks in preparation for a visit 

to the gas chamber. The war reporter very nearly makes 

the elementary mistake of being down-wind of the gas 

chamber when the door is opened whilst trying to get 

some action-shots of the proceedings. Lt Anderson reappears 

in the nick of time having been asleep somewhere, 

saved from even further embarrassment! 

The tests are finished and lunch appears along with the 

ice-cream van, the owner thinking at the sight of all these 

Jocks that it must be Christmas and Hogmanay all on the 

same day, so brisk is his trade. After lunch the March and 

Shoot Competition takes place, with sections 

completing the assault course and then marching to one 

of the ranges where the Falling Plate Competition is shot. 

Major Pearson and Pte V. Lees.

The war reporter stations himself in the centre of the 

Assault Course at the ‘Queen Mary’ and around other 

equally horrible obstacles. Soon the woods echo to the 

sounds of Jocks, panting, straining and heaving, their 

muscles cracking with the effort of pushing themselves 

and their sack-like mates over, under or through whatever 

it is that is in their way; to the shrill shouts of 

encouragement from the section commanders, NCOs 

and officers. Teamwork is the name of the game now, and 

those that work as a team win through more easily than 

those who don’t. They are soon soaked and covered in 

mud, but still they keep going. 

“Come on son . . . Keep going! You can do it! You can 

do it!” Thus encouraged they reach the end to have a one 

minute breather before shouldering their weapons and 

staggering off in the direction of the range. The assault 

course is not without its mishaps. Pte Reekin falls in the 

‘Queen Mary’ - a spectacular event for those watching 

(rather like seeing the launching of the ‘Queen Mary’ 

after which it is doubtless named). All agreed that the 

expression on his face when he hit the water was a classic. 

However he did not give in and made it to the finish. 

THE BIG BLAW 

(See also pro-forma in this issue regarding 

our ‘At Home’ on Thursday 14th June). 

Those who have already reserved seats for 

the Parade via the Regimental Secretary (at 

time of writing there are still a few left) will 

be interested to know that the tickets should 

be with him by the end of March. Cheques 

should now be despatched - made payable 

to “The London Scottish Regimental Trust”. 

If you are also booking tickets for the ‘At 

Home’ on the 14th you can save yourself, 

and us, postage by doing the two at one go. 

1939-45 

This year’s reunion dinner will be held on 

Friday, 20th April, at 1830 for 1900 hrs in 

Regimental HQ. The Chairman will be 

Douglas Clarke, late 2nd Bn. The cost will 

be £l4.00 per head. Your Committee 

apologises for the big increase in the price, 

but points out that this is unavoidable in 

view of a substantial rise in the caterer’s 

charge. As usual application forms will be 

sent out. 

Harry McKenzie, Ken Crawford, Chips 

Turner. 

Finally all teams are through the assault course and the 

war reporter gets a run up to the range to see the last 

section shoot at the Falling Plates - a hundred metre 

dash, which is more of a stagger after the assault course, 

down to the prone position, load and fire off at the white 

metal plates - a cheer as each one is hit, the targets 

obscured by dust from the incoming rounds - then 

sudden silence - everyone out of ammunition, though 

there are still plates standing as if to mock their impotence. 

“Have we won? Have we won?’ The results are given 

later after brass clearing and declarations. 

Then it’s ‘mount-up’, onto the vehicles and the weary 

drive back to Horseferry Road. Weapon cleaning, 

showers, good hot scoff and bags of beer. 

The war has been won! 

P. Carson 

(We regret that there was insufficient space to show more 

pictures of this Exercise and it is hoped to include them in 

our next issue - Ed.) 

JOCK’S SHOP 

(Prices as at 7th February 1990) 

Messines Prints 

Artwork quality prints, taken from the “Messines” painting at 95, in 

“Sepia” (The old-style brown and white). 

Small ( 8; ; 6”), ” £14.00 

Medium 

~g!$gp ) 

£17.50 

Large £21.00 

Regimental Sweatshirts 

Grey, with L.S. badge on front in blue and white, with ‘The London 

Scottish Rifle Volunteers 1895’ around. 

Childrens sizes: 

S (22” - 24”), M (26” - 28”), L (30”), XL (32”) 

All at 88.00 

Adult sizes: 

S (34” - 36”), M (37” - 39”), L (40” - 42”), XL (42” - 44”) 

All at £10.00 

XXL (45” - 48”) £11.00 

Regimental Stable Belts 

Dark-blue webbing belt, complete with chromed London Scottish 

locket/buckle and chromed slide-adjuster. 

$15.50 each. 

Commemorative Pullovers 

Navy-blue, V-neck, woollen pullovers. London Scottish badge 

embroidered on left breast in colour, with the wording “The London 

Scottish Regiment 1859-1989”. 

E21.50 each Adult sizes: 34”. 36”, 38”, 40”. 42”. 44”, 46”, 48”. 

Postage 

A sweatshirt, a pullover and a stable-belt all weigh approximately 450g 

and would all cost 9Op to post in the UK. 

Messines prints are posted in cardboard tubes and weigh approximately 

IOOg and would cost 3Op to post in the UK. 

Foreign-based readers should use these weights and work on the principle 

of what it would cost to send from there to the UK. 

Cheques payable to: “London Scottish Junior Ranks Mess” at Regimental 

H.Q.

Canteen Chat 

COLIN Duff informs us that he has received a cheque for 

£56 from an ex-fellow Private of 1939 Vintage-Norman 

Forbes of Prescott, Ontario, Canada. £50 is a donation to 

the Benevolent Fund, and £6 for his Gazette subscription. 

What a good combination. 

THE square-eyed among us will have noted with 

considerable gratification the plethora of television 

programmes featuring ‘the military’ in recent months. In 

November BBC1 screened their series ‘In the Highest 

Tradition’, on military customs down the ages. Members 

of ‘G’ Coy will doubtless have taken great pride in seeing 

their own Commanding Officer, “disguised” as a major 

in the 1st Bn the Black Watch, explaining to a TV 

journalist one of the early morning peccadilloes of that 

Regiment. His other comments made about the close 

proximity of the East German border posts to the unit 

transport lines (not to mention Officers’ Mess) bear out 

similar comments he made when interviewed for the 

Gazette in Spring last year. It should be noted that when 

the series was made (Autumn 1988) ‘the Wall’ had not 

been, biblically speaking, ‘Cast down’. 

ANOTHER in the same series took us into an Officers’ 

Mess Night at 1st Bn The Queen’s Own Highlanders, 

where former CO, Lt Co1 Peter Grant-Peterkin, made an 

appearance - it was the occasion of his ‘dining-out’. A 

quick glance along the tables (or as much of a glance as 

the cameras allowed before they focussed onto something 

else) did not reveal whether or not Tim Lewis, a former 

Jock who served in ‘G’ Coy was still with 1 QOH. Of 

great interest on this occasion were the Gaelic singers 

being accompanied on the Clarsach (gaelic harp), the sort 

of thing which makes a Mess Night in 1 QOH like no 

other. 

“SONGS of Praise” (BBC1 Sundays) is an unlikely place 

in which to find The Gordons, but on Sunday, 7th 

January, 1990 there they were - the military band 

anyway - backing up the organist at Nairn Old Parish 

Church. Padre to the 1st Battalion, the Revd Stephen Van 

OS, was one of those to be interviewed, and footage 

showed the old Chapel at Fort George (the present home 

of 1st Bn The Gordon Highlanders) as well as parts of the 

historic barracks, now modernised and refurbished at 

great public expense. 

INFORMATION has just reached us through Angus 

McLeod of the death in Scotland of Pipe/Major J. H. M. 

Spiers of the old 3rd Bn. An obituary will appear in the 

Summer issue of the Gazette. 

Wanted for Gazette. Action Shots! Your photographs 

please, for front-covers and for inclusions elsewhere. A 

bottle of grouse will be awarded for the best “Gung-ho 

Snapshot” received in time for the Summer edition. 

Winning entry will also feature on front cover. 

Also required are short, punchy articles on military or 

military-related subjects, first-hand experiences from 

front-line Jocks, or articles about your favourite hobby 

- be it sword-collecting, martial arts or the history of 

Napoleonic Fortification. A further bottle of grouse will 

be awarded for the best article received in time for the 

Summer edition - Limit 1,000 words, age teens or above 

- i.e. includes Cadets. 

N.B. McDonald’s vouchers to the value of tlO.OO will be 

awarded if the winner is under 18! Consolation prizes of 

XXXX may be awarded at Editor’s discretion. 

