RRS 05 MARCH.pdf - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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RUGBY by Capt B J Wharfe If one of the purposes of sport in the Army is to better prepare soldiers for operations then arriving at the Manila International Test Festival to face international stars Frano Botica (All Blacks), Elton Flatley (Australia) John Bentley (Lions), and Phil Greening (England) in our first game certainly brings back that rush of adrenaline. We had been fortunate in an operationally uncertain season to continue the annual tradition of a rugby tour to the Far East and the team is very grateful to Battalion HQ and department heads for their support and faith in facilitating the tour. The team arrived in Manila in good condition. Although the season had been very busy it was the first time in recent history that all personnel from across the Battalion were available for selection and training. Our first game was against Leighton Larrikins, a semi professional contracted side backed by Australian construction corporation Leighton, new comers to the tournaments, and favourites for this year’s Cup and almost laughing openly at the wee lads from Scotland. The Battalion team absorbed the crushing impact of the Larrikins full frontal aggressive rugby, and replied to every score with a strong counter attack. The lead flipped breathlessly from side to side through four tries and was clinched by a conversion in the closing whistle, 12 points to 10; our first game SAILING SUMMER 2008 and we had defeated the tournament favourites. The next two pool games were against an easier opposition and we kept a clean score sheet beating Para Todu 27-0 and Taipei Baboons 22-0. Saturday night the team kept their focus and discipline and the self imposed alcohol ban of the previous night was strictly adhered to by all, reinforcing the team unity. Kowloon Rugby Club from Hong Kong was swept aside in the Quarter finals 31-7. Then the Battalion faced their second huge challenge, the semi final against Royal Sun Alliance Asia Barbarians; a big, fit, strong and disciplined side with huge financial backing. Within five minutes we were down 12-0, but the comeback to enter half time 12-12 was an exemplary display of courage that won the hearts of the spectators. A further try and converted try in the second half and no points against secured the win 22-12. The Battalion were applauded from the field and the performance summed up by the match commentator, “The Black Watch machine is now running very smoothly.” We were through to the final to face our nemesis the Singapore Barbarians who had denied us the Cup many times before. The sixth game in two days was fifteen minutes each way in hot humid conditions upon which lay several months of training, preparation, fund raising and anticipation. The relatively small squad of fifteen, including management from Scotland, had already won the hearts of the spectators and every break, counterattack and tackle was met with rapturous cheers of applause from the crowd. The cheers, whoops, sighs and arrgghs of the crowd flipped back and forth as the score leapfrogged from side to side until the final minute of the game and still nothing separated the two teams at 17-17. But it was The Black Watch in possession and Pte Vakalala deep in his own half spotted the gap in the opposition defence and chipped through to Pte Mulase at full speed scything through the defence and on to glory 22-17. The Battalion team had already been enjoying the legacy and tradition of previous years but this was intensified and reinforced by the Cup win. The win in Manila was the highlight of five successful tournaments as the team had already won the Army Community Shield Competition defeating the Grenadier Guards 33- 10. Continuing the success the team went on to win the Strathspey 10s tournament, the Lochaber Sevens and the Isle of Mull Sevens. Five tournament wins and the team remain undefeated in 25 games while three members of the Manila squad are now representing the Army Sevens team. by Lt A J Colquhoun In the last 12 months the battalion has managed to send a number of people away sailing. In September 2007, at late notice, Lt Andy Colquhoun sailed across the Atlantic as a watch leader from the Canary Islands to Brazil as part of BAAE (British Army Antarctica Expedition); on a later leg Pte Luke Stott and Pte Gary Laidlaw sailed on a round trip from the Falklands Islands via South Georgia. Closer to home there have been two opportunities this summer to sail off the West Coast of Scotland. Three people a week throughout the summer were given the opportunity to participate in Ex SCOTWEST. Ex SCOTWEST a Navy led Joint Service expedition which qualifies soldier at competent crew or day skipper level on a boat which sails between Ardfern and Kyle of Lochalsh all summer. The second opportunity was a on a week long expedition led by Lt Andy Colquhoun on a chartered boat sailing out of Dunstaffnage, near Oban. For their Adventure Training week of the Advanced Soldier cadre, 7 NCOs and Jocks were introduced to a floating way of life onboard Westerly Sealord, a Corsair 34. The week took saw the boat stopping at Tobermory, Kyleakin, Seale and Inverie. The Jocks were able to see wildlife at first hand: seals, dolphins and lots of wildfowl. Each day a pair from the crew were tasked with cooking, for some this was their first experience at cooking, a huge achievement considering the THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND JOURNAL – MARCH
3 scots tight confines of the yacht’s galley! There were no culinary disasters although a little more practice would not go amiss. The expedition took the Jocks out of their comfort zone as they were forced to live and work in an unfamiliar environment and, with winds gusting up to Force 7, experienced some hard sailing as well. Some have ended the summer with a desire to do some more sailing, others glad for the experience but happy on firm land! Skipper Lt Colquhoun and 1st Mate Sgt Rennie Lt Colquhoun on the Helm at sunrise 60 miles south of the Equator Pte Whittaker enjoying a swim off the island of Mull Pte Greer The Crew on Sealord getting used to their foul weather gear 93
