HLI Chronicle 1915 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE.
123
3rd Battalion Notes.
THE Battalion has been under canvas at
Malleny Camp, Currie, Midlothian, .for over
two months, having arrived there on June 4th.
Three trains brought llil up, and the journey
was accomplished with comfort and expedition-the
first train arriving well up to its
scheduled time. The Camp is situated at the
foot of the Pentlands, and just below the Black
Hill; and on fine days there is a lovely view
over to Fife, the Forth Bridge standing out
.prominently. For the first ten days the weather
was all that could be desired, and everyone
agreed that it was ~ welcome change from the
stuffiness of Gosport. That opinion, however,
'has been somewhat modified, as since the
above-named period it has not only rained
but deluged almost every day, and storms,
with thunder and lightning, have been very
frequent. St. Swithin's was a very wet day,
and the old tradition attaching to it has been
worthily upheld. The officers' lines have
been bad enough, but the men's have literally
been a sea of mud. But, all things considered,
sickness has not been so prevalent as might
have been expected. Given ordinarily good
weather it is a capital training camp. The
range is close by, and we share it with the
3rd Argylls (Norton Hall Camp) and the 3rd
Royal Scots (Glencorse). The country is good
for man~uvring, trench-digging, and night
operations, and we get a good dose of all
three. Regarded from its social aspect, Edinburgh,
although only 7 or 8 miles distant, is
not particularly easy of access. The train
service is poor, and the only means of locomotion
from Currie Station is one's own legs,
which have to carry one up a hill of exceeding
stiffness, and the exorbitant prices asked by
Edinburgh taxi-drivers make that mode of
conveyance a somewhat expensive luxury.
After our arrival here there was a lull in the
sending out of drafts, but during the last 8
or 9 weeks we have been regularly sending out
drafts of 50 or 60-up till the beginning of
August, when Captain Telfer-Smollett and
Lieut. Campbell-Irons went-and on August
16th. Captain E. M. Grant and 2nd Lieuts.
Bendall and Broadhurst were sent for. No
other officers have gone.
Sports have been held every alternate
Wednesday, and without a single exception
they have been spoilt by the weather.
Captain J ackson has gone as an assistant
instructor of young officers to Belfast, where
for about a couple of months Captain Telfer­
Smollett held sway. Lieut. .J. W. Findlay
has gone as Adjutant to superintend the Bantams
in the 14th Battalion, and is murmuring
his orders to the accompaniment of the sad
sea waves at Troon.
The drafts which have been sent out from
here have, on the whole, been good. Six
machine gunners went with the last~the first
that have been asked for since we left Gosport.
The Regiment felt very deeply the death
of Captain Alston. He had been Adjutant
for some time, and was very popular with
both officers and men. He went out to France
shortly before we left Gosport, and most
flattering accounts reached us from time to
time from the front of the useful work he was
doing there. A memorial service was held
in St. John's Church, Edinburgh, which was
largely attended, the Regiment being well
represented.
When we leave this Camp we are going into
billets in Leith.
AN event interesting to both the 1st and 2nd
Battalions took place at Balerno, Midlothian,
on the 11th August, 1915, when No. 7224
R.Q.M.S. E. A. Newbery was united in
marriage with Miss Mary Margaret M'Coll,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. :If'Coll of Millport,
Bute. Our sincere wishes are extended to
the happy pair.
3RD BATTALION HIGHLAND LIGHT
INFANTRY.
OFFICERS AND OTHER RANKS WHO HAVE LEFT
THE BATTALION SINCE MAY 31ST TO ,TOIN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, ETC.
OFFICERS.
Capt. J. A. Balfour, June 1st, with 170 other
ranks, to 1st Battalion.
Capt. A. P. D. Telfer-Smollett, July 27th,
to Entrenching Battalion, RE.F.
Lieut. A. Campbell-Irons, July 30th, to
Entrenching Battalion.
Capt. E. M. Grant, 2nd Lieut. J. Bendall, and
2nd Lieut. A. F. B. Broadhurst, August
16th, to Entrenching Battalion, RE.ll'.
Lieut. A. H. Ferrers-Guy and 2nd Lieut.
H. ::\:1. Scott, August 13th, to 1st Gn.
Battalion Royal Scots (for India).