ON Tuesday, 2nd February, 1990 - first Tuesday of the 

month, the following members signed the attendance 

sheet:- Jim Barnard, Rob Barron, Jon Cairns, Joe Byrne, 

Ken Crawford, Colin Duff, Wally Durrant, Allan Jimmy 

and Stephen Fay, Dan Fielding, George Gallie, Colin 

Granger, John Hanhart, Bob Harman, David Henderson, 

Geoff Hewett, Joseph Hodge, Harold Jackson, Pat 

Lovelock, Steve Lovelock, Ian MacDougall, Harry 

MacKenzie, Hamish MacLean, Andy McMillan, Neil 

McTavish, Steve McVeigh (from Hong Kong), Vic 

Masters, Alan Morris, A. Mutch, Charles Redman, 

Harry Skelton, Dallas Rose, Eric Thomson, George 

Tidey, John Tigwell, Jack Tilbury, L. Tinsley, Gerry 

Walker, Hookie Walker, John Williams, Tommy 

Williams, Ron Younger. And there were probably others 

who did not sign their names. One also recalls that Chris 

Adams, Jimmy Addison, Andrew Allan, Donald Allen, 

R. D. Jones, Graham Kellas, P. A. Mason Pay, Peanuts, 

B. H. Scarlett, Col. Anderson, Col. John Clemence, Tom 

Lyon, Tricia Woodall, and others of that ‘ilk’ have made 

their New Year’s appearances. 

ALEX and Eppie Murray, together with family, celebrated 

their Golden Wedding in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso, on 

Saturday, 14th October. Alex, a native of Strath Halladale, 

who retired as a manager of the Royal Bank in Thurso, in 

1969, is a founder member and past president of Caithness 

and North Sutherland Piping Society. When leaving 

Thurso, to retire to his present address at 37 Bellfield 

Road, North Kessock, Alex was presented with a Skean 

Dhu by the Piping Society, which he put to good use 

cutting the golden wedding cake. 

Matter intended for publication in the June issue must reach the Editor by the first Tuesday of May, 1990. 

Publication dates are March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1. 

All such matters should be addressed to the Editor, at 95 Horseferry Road, London SWlP 2DX. 

The ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION to the ‘GAZETTE’ is £6.00 to any address at home or abroad. 

ORDERS for copies and communications regarding Advertisements or managerial matters should be addressed to the 

Manager. Cheques and other remittances to be addressed to the Hon Treasurer. 

8

Payable; A. J. McLean L/Cpl. Regimental blazer badges 

available from Canteen Bar £10.50. Also Regimental sweat 

shirts with breast motif £13.00. 

WE thank A. W. Holmes for drawing our attention to the 

death in November 1989 of William Alexander Law, or 

“Scotty”, as he has always been known to his innumerable 

friends. In the later pages of this issue of the Gazette there 

is a splendid Tribute to him; and we send our condolences 

to his third wife, Patricia, a son and a daughter. Scotty 

was 79 when he died. 

WE have just heard that Alex Donald (2nd Battalion 

World War II), whose 103rd birthday was reported in our 

last issue, died at Harpenden in early February. 

Spring 1990 

THE following is an extract from a letter written by 

Victor Eyre Norman on 27.7.37 after returning from 

annual Camp on the march in Scotland. 

“I’ve been fairly lucky as far as duties go, this my first 

camp as a Lance Corporal, only twice Company Orderly 

Corporal. I found these two days rather too strenuous for 

a person of my soporific habits. Up at 5.30, dressed by 

reveille, report to Orderly Sergeant, go round 16 tents 

receiving rank, name, age, religion and trade of every-one 

who wanted to go sick, writing it out in duplicate, sick 

parade at 6.15, march them to M.O.‘s tent, hand them 

over to Batt Ord Cpl, and thank God for getting rid of 

them. Back to the tent to clear all my kit up ready for 

lorry by 6.40, parade ration carriers and Mess Orderlies 

at 6.45, get the grub for the Company from the cookhouse, 

which took some doing for 120 men, two dixies of tea, 

two pans of porage and a dixie of sausages or mincemeat 

or whatever it was, and sixteen loaves, the last being the 

most awkward. After superintending the dishing out of 

food to 16 tents in conjunction with the CQMS, which 

took some time, I rushed back to my tent for a hurried 

breakfast, and to see the chaps in my tent were getting 

things done. Back in the lines to jolly up fatigues to take 

back dixies etc. to the cookhouse, back to my tent to 

hurry my own fellows along. At 8 O.C. Camp was struck 

and all lines clear of everything, after this rubbish picking 

in a long extended line slowly advancing and picking up 

everything not belonging to the ground itself, including 

I IC,IlFIIR YOU PREFER TO BE OFFERED 

L’ENVOI. An honest man has nothing to fear. If he has 

been in life no more than the sport of his own instincts, he 

returns to a God who gave him these instincts and well 

knows their force. 

No doubt, though, I will have much to answer for. Yet 

my philosophy was simple enough: whatever mitigates 

the woes or increases the happiness of others, that is my 

criterion of goodness, whatever injures society as a whole 

or any one person in it, that is my measure of iniquity. 

And if I could. I would wipe all tears from eyes. 

Robert Burns ( 1759 - 1796) 

WANTED: Piping Instructor on Monday or Wednesday 

evenings to teach six Cadets. 

Contact Jim Barnard on 01 630 1639 

matchsticks, NCOs in rear to check it, thank heaven I am 

now beyond picking up the muck that collects. Next, 

CO’s Parade Inspection and then Battalion Parade, then 

we march on. After the day’s march I scarcely have time 

to get kit off before Ration Carriers sounds, then follows 

the same procedure as at breakfast. Then collect filled in 

passes from the Coy Commander for signing, then 

distribute them, and then a post is given to you to 

distribute letters for dozens of people you don’t know, 

and for some you do, all of them in 16 tents and nobody 

knowing where anybody else lives. After that I’m free 

until tea, unless I have to go round all the tents two or 

three times giving out various notices, such as “Bathing 

will be permitted from 4 p.m. till 8 p.m. and at no other 

time” and explaining 16 times or more that the burn is 

deep and a picket is on duty between those times to help 

anybody in difficulties, and as far as the Orderly Room 

knows no costume is necessary, and listening to opinions 

of dozens of people on the matter. As I said, I’m free 

other-wise. When tea is over, thank heaven I can at last sit 

down, cleaning equipment in the course of the evening, 

and parade with all the other Duties at 10 o.c, and now at 

last I can take my boots off having had them on from 5.30 

in the morning until 10.15 at night, 16% hours. A stripe is 

certainly not all jam.” 

This should bring back memories to some of our 

septuagenarians. 

IN YOUR MESS NOW 

9

London Scottish Regimental Association 

THE Annual General Meeting of the Regimental Association will be held at Headquarters, 95 Horseferry Road, on 

Tuesday, 3rd April, 1990, at 7 p.m. Agenda: 1. Apologies for absence; 2. Confirmation of minutes of the last AGM; 3. 

Matters arising; 4. Chairman’s report; 5. Treasurer’s report; 6. Election of officers; 7. Any other business appropriate to 

an AGM. 

1987/88 

£ £ 

2,609 

197 

2,806 

3,000 

- 

33 

12 3,045 

(f239) 

5,211 

519 

733 

6,463 

2,M)o 

239 

2,239 4,224 

li4,225 

1 

4,464 

(239) 

E4,225 

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR YEAR ENDED 

31 OCTOBER 1989 

INCOME 

Subscriptions, Arrears and Contributions Received (including members’ 

subscriptions received by the Hon. Treasurer, but excluding members who 

remit direct to the Regimental Trust.) 

Interest On Investments less tax 

Less: EXPENDITURE 

Regimental Gazettes 

Postage, Printing and Sundries 

Wreaths 

Repayments - Overpaid subscriptions 

Surplus/(Deficit) for year 

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 OCTOBER 1989 

Furniture at Nominal Value 

NET CURRENT ASSETS: 

Woolwich Equitable Building Society 

London Trustee Savings Bank. Transferred to Woolwich Eq. Building Society 

Cash at Bank 

Deduct: Creditors and Provisions: 

Subscriptions received in advance 

Sundry Creditors (including Gazettes £2,OOO) 

Deficit for year 

REPRESENTING ACCUMULATED FUND: 

Balance from previous Accounts 

Prior year adjustment 

Add Surplus for year (Deficit) 

1988/89 

£ £ 

2,000 

7 

8,593 

- 

368 

8,961 

4,040 

363 

4,403 

:: 2,061 

22,342 

156 

- 

- 

156 8,805 

$8,806 

4,225 

2,239 

2,342 

28,806 

1 certify that the above figures are in accordance with the books, vouchers and explanations supplied to me. 