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The Royal Regiment of Scotland Marc
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RHQ Journal The Royal Regiment of S
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Promotions and Appointments 513345
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553554 Capt DA Hunter SO3 G7 Trg, H
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24738964 Capt (LE) STEVEN RAE COY 2
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extracts from the london gazette Ex
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extracts from the london gazette TA
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articles Trip to Arras 10 November
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articles leadership through the atl
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ARTICLES the 2nd Battalion lay dead
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The boat moves down the East coast
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The team stop for a quick photo as
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Obituaries 25079101 Corporal Barry
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Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment
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2Lt Charlie Grant Charlie was Educa
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THE ROYAL SCOTS BORDERERS 1ST BATTA
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A Company OC: 2IC: CSM: CQMS: Maj I
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MiTTing in Basra during Op TELIC 11
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Unit Search Advisor and nominated O
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B COMPANY OC: 2IC: CSM: CQMS: Maj W
Page 44 and 45: C Company by Major Alex Rennie MBE
Page 46 and 47: RHINE COMPANY / D COMPANY Rhine Com
Page 48 and 49: PJNCO Cadre - Pte Allen receiving o
Page 50 and 51: Cpl 'Benny' Muirhead finds a friend
Page 52 and 53: the Platoon quickly settled into th
Page 54 and 55: THE ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS 2ND BA
Page 56 and 57: MASTIFF eases its way through deep
Page 58 and 59: 2 SCOTS ADVENTURE TRAINING IN SCOTL
Page 60 and 61: c company - Kabul Patrols Company (
Page 62 and 63: invited to sift through all our rec
Page 64 and 65: Hand over of The Colours The Duke o
Page 66 and 67: AFGHAN CO-ORDINATION IN MUSA QALEH
Page 68 and 69: WO2 S Temple, Maj M Luckyn-Malone a
Page 70 and 71: The Afghan MPV support to district
Page 72 and 73: The RAO, A/WO2 McDowall, A/SSgt You
Page 74 and 75: Preparation of the Environment. In
Page 76 and 77: NEW ARRIVALS 30029097 FUSILIER A DU
Page 78 and 79: Alpha (Grenadier) Company OC: Maj M
Page 80 and 81: Ex DRUIDS DANCE - B Coy in Shanty T
Page 82 and 83: giggle at the beginning but we were
Page 84 and 85: Ptes Siata, Cassidy, and Sinuleiwas
Page 86 and 87: PM Paton, Pte McKay, Pte Gonsales a
Page 88 and 89: Bonding with the local population C
Page 90 and 91: KIRK NOTES by Padre: Reverend D And
Page 92 and 93: BATTALION FIELDSPORTS CLUB Living w
Page 96 and 97: the highlanders 4th battalion the r
Page 98 and 99: demanding period for all with the B
Page 100 and 101: Jocks and Iraqi Army share a meal h
Page 102 and 103: in Basra as it was required up in t
Page 104 and 105: the argyll and sutherland highlande
Page 106 and 107: trench systems and bunkers that the
Page 108 and 109: Company operation to secure another
Page 110 and 111: A Company HQ OC’s Tac: Main HQ: C
Page 112 and 113: cleared the area, we pushed forward
Page 114 and 115: Aftermath of a motorbike borne suic
Page 116 and 117: 4 PLATOON Pl Comd: 2Lt Barclay. Pl
Page 118 and 119: 5 PLATOON NOTES Pl Comd: Pl Sgt: Se
Page 120 and 121: deployment to Afghanistan in early
Page 122 and 123: JOCKS VIEW OF EXTENDED RURAL PATROL
Page 124 and 125: Inside FOB Keenan Lt Trickey studyi
Page 126 and 127: Operation MAR JANOOB 3 by Lieutenan
Page 128 and 129: Mastiff callsign scans for enemy po
Page 130 and 131: Sgt Carter and Cpl Carnegie Pte Dav
Page 132 and 133: AIO’s J2 CELL The build up to Op
Page 134 and 135: Tweedie Force at FOB Keenan This di
Page 136 and 137: Adjutant General’s Corps Detachme
Page 138 and 139: SIGNAL PLATOON NOTES RSO: RSWO: Sig
Page 140 and 141: Many of the events are subsidised a
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OFFICERS MESS 2IC D Coy, CSM and OC
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THE GALLERY Pte Davies and Pte Gova
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THE GALLERY ANP at Northern Checkpo
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B Coy Remembrance Sunday at RSF Mem
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C COY OC: 2IC: PSAO: Maj N Ord/Maj
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ecognised as 7 SCOTS Annual Camp. T
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1st infantry TRAINING BATTALION ITC
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The Band of the Royal Regiment of S
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The Band outside Holyrood ourselves
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Honorary Colonel, Colonel Ricky Gra
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Ready to give a helping hand - two
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SSI Jappy performs skill at arms te
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BTEC AWARD Inverurie Detachment Arm
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left due to a move to Hong Kong, or
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The Canadian Cadets being presented
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Holly Tattam from Creetown at the h
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to visit ‘Flanders Fields’, the
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LOTHIAN AND BORDERS ARMY CADET FORC
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