HLI Chronicle 1907 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE.
147
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WEDNESDAY, 3RD JULY.-Paraded at 6 a.m.
Marched to Dunning, about ten miles. Got
there at 9.30, and were informed that the
convoy had given up retreating and resolved to
make a stand on th~ Ochil Hills. Those hills
looked' like Swiss mountains from Dunning
Camp. Th", men only had a cup of tea and
biscuit at Perth, and the order arrived that we
'v~re to make a reconnaissance in force up
those mountains and find out their position.
Our first effort was a hill 1064 feet high. This
height was successfully occupied at 11 a.m.
Whilst we were marching up from Dunning to
attack this hill the Secretary of State for War
passed. the Battalion in his motor. He looked
very angry, and it turned cmt that our Signalling
Officer, not knowing him by sight, had
expostulated with him for keeping his motor
car in the way of his heliograph. After
reaching the top of this hill we all had had
enough; but we had yet another one to scale,
down a deep donga. We found the position
that the Force had taken up, and about two
o'clock the c,ease-fire went. The men had
done splendidly. We had had a real hard day.
We had a three-mile march back tO,Dunning
Camp. In, the evening four Companies of
the K.O.S.B. joined ourForce~ from. Barry
Camp, and our Force consistqd Qf· the Greys,
two guns, 72nd ,J3att. RF.A.,. £01,1r' Companies
K.O.S.B., four Companies 2nd H.!..I. General
MacBean had taken over command of the
enemy's Force, which consisted of the 18th
Hussars, four Companies Seaforth Highlanders;
Lanark Volunteer ArtilIery, 6 guns, and were
encamped round Auchterarder. Our Signalling
Officer was wounded slightly to-day. He
tripped up over a stone and hurt his ankle.
This was our only casualty, and Private
Snooks fainted at the sight of the first hill we
scaled. .~
THURSDAY, 4TH JULY.-A very hard day.
Paraded at 2.30a.m., and marched about
six miles iit was pouring with rain, and everyone
was soaked to the skin by 4 a.m.) up to
hill known as John's Hill, on the Ochik It
was terribly misty, and one could not see
more than about fifty yards. The idea was
that, having found out General Mac:Bean's
dispositions the day before, our Brigadier
decided to attack the position. We were to
make a holding attack, whilst the Greys
were to attack his flanks.' Operations were
not to begin: till 9 a.m. So we had to wait
from 6 till' 9 on the top of this hill in the c91cJ:
and rain. Most of us will never forget this,
as the cold was awful, and the rain came
down in buckets. "About 8 a.m., suddeIilv,
about fifty yarfis off, a troop of the 18tH
Hussars appeared.' They ran right into us;
never thinking we were there. We easili
dis}osed of them, and they were put out 9f
action. Abollt 9 a.m. the fog cleared, and we
were ordered to advance. The enemy's ;~jU,
position wasAl.bout five miles off. One col_ti
of the Grey;:Under Major Miller. hl1