R. J. Barron 

J. S. Williams 

Honorary Treasurer 

Auditor 

10

The Regiment - How it works 

ON THE first Tuesday in November last, an informal 

meeting was called by the Regimental Colonel, to which 

serving officers, permanent staff and senior NCO’s of the 

serving Company, as well as key members and 

functionaries of various Regimental bodies were invited. 

The purpose of the meeting was to seek to explain to 

those present, in broad terms, the structure of The 

London Scottish, Since it is the declared intention of 

Colonel John that this should be better understood by all 

ranks, a summary is given hereunder. 

The London Scottish Regimental Trust was created 

under a new Charity Commission Scheme in 1973 as a 

successor to the former Funds and Chattels Trust. It 

assumed ownership of all Regimental assets, including 

Mess property, the plate, the Museum and the Library, 

but excluding the freehold of 59 Buckingham Gate. It 

also owned the Lease of the Bisley Club House. It is the 

operating or Managing Trust for all Regimental functions, 

and all applications of funds are directed through it. The 

Ogilby and Headquarters Trusts only apply their funds at 

the request of the Regimental Trustees, and through the 

Regimental Trust. It is also responsible for all the day-today 

running costs and Regimental expenses, including 

salaries. The Trustees meet approximately every three 

months under the ex officio Chairmanship of the 

Regimental Colonel. 

The Headquarters Trust was created in 1886 and 

owned the freehold of 59 Buckingham Gate, out of the 

proceeds of which the site of 95 Horseferry Road was 

purchased and the construction of the new Headquarters 

financed. This is rented to TAVRA on a 30 year Lease, 

and the rent and some investment income is used to make 

Grants, as necessary, to the Regimental Trust for general 

purposes. In the event of the London Scottish ceasing to 

exist and no successor Unit being nominated, the funds 

pass, at the discretion of the Trustees, to be divided 

between the Royal Caledonian Schools, The Royal 

Scottish Corporation and the Highland Society. 

The Ogilby Trust was created in 1954 with funds 

donated by Colonel Ogilby. The original capital also 

passes elsewhere if the London Scottish ceases to exist. 

The fund consists of investments from which the income 

is used for specific projects, particularly the Gazerre, 

recruiting and the Museum, which were all close to 

Colonel Ogilby’s heart. 

The Trustees of the Headquarters and Ogilby Trusts 

are now the same, and they meet 2/3 times a year under 

the Chairmanship of Colonel Alan Niekirk. 

The 1914/18 War Memorial Fund and the 1939/45 

Benevolent Fund are in the process of amalgamation, 

and the new fund will be able to provide financial 

assistance to any member or former member of the 

Regiment, in cases of hardship or, indeed, to their 

dependants. 

The Regimental Association (formerly the Old 

Comrades Association) is a separate financial entity from 

the activities of the Trusts, and unlike the three Trusts is 

not a Charity. Until recently its principal function has 

been to collect Regimental subscriptions which go towards 

the cost of the Regimental Gazette, and is now being 

encouraged to try to run a function, of which the 

forthcoming Ceilidh is the first effort. 

The Regimental Secretary is responsible to the 

Regimental Colonel and the three bodies of Trustees for 

all administrative matters, and is subject to increasing 

demand for his services. The Trustees are, therefore, 

considering the possibility of employing clerical assistance 

for him. 

The Regiment also employs the Caretaker to cover his 

activities for the Regiment over and above those for 

which he is paid as a Caretaker. 

The Museum is now gradually taking shape under the 

care of John Haynes; and under the care of Roy Stevens 

and Neville Lea the Library is properly catalogued, and a 

great deal of interest is being shown by Members of the 

Regiment. 

Among the problem areas which Colonel John 

mentioned, there were:- 

The Messes whose future is under discussion. 

The Pipes & Drums which are badly in need of 

support. Some changes may be made to the way in 

which they are administered. 

There is concern over the adequacy of Drill Hall 

security, and it will be difficult to reconcile freedom 

of access for Members with military security 

requirements. 

The Regimental Association is to be encouraged to 

extend its activities, and is to consider ways in which 

to recruit former “G” Company Members, and 

perhaps to encourage more recruits to join the 

Association when they enlist. It was mooted that the 

Annual Meeting might be extended into more of a 

Regimental Annual Meeting than just the Association 

meeting. 

Colonel John invited questions and comments, of 

which there were a number on various aspects, and he 

also asked those present whether it would be useful to 

re-convene this forum in say a year’s time, and this was 

welcomed by all present; as were the light refreshments 

provided. The present Trustees are:- 

Regimental Trust 

Regimental Colonel ex officio. 

Major T. R. S. Lyon, CBE, TD - ex officio 

Chairman of the Regimental Association. 

Major K. Pearson - ex officio OCG Company. 

Major S. Henwood, TD. 

G. Kellas, Esq. 

D. Franklin, Esq. 

Continued overleaf at foot of column 

11

Presentation on the Saturday of Mobilisation Exercise last 

year. 

Pte Hayes, L/CpI Sullivan, Pte McCulloch, L/Cpl 

Woodhall, Pte Collier, L/Cpl Martin, Pte Keal. (Three 

names not known - ED). 

Mobilisation Exercise 

Pte Keal with Major Pearson, O.C. 

The Regiment - How it works - continued 

Headquarters & Ogilby Trusts 

Colonel A. F. Niekirk, TD, DL - Chairman, 

Colonel J. A. Clemence, TD. 

Major R. D. Holliday, TD. 

Major S. Henwood, TD. 



Regimental Finance Committee consists of: 

Major Henwood, TD. 



whose role is largely of an advisory nature to make 

recommendations to the other sets of Trustees. 

12

Church Parade, 12th November, I989 

IT was an unforgettable day if ever there was one, from 

first sun-up until dusk, a day that stands out in stark 

contrast to the gloomy, fog-filled days that followed. For 

me it was to be one of the busiest Sundays to come along 

for some time, two church parades to attend, and no one 

any more or any less important than the other. 

At 0945 hours I report to The Castle to find my No 2, 

Alan, the Honour-bearer, already in the Robing Room 

laying out the Councillors’ kit. Finding the caretaker I 

make myself useful fetching up the Corporation Insignia 

from the dungeons-the Mace, the Standard of Honour, 

the Sword.. . and the Cushion. There is just time to rush 

this across to All Saints Church, position it in the 

Mayor’s Pew, (it’s for his prayer-book, not his . ...) then 

return in haste for 1015 robing. 

1025, and the Councillors are still arriving in dribs and 

drabs. A dozy, idle lot these Councillors! Rank hath its 

privileges I suppose, but these don’t include making the 

Mayor and his serjeants late for Parade. 1030, time to 

robe the Mayor - the scarlet, ermine-trimmed robe 

itself, medals pinned on the left (prominent among them 

his Burma Star), gold linked Chain of Office, white 

gloves, hat. 

1030, and the Councillors are ready, the Town-Clerk is 

ready, and the Mayor is ready. But I’m not. Thirty 

seconds will do it - plain royal-blue robe, white gloves, 

tricorn hat (the latter placed firmly lest a perverse wind 

should blow it off again). Take up . . . The Mace, that 

most precious of symbols, pre-Commonwealth, and 

bearing the cypher of Charles I. Take post . . . left front 

and three paces from the Mayor, George the Swordbearer 

on my right, Alan front-centre, the two staffbearers 

preceding all. Behind the Mayor and the Town 

Clerk, the Councillors. March on . . . at a nod from the 

Town Clerk, we shuffle off without a word of command, 

heavy infantry pace, through the Castle gates and into 

Parliament Square. 

We approach the War Memorial without hazard since 

the traffic on nearby roads has all but ceased with the 

heavy police guard on the roundabouts. The bells of All 

Saints are ringing a muffled peal; there is a large crowd 

already gathered round the War Memorial as well as the 

usual representations from 4 Company, 5th Battalion 

The Royal Anglian Regiment, the Royal British Legion, 

The Army Cadet Force, the Sea Cadets, Scouts and 

Guides. 

1050, and with the opening of the first hymn the Mayor 

steps forward onto the War Memorial to lay his wreath. 

George and I follow him to the steps, then turn facing 

inwards, inclining both Mace and Sword to touch, a 

symbolical barring of the way. Over the next five minutes 

dozens of other wreaths are placed at the foot of the 

Obelisk from service organisations as well as private 

mourners. 

1100, the bells have by this time fallen silent as the lone 

bugler plays Last Post, and the Honour is dipped along 

with the Royal British Legion standards. For two minutes 

there is an unaccustomed silence over this otherwise busy 

town square. Then Reveille - the standards are raised 

aloft, the Catafalque Party come smartly to ‘The Present’ 

at a barked word of command from the Parade 

Commander. The sun is warm and sweat is beginning to 

trickle down my back -just like the old days, it seems. 

Half an hour later, with the ‘march-past’ over, we are 

in the church, already full to capacity as the Mayoral 

procession proceeds down the Nave, the Mayor to take 

his usual place in the front pew, Town Clerk and 

Councillors in strict order of precedence beside and 

behind him, while we, the acolytes as it were, to our own 

place beneath the War Memorial to The Hertfordshire 

Regiment with its 1,000 plus names. Above the Choir 

hang the King’s/Queen’s and the Regimental Colours, 

which were laid up here in 1954 and 1967, on the latter 

occasion by H.M. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 

Honorary Colonel. 

The service that follows is moving and sincere, but 

thankfully for me, short. By 1230 as I put the last of the 

Insignia back in the Castle dungeons, I am already 

calculating time and space to H-Hour . . . 1500. Axis of 

advance . ..A10, A1000 or A1(M)? At close on l300 I get 

back home with just sufficient time to water the horse, 

gather the clan, and head off again, lunch in transit. 

As well we chose the Al(M) I think to myself, as we 

roar through Edgware 25 minutes later. We breeze 

around the Brent Cross Flyover onto the North Circular, 

confident of an early arrival at Pont Street. But just then 

my navigating officer encounters a ‘dead-spot’ resulting 

in our leaving the North Circular by the wrong slip-road 

and putting us in the vicinity of Cricklewood railway 

yards. ‘British Rail regrets . . .’ Extrication takes some 

time, but we need not worry overmuch. At 1430 

Knightsbridge hoves into view and five minutes later we 

are parked up a cosy side street close to St. Columbas. 

After ten minutes usefully spent renewing 

acquaintances with the Niekirks, the Robinsons and such 

like, we hear the distant thump of the bass-drum, and 

with it, after a space, the thin reedy shrill of the piobmhors 

(pipes is such a boring word). The eldest cranes his 

neck with mine to locate the source of the sound, while 

the youngest runs to Mummy for reassurance! 

The velvet drapes and Laura Ashley print curtains of 

every house in Pont Street flick back in unison as the 

procession sweeps past - ‘G’ Company, at their best; 

and the cadets - so many of them, and so, so smartly 

turned out! 

The bright interior and lofty simplicity of St. Columbas 

is refreshing after the heavy Victorian Gothic of All 

Saints. Here the tall windows emit the pale light of midafternoon, 

with the sun already out of sight behind the 

red-brick and white stucco mansions of Belgravia. In 

such an atmosphere of height and light, with the colourful 

Arms of the Scottish shires decorating the walls, it is 

difficult to re-create visions of suffering and death, even 

when one remembers that St. Columbas stands on the site 

13

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of a former church that was flattened by German bombs 

on the night of l0th-11th May 1941. 

“I am the vine and ye are the branches.” In Major 

Keith Pearson’s reading of the Lesson from John, 

Chapter 15, we have an interesting comparison in Scripture, 

with what was said by the Regimental Colonel at 

Hallowe’en in his Toast to The Regiment. Only the 

message here is that a fellowship of men can only exist if it 

is rooted in basic Christian ideals. 

Then The Lament, echoes of Hallowe’en indeed. The 

sentence: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a 

man lay down his life for his friends” echoes the same 

sentiments expressed in the words of the Regimental 

Collect which were recited by all of us not long after. The 

Reveille . . . awakening, rebirth . . . itself reflected very 

much in the opening line of the following hymn: ‘Rise up, 

0 men of God!” A catchphrase for the next decade, 

perhaps? 

John McIndoe’s sermon, the second that I hear this 

day, is, like the first, a sincere, but very carefully worded 

approach to the subject of Peace, seeking to touch upon 

The Pipes & Drums 

. . . at leisure 

WITH the Pipes & Drums representing that most ethnic 

element of our Scottish Infantry Company and Regimental 

Association, you’d think that they would look to 

entertainment of equally Scottish provenance when they 

organise their own social functions. Not a bit of it! When 

the pipers, drummers and their ladies gathered in the 

Queen Elizabeth Room for a wine and cheese evening in 

October, the background music was more reminiscent of 

ladies with bananas in their hats. 

At a previous Hogmanay piping engagement, our 

talent spotter Sergeant Ian King had retired to the bar to 

await the midnight hour, only to be regaled by Altamar, a 

group of Latin Americans playing and singing tunes 

familiar to him from his youth, as the old song has it, 

“Down Argentina Way”. They went down as well with 

the Pipes & Drums in October as they had that Hogmanay. 

Eat your heart out, Jimmy Shand! 

The theme of the evening being wine and cheese, a 

blind wine tasting competition was built around the 

selection of six wines from around the world. Argentina, 

Australia, France, Germany, Italy and South Africa were 

represented. After being tipped off by the writer as to 

which the Argentine one was, the band (Altamar, that is) 

all made a beeline for it. It is therefore surprising, a) that 

there was any left for the tasting competition, and b) that 

very few of the competitors sussed out which it was! 

1 have not worked out the permutations for getting 6 

out of 6 right, but, even with only six wines to choose 

from, being very wrong is quite easy! It was a bit rotten of 

us to throw in a South African rose, so congratulations to 

Sue Smith-Bowers for getting three right and we hope 

that Les was allowed a sip of the Ayala Champagne she 

won. 

the essence of Peace by reflecting on the events of the 

previous day. “In years to come that day, the 11 th day of 

the 1 lth month, which for so long has been associated 

with a war already a half a lifetime away into the past, 

may well come to be remembered instead as the day on 

which the Iron Curtain, like the Walls of Jericho, came 

tumbling down.” 

Soon we are outside again in the fast-gathering dusk, 

every one of us just a little bit proud of the fact that the 

police are taking the security of our London Jocks so 

seriously, and perhaps reminding us of the fact that there 

are other wars, within our own walls, so to speak, for 

which there may never be ‘peace in our time’. 

The Company, cadets and Regimental Association 

march past to the tune “Hielan’ Laddie”, all shoulders 

stiffening, heads and eyes to the right, then away into the 

autumn-speckled gloom, the sound of their passing 

reverberating, drifting and dying on the still air like the 

final chords of a Fugue in the depths of a cathedral. 

J. Cairns 

Serjeant-at-Mace to the Mayor of Hertford 

. . . Fix it for Jim 

DURING the closing moments of the Children’s Party, 

five video recorders simultaneously swung into action at 

the homes of Pipe Major John Spoore, Sergeants Ian 

King and Mike Powell, Lance Corporal Chris MacPherson 

and Piper John Bracken. We must all confess to the sin of 

vanity, since the Jim’11 Fix It team had called on the 

services of the Pipes & Drums and the pre-recorded 

episode was being broadcast that afternoon. 

Jimmy Savile, OBE, KCSG, LLD, had fixed it for 

young Kevin Douglas from Inverness to achieve his 

ambition to dance the Highland Fling with a top class 

Highland dancer. Thus we were brought together with 

dancer Gareth Michelson from Dundee at the BBC TV 

Centre for rehearsals and recording on 3rd January. A 

baronial castle fireplace backdrop had been erected in the 

Fix It studio, next to the famous sofa. 

During rehearsals, the young dancer was put through 

his paces, the monitor screens having to be turned away 

to prevent him from being confused by their non-mirror 

images of him. Then came the big moment in front of the 

studio audience (and the cameras!). We were introduced 

as “the very line Pipe Band of the London Scottish 

Territorials”. Gareth demonstrated two steps of the 

dance, accompanied by the Pipe Major. Then both he and 

Kevin danced five steps accompanied by the five of us, 

playing “The Marquis of Huntley”. 

We were despatched to our changing room to await a 

possible call for a second take, but the first had proven 

satisfactory. This was perhaps just as well, since the 

flames from the log effect fireplace were threatening to 

melt Mike Powell and his drum. We made tracks for the 

Hospitality Room and joined the youngsters for whom 

15

Jim had fixed it, together with their families and the great 

man himself. 

As we set off for our respective homes that evening to 

set the recorders, we reflected on yet another feather in 

our Glengarries: we had eaten in the BBC Canteen and 

lived to tell the tale! 

. . . are met by Mrs Thatcher again 

ON 28th October, the Pipes&Drums had an opportunity 

to renew their acquaintance with the Prime Minister. The 

first occasion had been at New Zealand House, when our 

paths had crossed en route to two separate functions! 

That had been not long after the 1979 Tory victory. Now 

we were being asked to play at a dinner celebrating the 

10th anniversary of that victory and the 30th anniversary 

of Mrs Thatcher’s election to the House of Commons. 

Security was tight; those attending had to be vetted and 

the venue was not revealed until the last minute. We were 

comfortably whisked to the London Marriat Hotel by 

luxury coach. Armed to the teeth with skian dubhs and 

dirks, we set the metal detector alarms jangling, so the 

guards resorted to searching for explosives under our 

kilts with their sniffing sticks. Fortunately, none of the 

Pipes & Drums had been on the curry that day and we 

made it through the cordon. 

The programme we provided was a musical reenactment 

of Hallowe’en 1914, with accompanying notes 

and regimental history on the menu cards. The day was 

Messines 1914 - Part II 

by Paul Granger 

Here, orders were received, from Brigadier General 

Bingham, CO 4th Cavalry Brigade, to reinforce the 

cavalry on the east of the Wytschaete-Messines road. 

The exact content of those orders is not known to me; 

they would be available in the units’ War Diaries at the 

Public Records Office. 

The British Official History says that the subsequent 

advance of the London Scottish was “in the belief that an 

attack was in progress”, but whether this means a British 

or German attack is unclear. I take it to mean a German 

assault; any British action would have been a counterattack. 

If this assumption is correct, the Official History 

implies no German attack was in progress at the time. 

As we have seen, however, there had been fierce street 

fighting in Messines, which was renewed about 1100 

hours, when the Germans started using demolition 

charges on the defended houses, and managed to get at 

least one gun of 29 Feld Artillerie Regt and possibly a 

complete battery of 65 Feld Artillerie Regt into the village, 

where they were fired at point-blank range in support of 

the infantry. All the time, Wytschaete was being shelled, 

and German shellfire was searching the reverse slopes of 

the Ridge between and behind the two villages. 

Thus a considerable amount of activity was happening 

within the hearing and eyesight of ‘The Scottish’, and, 

additionally, they may have seen to their right, lower 

16 

heralded by a solo piper marching into the banquet room, 

playing Reveille. He then played “The Burning Mill at 

Messines” (composed by Pipe Major John Spoore) in 

slow time. At the conclusion of the tune, two three pace 

drum rolls sounded and the remainder of the Pipes & 

Drums thundered into the room, playing the same tune in 

quick time. 

Programme: 

Johnny Cope 

The Burning Mill at Messines 

The Rowan Tree 

The Marquis of Huntly’s Highland Fling 

The Piper o’ Drummond 

Amazing Grace 

Cock o’ the North 

Scotland the Brave 

The Black Bear 

At the end of the display, Drum Major Bryan Alderson 

marched to the Prime Minister’s table. Complimenting 

the Pipes & Drums on their performance, she gave the 

Drum Major permission to march them off and we left 

the room playing “Highland Laddie*‘. Though the Prime 

Minister had other things on her mind at the time 

(Chancellor Lawson had just resigned), Regimental 

Secretary Alan Morris received from her a few days 

afterwards a letter thanking the Pipes & Drums for their 

contribution to the evening. 

down the Steenbeek valley, 2/KOSB and 2/KOYLI, each 

about 300 strong, moving towards Messines under shelltire 

in readiness for their advance in support of the cavalry 

there. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that this untried 

unit should assume an attack was in progress, and deploy 

accordingly, as they had no previous experience to gauge 

the situation by. 

Colonel Malcolm gave his orders; an advance in halfcompanies 

in extended order, H, D and A Coys leading, 

H on the left, A on the right. In the second line, G Coy 

followed H and B Coy were behind A. C Coy followed on 

behind G, with F Coy and the available elements of E 

Coy behind B. (At this stage, the Battalion were still using 

the old 8 company structure, dropped by the Regulars). 

Total strength was given as 750. 

At approximately 1300 hours, 2/KOSB and 2/KOYLI 

advanced north and south, respectively, of the Messines- 

Wulverghem road. To their right, 2/Inniskillings also 

began their counter-attack, and at the same time The 

London Scottish began to advance, the centre of the 

movement aimed at the two farmhouses on the 

Messines-Wytschaete road, later to be known as Middle 

and Huns Farms, and the windmill near the latter. 

Before they had even reached the crest, shells began to 

fall amongst them, possibly directed by German 

observation balloons, and as the crest was reached, heavy

ifle fire was opened on them. Men went down, among 

them Torrance and Green, the two senior majors, 

seriously wounded, but the Battalion moved forward. 

Captain Clowes’ H Coy got across the road, and began 

digging in. It would make its presence felt for the rest of 

the afternoon, sniping at any target that presented itself. 

Captain Monro’s G Coy advanced on the windmill, 

but this was an aiming point for the German artillery, and 

under the lash of this, and machine-gun fire from the 

nearer German positions, the Company fell back. 

Rallying, the men pressed forward, crossed the road, and 

dug in, and A Coy, under Captain MacDonald, also got 

across the road on the right, and got to work with 

entrenching tools. 

The remainder of the battalion remained on the west of 

the road, in among haystacks and farm outbuildings in 

reserve, though part of C Coy was pushed forward on the 

extreme left to plug a gap between a remnant of 57th 

Wildes Rifles, and H Coy. Bn HQ remained at L’Enfer 

Wood. 

The positions occupied by The Scottish were 

rudimentary to say the least, consisting of shallow rifle 

pits, and the “trenches” of the cavalry were little better; 

there was no continuous line, no headcover or dugouts, 

little barbed wire. Yet the German official account would 

later state that a “strong British garrison held Messines. 

The trenches were well made, and were covered by a 

continuous and broad system of obstacles. 

For the rest of the afternoon, the Battalion endured 

shell, rifle and machine-gun fire in varying amounts, 

taking more casualties in the process. Dusk was about 

1630, with the promise of further activity. 

According to the British Official History, 6th Bav. Res. 

Div. “made a determined attack against 4th Cav. Bde., 

and The London Scottish” at 1645, which continued for 

45 minutes, being followed by bands playing the Austrian 

National Anthem. This particular attack had so much 

effect on The Scottish, that it is not even mentioned in the 

Regimental History! 

Colonel Malcolm carried out a recce at dusk, and 

withdrew half of C Coy, parts of D and G, F, and what he 

had of E, and formed them into a reserve on a slight 

height just east of L’Enfer Wood. 

The men waited. An almost full moon lit the scene, and 

most of Messines was alight. Heavy shells continued to 

drop into Wytschaete and Ypres to the north. 

At about 2215 hours, a mass German assault erupted 

along the whole of the 2nd Cav. Div. line from just north 

of Messines to the St. Eloi-Warneton road, about three 

and a half miles to the north. 

On the Scottish front, swarms of infantry came on, 

with bands playing, cheering as they did so, a perfect 

target in the bright moonlight. Many of The Scottish were 

Bisley marksmen, and much loss was inflicted, but it 

quickly became apparent that the rifles issued the day 

before the Battalion left England were, in many cases, 

defective, and would not feed rounds properly from the 

magazine. Used as single-shot weapons, they still told on 

the enemy, but much firepower was lost, a serious 

problem as the Battalion machine-guns had been left 

behind in the move to the front. 

Nevertheless, the attack was beaten off after about 20 

minutes, and the defenders of the Ridge settled down to 

wait for the next move, under resumed shelling. At about 

midnight, this began to increase, and from then on, the 

rifle pits and all buildings between Messines and 

Wytschaete were shelled heavily, Wytschaete itself being 

subjected to the pounding of a battery of 8-inch howitzers. 

The defenders were very weak in number. On the 

Ridge, 6th D.G. and The Scottish had about 300 men 

each in the front line, whilst the Composite Regiment of 

the Household Cavalry, holding Wytschaete, was down 

to 415. Readying themselves for the next attack were 

about 7000 Germans. 

Responsibility for the attack on Wytschaete fell on 6th 

Bav. Res. Inf: Div, which deployed 17th, 2lst and 12th 

Bav. Res. Regts, the first attacking from the east, the 

second from the south-east, and the third following up 

the second. 

The attack on the Ridge and Messines fell to 26th 

Infantry Division, and for this assault, it would employ 

ten companies of 122nd (Emperor Franz Josef of Austria) 

Fusilier Regt. against the Ridge itself, the remaining two 

companies attacking Messines. (It should be noted that a 

German Regiment contained three battalions, each about 

the same size as a British battalion). 

By 0200, the moon was high, every building ablaze, 

flames shooting up from the windmill, shellfire 

continuous, and the Germans surged up the Ridge, a 

yelling grey-clad host, their bands blaring. 

Sheer weight of numbers dislodged the Household 

Cavalry from its positions in Wytschaete. The reserve of 

5th Cavalry Brigade mounted a counter-attack to 

recapture the village, but this fight would go on, to and 

fro, for the next six hours, until 0800 when the Germans 

were ejected, with the timely assistance of the French 

32nd Division, who would take over the defences until 

the village was finally abandoned the following day. 

On the Ridge, large numbers of Wurtemburgers of 

122nd Fus. Regt. had pushed into the positions of the 

cavalry and the Scottish, and the fight had degenerated 

into a swirling melee, little knots of men jabbing and 

parrying with the bayonet, swinging clubbed rifles, 

falling back a little to fire into the mass, then advancing 

again. Pressure steadily told. The Germans drove in 

against the left, threatening to turn the flank. Seeing the 

danger, Colonel Malcolm launched his reserve, and their 

timely bayonet charge sent the attackers reeling back, 

securing the position for the moment. 

It was during this mad scramble that Lt. Newington 

and 24 men of C Coy were cut off on the left, and, 

perceiving no way to break through the enemy and 

rejoin, made off to the north. Without maps, and with 

only a vague idea of the ground, they avoided all German 

patrols, found friendly forces, handed over Pte de Hamel, 

wounded in the getaway, to the RAMC, and went back 

into the action, joining 9th Lancers in a counter-attack on 

Wytschaete later that morning, finding the Battalion at 

Kemmel in the afternoon. 

17

The action on the Ridge, despite the use of a reserve 

behind the line to deal with break-ins, was now desperate. 

A Coy, on the right, still held to its original positions, but 

the left was pushed back, and the Germans were 

infiltrating it and the centre. Losses were mounting, 

several officers were down, including Captain MacNab, 

the MO, killed, and it was clear that all that could be 

done, had been. It was time to go. 

Colonel Malcom therefore organised the evacuation of 

the wounded, and directed a withdrawal across the 

Steenbeek towards Wulverghem, to which the majority 

of those able to do so responded. 

This withdrawal, along with that of the accompanying 

cavalry, was noted by the CO of l/Lincs, engaged in an 

abortive attempt to recapture Wytschaete at the time. 

Despite the serious position of his own battalion, and 

being wounded himself, he directed them to hold their 

ground, and fire on the Germans harrying The Scottish. 

A Coy had been cut off by the German thrust, and 

found itself alone on the Ridge as dawn broke. Luckily, it 

was able to extricate itself without attracting attention, 

and was reunited with the rest of the Battalion at La 

Clytte on the morning of 2nd November. 

The Germans gained possession of the centre of the 

Ridge by about 0730, and as a result, Messines was 

abandoned at about 0900, its retention being too 

dangerous. The defenders were ordered to withdraw to a 

ridge half-a-mile east of Wulverghem, at the junction of 

Kruisstraat Cabaret crossroads. Those of the Scottish 

who had reformed here were deployed to cover this 

withdrawal. 

The enemy were not in the mood to follow. They too 

had had severe losses in the attacks on Messines and the 

Ridge, and were reluctant to admit the weakness of the 

forces that had inflicted them. They would later claim 

that they did not carry the Ridge until 1130, and that 

street fighting went on in Messines all day on 1st 

November. Wytschaete would fall on 2nd November, 

Band Supper 

THE Regimental Pipes & Drums will hold the annual 

Band Supper at 95 Horseferry Road on Friday, 27th 

April, 1990. In the Chair will be piper John Bracken. The 

presentation of awards in the MacLeod Medal (piping) 

and Attwool (drumming) competitions will take place 

during the evening. 

All current and former members of the Pipes & Drums 

are welcome to apply for a ticket for themselves and a 

maximum of one guest each. Please make application to 

any of the following: 

Drum Major B. Alderson 

Pipe Major J. Spoore 

Sergeant I. King 

Sergeant M. Powell 

Lance Corporal C. MacPherson 

18 

after more heavy fighting, this time with the French, who 

had taken over its defences. 

(During this action, Colonel Hoffman, CO 17th Bav. 

Res. Inf: Regt. would be seriously wounded, and his 

runner decorated with the Iron Cross, First Class, for 

rescuing him. The Colonel would die, but the runner, a 

corporal would go on to fame or notoriety, immensely 

proud of his medal. His name was Adolf Hitler). 

The First Battle of Ypres would go on for another 10 

days, but on the Messines sector ceased with the capture 

of the Ridge. The Germans began to strengthen their 

positions, which they were to occupy for the next three 

and a half years until 7th June, 1917 when 19 mines, 

containing over a million pounds of explosive, blew them 

off it. 

But all that was in the unknown future, as Colonel 

Malcolm’s gallant command began to come to terms with 

its losses. Only about 150 men answered the first roll-call 

at Wulverghem, but there was optimism that more 

stragglers would rejoin. When a final headcount was 

made at La Clytte on 2nd November, it was established 

that losses totalled 394 of all ranks, over half the 

Battalion. Many were wounded, but would fight on, or 

recover and rejoin; some would be too badly hurt to fight 

again; a few were on their way to German prisoner-ofwar 

camps. 

Eighty-eight officers and men would never answer the 

roll again; they parade now in perpetuity on the 

Regimental Memorial, along with all the other brave men 

who felI in the years that followed. Let us remember their 

names with respect and pride. 

Canteen Decoration 

SINCE the appearance of the article canvassing for 

sponsors of wall plaques of the coats of arms of the 

Scottish counties and cities and of our Honorary Colonels, 

there has been quite a response. 

Firstly, all the five Honorary Colonels’ plaques now 

have sponsors, as have 12 of the smaller territorial 

plaques. To those that have agreed to pay for these, I give 

thanks on behalf of all users of the Queen Elizabeth 

Room. You will see the end result in due course. 

The plaques for which sponsors are still sought are as 

follows (the cost is £l9.15 at the time of writing, which 

includes a brass plate indicating the donor). As before, if 

interested contact me, the Treasurer of the Junior Ranks 

Mess at HQ, L/Cpl J. G. Hetherington. 

Cities: Elgin, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth. 

Counties: Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Berwickshire, Bute, 

Caithness, Dumfries-shire, East Lothian, 

Fife, Kinross-shire, Kirkcudbrightshire, 

Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Orkney, Peeblesshire, 

Perthshire, Renfrewshire, Ross and 

Cromarty, Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, 

Stirlingshire, Sutherland, West Lothian, 

Wigtownshire, Zetland.

ALAN HARDINGE REMEMBERS 

2/l/90 

Sir 

Here is my first letter of the 90’s to 

you and may I take the opportunity to 

wish you and everyone the very best 

for the coming year and decade. 

Amazing how time slips by and even 

more difficult to realise that the 60’s, 

70’s and 80’s have slipped by. 

Is it really nearly 30 years ago that 

the M.O. giving me my medical asked 

me why when my family were from the 

A&SH did I choose to “go with the 

Gordons?” I can hardly believe time 

has passed so quickly. Sad though to 

realise that with the passage of time, 

that so many of our comrades are no 

longer with us. 

Turning to more humorous 

reminiscences, which I recall with much 

amusement, I can remember being on 

parade with the opening muster parade 

at Plasterdown and RSM Sandy Stewart 

introduced himself to the newcomers 

and then said “And you will remember 

Cpl’s Vincent and Hardinge, known 

as the terrible twins.” What ever 

became of Sandy, and why do we not 

hear of him? Recalling too that very 

hirsute RSM Snowy Warden, who 

once asked me to guess where he was 

A GENEROUS GESTURE INDEED 

28/12/89 

Sir, 

May I introduce myself? I am 

Thomas William McHattie and I had 

the honour to serve the Regiment as a 

Corporal in D Coy between 1921 and 

‘26 when I went abroad. 

However, the main point of this 

letter is that I would like to make a 

small donation to some suitable Fund, 

connected with the Scottish, in memory 

of another old Member who died on 

Christmas Day. 

He was James Gourlay Freeland 

and I understand he joined the Scottish, 

freshly qualified from Glasgow as a 

solicitor in about 1926 and remained 

with you for three or four years (I 

born, “Just in case, Hardinge, you 

think you are the only one born in a 

funny place.” And his stock phrase, 

"Out, oot”. Where is Snowy, and how 

goes his moustache? 

Remembering too the exasperation 

on 2nd Lt McLean-Watts face when 

giving us his briefing, “We are 3-2 

Bravo” and seeing Jimmy Muldoon 

respond by leaping up out of the ferns 

and bracken and shouting “Ole”. 

Wonder why Jimmy never made it to 

the top? That was at the same exercise 

where our platoon commander came 

out with his classic as he struggled up 

a cliff festooned with gear and I 

distinctly heard him say under his 

breath “. . . this Christmas-tree order.” 

All of us knew him by his code name 

“Dad”, and though his ventures with 

his ‘truck’ at Bisley brought him into 

the news, no-one ever feared he would 

take over from Fangio. 

For those seeking to “get on” let me 

recount how not to go about it. Picture 

the scene, extended line coming down 

a slope approaching a river (quite 

deep) and me being right behind my 

company commander who by a stroke 

of good fortune was heading straight 

for a timber bridge (with me close on 

his heels smiling at my good luck), 

believe in C Coy). In spite of his short 

association with the Scottish he always 

spoke of it with great affection and 

when I met him as he joined this 

Home some four years ago, he was 

delighted to hear of my connection 

with D Coy. 

I have pleasure in enclosing my 

cheque for £10.00. 

With compliments of the season, 

T. W. McHattie 

Woodcote Grove House 

Woodcote Park 

Coulsdon, Surrey CR3 2XL 

The Secretary and Editors thank T. W. 

McHattie on behalf of the Regimental 

Trust for his most generous donation 

-0. 

when from the far right flank the 

cheery voice of a fellow officer “I say 

Dickie, can I move in a bit”, and being 

given a negative answer in the most 

appropriate way. As we crossed, the 

Coy Cdr and I, bone dry, I had the 

terrible feeling that I would never 

make it through that day, leave alone 

through the camp! But I did. 

I had word over Christmas from 

Kester and from my old London Scottish 

friend here in Melbourne by way of a 

card, but things were very quiet. 

However, as the year wears on, maybe 

things will improve, and I may hear 

from some more old comrades of 

mine. I had the unique distinction of 

receiving not one, but TWO, letters 

from Paul Hammond, who asked if I 

had handed in all my kit! Look forward 

to hearing from many more of you. 

Wish you all well, hope you all go 

from strength to strength and who 

knows, maybe I shall see you all in 

your new Hall soon. 

Yours aye, 

A. B. Hardinge, 

20 Eastfield Road 

Ringwood East 

Victoria 3135 

SAD NEWS FROM BETTY HALL 

4/l/90 

Sir, 

I received a late Christmas Card 

this year from Betty Hall, wife of Eric 

(Pancho) Hall giving me the sad news 

of Eric’s death on 24th October last. 

As you probably know, Eric was 

the big drummer in the 2nd Bn Band 

from its inception in April ‘39 until 

transferring to the R.A.F. in ‘41 for 

pilot training. He was commissioned 

and flew Dakotas. 

After the war he started up a very 

successful office equipment business 

-sold out and retired to Royston 

(Herts) some years ago - Betty tells 

me they had just celebrated their 

Golden Wedding-how lucky can you 

get? 

19

Marvellous company and the life 

and soul of any party - Eric. He 

didn’t like to be called ‘Pancho’. He is 

yet another old chum who will be so 

sadly missed, and another source of 

laughter which has gone out of our 

lives. 

What a twit I am - last Tuesday 

(2nd January) - complete with 

Regimental tie, etc. etc. I went up to 

‘95’ only to find it in complete darkness 

except for one tiny window - so I did 

a more or less smart about-turn and 

came home! Does this count for 

attendance allowance? 

Gerry, 

22 Becketts Place 

Becketts Wharf 

Lower Teddington Road 

Hampton Wick, 

Kingston Upon Thames 

(The one tiny window was probably 

Alan Morris’s - Ed) 

ROAD TO RESISTANCE 

9/l/90 

Sir 

I enclose an item which my fellow 

ex-London Scots may find interesting. 

George Millar in his book “Road to 

Resistance” says he joined “Ours” in 

the Euston Road and then trained 

with the ITC of the Gordons in 

Aberdeen. Later he was commissioned 

in the Rifle Brigade. 

Best wishes to all at 95 Horseferry 

Road. 

The Auld Alliance 

Last year the general assembly of 

the Marquis de L’Ain was held on the 

8th October. After ceremonies of 

Remembrance in the town, up to 450 

members and guests wined and dined 

at L’Espace, 1500 Avenue de Verdun. 

It was a truly memorable day meeting 

former companions of the resistance. 

20 

At its end once again it was farewell 

to Amberlieu, for it was from here on 

20th September ‘44 that George Millar 

and I flew home. Mission 

accomplished! 

G. Nornable 

13 Little Norton Lane 

Sheffield S8 8GA 

A WELL-DESERVED 

COMPLIMENT TO THE 

SCOTTISH 

29/l/90 

Sir, 

I would like to draw the attention of 

all who have served in the Scottish to 

the compliment paid to the Regiment 

by H. J. Messer, the author of a book 

entitled Able Seaman R.N. V.R. recently 

published by Merlin Books Ltd. I 

quote the following passage from the 

book - “One of the pleasures of 

belonging to the R.N.V.R. was the 

hospitality received from the T.A. 

Often I was the only sailor present and 

in consequence was plied with booze. 

The London Scottish were the worst 

culprits, and so great was their generous 

hospitality that I had to limit my 

intake and my visits. 

The other London Territorial 

Regiments were almost, I repeat almost 

as hospitable as the Scottish.” 

Bob Messer lives in the same Devon 

village as I do and he recognised my 

Scottish tie. It would be interesting to 

hear from pre-war members who may 

remember entertaining him at HQ. 

I can highly recommend his book 

which gives a vivid insight into life 

below decks in the wartime Navy. 

Peter Johnstone, 

4 Putsborough Close 

Georgeham 

Braunton 

North Devon EX33 1JX 

JOCK SPIERS 

30/l/90 

Sir, 

In a recent letter from Jock Sturrock 

he refers to the death of Jock Spiers, a 

piper in the 1st Bn 39/45. Jock Sturrock 

remembers “he was quite a character 

and a damn good piper.” 

By the same post I received a letter 

from my friend Steve Spence, lately a 

young officer in the Toronto Scottish, 

enclosing an obituary to Sgt. Colin 

Campbell. This may be of some interest 

to readers of the Gazette. 

Colin Duff 

Steve writes:- Colin Campbell was a 

good friend of mine and the other 

Toronto Scots. He piped at our 

wedding, and did a fine job-perhaps 

the following words might make your 

Gazette. 

Regards 

Steve 

SGT. COLIN CAMPBELL 

A popular and devoted member of the 

Toronto Scottish, Colin Campbell died 

suddenly in November last at the age 

of 4 1. Not content to rest on his laurels 

as a piper, he also undertook a 

considerable amount of historical 

research on the history of the Regiment, 

as well as amassing a fine collection of 

badges, medals and documents. Before 

the Queen Mother’s visit last July, 

Colin arranged and itemized the 

displays in the Regimental Museum at 

Fort York Armoury which was opened 

by Her Majesty, and he subsequently 

took on the responsibilities as curator. 

He also found time to be involved 

with his Clan Association, as well as 

being Honorary Piper to the Clans 

and Scottish Societies of Canada. 

Colin will be sorely missed.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER LAW 

OBE, TD, MD, FRCS 

Tribute to a Great London Scot 

‘Scotty’ Law came to The London 

Scottish in March 1939 as Medical 

Officer to 1st Battalion, having, it is 

said, ‘waited three years for such an 

opportunity’. But in the six years of 

the war that followed he was to see 

little of his adopted Regiment, and 

though he rejoined the Battalion after 

the war, his exceptional skills as a 

surgeon kept him from the regimental 

soldiering of the front-line that he so 

longed for. Considering the sum of his 

years of service with The London 

Scottish as an attached officer - 

eleven months between 1939 and 1947 

- his contribution to the livelihood of 

the Regiment over that time, as well as 

his commitment to the furtherance of 

Scottish affairs in the years that 

followed, is all the more remarkable. 

His death in November 1989, after a 

lifetime of distinguished service to the 

field of medicine cannot pass therefore, 

without fitting tribute to him, one of 

our most devoted champions. 

Though actually born a Scot, ‘Scotty’ 

as he has always been affectionately 

known, grew up in Leeds. He was 

educated at Giggleswick School where 

he was head boy from 1927-1929 and 

captain of football, as well as CSM 

and Drum Major in the OTC. He 

ehtered St. John’s College Cambridge 

to read medicine in 1930, and for the 

next seven years-both at Cambridge 

and as a ‘freshman’ at the London 

Hospital Medical College - chalked 

up a splendid record of achievements 

towards his chosen profession - 

Foundation Scholarship and 1st Class 

Natural Sciences Tripos, Part 1 - 

1931; BA - 1932; MRCS, LRCP - 

January 1935; MB, B.Chir - June 

1935; FRCS (Eng) - May 1937. 

Throughout this period he also played 

rugger for college and Varsity, and 

later whilst at the London Hospital, 

for several hospital teams, when 

doubtless he first came into our ken 

through his contact with The London 

Scottish Rugby Club. 

Although he found time for the 

Cambridge University OTC (he was 

CSM there in 1932) there is no record 

of his further involvement in military 

activities until 1938, when as Medical 

Officer attached to The Westminster 

Dragoons (the forebears of our 

‘armoured’ neighbours in Horseferry 

Road) he aspired to effect a transfer to 

The Scottish. This transfer took effect 

in March 1939, and in September of 

the same year he was confirmed in his 

appointment as Medical Officer, 1st 

Battalion. Mobilisation was by then 

well under way, and it was not long 

before ‘higher formation’decreed that 

Mr Law was too valuable an officer to 

be squandered on a mere battalion, 

and he was moved up to a surgical 

post at a General Field Hospital with 

the rank of a captain. Early in 1940 the 

Gazette recorded “The Regiment has 

lost a good sportsman, a splendid 

MO, a loyal friend, and a great London 

Scot.“(See Feature, No 529 Vol XLV, 

January 1940). 

The London Scottish saw very little 

of ‘Scotty’ for the remainder of the 

war, but he continued to correspond 

with the Regiment throughout, and 

little snippets of news appeared in 

Gazettes over those years: February 

1943 - Major, with Field Surgical 

Unit in North Africa; October 1943 

-award of the OBE for service in the 

Central Mediterranean Force; March 

1945 - promotion to Lieutenant 

Colonel, General Hospital with CMF 

(Italy). 

Later in that year, with the outbreak 

of Peace and a severe shortage of 

casualties, ‘Scotfy’ was one of the first 

to be demobilised, and scarcely had 

the dust settled over the war in the 

Pacific, took himself off to the United 

States on a Rockerfeller Scholarship 

to carry out further medical studies in 

Boston. When he returned to England 

just over a year later, he came armed 

with the wherewithal to pioneer the 

first metal hip implants ever to be 

carried out in this country. 

At about this time he found the time 

and opportunity to make a return to 

his beloved ‘Scottish’. In June 1947 it 

was announced that, along with Padre 

Scott, ‘Scotty’ was to be attached to 

1st Battalion as part of the new 

peacetime establishment of six officers, 

plus two ‘attached’. As we have already 

seen ‘attachments’ can be nebulous 

and transitory things, and, as was to 

be expected, the ADMS and his minions 

intervened, so that within a month 

‘Scotty’ had been recalled to a ‘higher 

estate’ as OIC Surgical Division of a 

General Hospital. Though he never 

again served with The Scottish, he 

remained with the RAMC for almost 

a further twenty years peacetime 

service, resulting in his award of the 

Territorial Decoration. 

His achievements in the extremely 

specialised field of research into, and 

development of the technique of cup 

arthroplasty - the operation of pain 

relief and increased motion in arthritic 

joints - particularly the hip, have 

won him many accolades from surgeons 

the world over. Not least of all from 

the Honorary Editor of the Gazette, 

who, whilst he is not a medical man 

himself, underwent surgery for an 

arthritic hip under ‘Scotty’s’ own 

capable hands in 1973, and can therefore, 

testify from first-hand experience. In 

1983, at the age of 75,‘Scotty’ became 

a victim himself, and after having 

performed over 10,000 successful hip 

implants on others, underwent surgery 

for a ‘cement-free’ hip joint 

replacement that had been pioneered 

by his own surgeon and protege, 

Michael Freeman. 

In retirement, ‘Scotty’ devoted much 

of his leisure time to the affairs of The 

London Scottish, in particular those 

sporting interests which had influenced 

his character and outlook in much 

earlier days. He was elected President 

of The London Scottish Football Club 

in 1973, and Captain of The London 

Scottish Regimental Association 

Golfing Society in 1979. 

The Royal College of Surgeons 

appointed him Hunterian Professor in 

1963 and Watson James Lecturer in 

1978. He was a past President of the 

Orthopaedic Section of the Royal 

College of Medicine and was awarded 

the Gold Medal of the British 

Orthopaedic Association. In all things 

Scots, he was one of our greatest 

ambassadors south of the Border - 

Life Governor and Honorary Surgeon 

of the Royal Scottish Corporation, 

and President of the Caledonian 

Society in London. 

21

‘Scotty’ never received a knighthood, 

and much as he might have deserved 

one, he would probably have worn 

that ultimate accolade with some 

discomfort. For he was ‘one of us’, or 

to quote Robert Burns: 

“A prince can make a belted knight, 

A marquis, duke and all that; 

But an honest man’s aboon his might, 

Guid faith, he maunna fa’ that!” 

MAJOR JAMES FINDLAY DSO 

I was saddened to see in the Aberdeen 

Press and Journal the news of Jimmy’s 

death on New Year’s Day. 

I knew Jimmy well, being both 

company officers and playing for the 

Battalion Rugby Team. He was a 

most energetic man as befitted a prewar 

game hunter. I believe he supplied 

Zoos with his catches; he had a degree 

in Zoology. 

On one occasion just before the 

capture of Teano in Italy, I remember 

being sent out on day patrol and 

Jimmy attaching himself with 

enthusiasm-unofficially at that -to 

show me the way over a dry, sunken 

river bed which he had been negotiating 

successfully the previous day. We 

were fired on from a large, isolated 

house and it was only with difficulty 

that I persuaded him to go back to his 

Company, as he could have got into 

serious trouble. That was typical of 

the man. 

I met Jimmy once or twice after the 

war where he had a busy life with 

Gray Watt & Co., but I understand 

that his health was not too good. 

Jimmy was a Gordon Highlander 

posted to the 1st Bn The London 

Scottish. He won the DSO at Anzio 

where I gather he reached as ‘A’ Coy 

Commander with just a handful of 

men, their objective - thus relieving 

the 3rd Bde and the 1st Gordons. 

I was leaving hospital in Algiers 

when some Scots Guards crossed the 

road to shake hands with me because I 

was a London Scot. The news of the 

good show put up by the London 

Scots at Anzio had reached them. 

Our deep sympathy goes out to 

Jimmy’s wife and family in their sad 

bereavement. 

Alex Murray 

GORDON HARRY ASHTON 

FOWLER 

Sadly, another of our Winifredians 

is no longer with us. He died, aged 95, 

Stop Press 

Gordon Highlander Regimental News 

1990. The Battalion at this very moment are embarking 

for Exercise Tartan Tusk in Kenya. The last time we were 

there was from 1961-1963 and what a marvellous posting 

it was! I believe the training areas are the same now as 

they were. No doubt we will be subjected to a mass of 

hairy stories about close shaves with elephants, rhinos 

and lions etc from everyone when they get back. It will be 

most interesting to know how Slim Barracks, Gilgil has 

been maintained particularly as the Battalion almost 

built it originally! Soon after returning from Kenya the 

Battalion starts training in earnest for the Northern 

Ireland tour which starts June and finishes in December. 

Regimentally it will be a busy social year and the week 

of the Big Blaw will be a grand period for Gordon Family 

get-togethers. Functions to note are as follows: 

22 

Date 

23 March 

29 April 

12 June 

14 June 

15 June 

on the 2nd December and was buried 

at Brentwood. Two of his brothers 

also served in the Scottish. 

He joined before WWl and was 

well established as an athlete and a 

sniper before the outbreak of hostilities. 

He fought at Messines, was wounded, 

and fought again at Loos. Early in 

1916 he was commissioned into the 

23rd Middlesex and later transferred 

to the Corps of Guides in the Indian 

Army, from which he was finally 

discharged in April 1919. He stayed 

on and joined the Bank of India in 

Calcutta - where he met all four of 

his original gun crew who joined the 

same organisation unaware of each 

others presence. 

He attended reunions of the 

Winifredians and “14 - 18” after his 

retirement to England and retained a 

lively interest in things Scottish, writing 

on several occasions to fill in missing 

details in articles in the Gazette. 

I well remember him visiting ‘59’ in 

1980 and telling me that they used the 

model of the Titanic (there for the 

enquiry held at our Headquarters in 

1913) for evening target practice. 

Our sympathy goes to his sister, 

Mrs. Westcott, and his many nephews 

and nieces. 

Alan Morris 

Event 

Regimental Dinner, Aberdeen 

Regimental Gathering, Bridge of Don, 

Aberdeen. Everyone welcome. 

2000 hours. Drinks party for all Gordon 

Highlanders and wives at your London 

Scottish Drill Hall. Please apply for tickets 

for this from your Regimental Secretary. 

Reception in the Banqueting Hall. By 

invitation only. 

Officers and Ladies Luncheon - 

Caledonian Club. 

Regimental Dinner at the Caledonian 

Club. 

‘Bydand’

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London Scottish Regimental Gazette - G (London Scottish)

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