HLI Chronicle 1907 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICJ.,E. 161 House, Pitlochry, on "leave," everyone having permission to wear mufti. The reason for this was very soon obvious, as the" war" was being taken very seriously in the Highlands. Both sides, long before the outbreak, were endeavouring to find out what the other was about. Athol swarmed with Lovat spies; and we of Tullibardine's, at Athol, were by no means behind in our efforts to get behind the veil of. secrecy up in the north. The advanced party of signallers received orders to layout a secret line to Killin from Ballinluig. The Greys being encamped at Killin, and Tullibardine having decided to crush the Greys at the outset, our job was to get wind of their departure, and direction of same, and to signal back the result. Thr~ugh the courtesy. of Mr. Butter, of Faskally, an enormous Delaunay Bellville car was placed at our dlsposal, and in three days we had fixed up our line right under the noses of the Greys, whose scouts were scouring the country. This was a terrible job, as the country was a vast swamp, rain coming in buckets. and the hills to climb seemed like the Alps. On the 16th we bade good-bye to Faskally, but were still destined to see a lot of it, as Faskally was one of our centres of intelligence. On the night of the 16th we joined the rest of the H:L.I. signallers, encamped at Dunkeld with the Scottish Horse. That night our signallers moved out, and took up our positions, lying "perdu" all the 17th. No tents were carried, and what the men had to. subsist upon for the next week was carried by themselves, along wit,h the signalling kit. Some stations went out by motor, others by "bike," and some by foot route. Lieut. Brodie went to the station near Killin by bicycle. Observers won't forget their appearance on arrival, or the look of joy when told that supper awaited them in a real Highland Inn, and that the drink was good. To appreeiate the ride, carrying what they did, one must look at the map. However, by hook and by crook all the stations were got out withcut being discovered. On the night of the 17th the writer cycled from Pitlochry to Amulree, via Kenmore, so as to meet the G.O.C. at 4 a.m. on the 18th (the outbreak of war). This ride was not without incident. At Kenmore he was marked down by a Lovat spy, and ran to earth at the hotel. News was quickly conveyed to the Greys. Two stalwart " seconds to none" planted themselves outllide the door, while other two took up their position in the back kitchen. Capture seemed inevitable, as the night was wearing oh, and Amulree was far away. My kit was on the back of the "bike," and I would have to change from mufti at 4 a.m., and then the Greys would have their innings. However, the waiter was a true Athol man, He br.ewed "browse," and plied the Greys in the back-kitchen with it. It had the desired effect, and in an ho1l1', or two the tracked one walked out of the backdoor between two loudly-snoring Greys .. When nearly at Amnlree a cyclist dressed as. a Lovat was encountered, and both of us fled " he " back to the Scottish Horse, to whom he belonged. Result-One Signalling Officer,very tired, chased up the hills by a yelling troop of Scottish Horse, whom he believed to be I.lovats, and vioe versa. However-mutual explanations and t,pologies. The morning of the 18th broke with the usual rain. J..ieut. Brodie quickly spotted the Greys moving out to Crieff, and sent the n,ews back; but, just as it got to Weem, the mi&t closed down, and signalling for the rest of the day was impossible, lhis undoubtedly saved Lovat and the Greys. Tullibardine lVas waiting at Amulree, and he could have got to Grieff long before' thtl Greys. Anotp.er· ten minutes would have got the message through. ThllS Tullibardine waited four hours befortj he heard that the Greys were en route for Crieff. The signallers were called in, and joined the Force on their" bikes." We all dashed for Crieff. Near Crieff we met the scouts of the 18th Hussars, who told us they had the Greys boxed up and all the roads blocked. We pushed on to Crieff, but as we descended we sa w the Greys comfortably trekking east along the one important road which by some bad luck the 18th Hussars had overlooked. With them went our last chance of making. a "no trump _hand." We pursued ha.rd, but the Greys fought a grand rear-guard action, and managed to join hands with the Fife and Fodar Imperial Yeomary. No peace for the signallers. Our O.C. decided to retreat to Dunkeld next. day, so the signallers pushed off at once, and managed to establish com,' munication' with Dunkeld. Others were sent to open up:communication with Faskally and Dunkeld, to get news of Lovat. The 19th saw the most of us back to our intrenched camp at Dunkeld. We had covered nearly eighty miles in two days. The ride to Crieff will not be forgotten in a hurry-trotting, canttlring, stumbling, along ll- Highland road in a pelting rain, with a,ll sorts, !Iond conditione of horses, from Argyn~hireponies. upwards.
,162 HIGHLAND .LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE. It was III great race, but the Greys won. We were now getting new! of Lovat. He was pushing .d~wn from the north. We had loca.ted the' Fife and Forfar and GreYs, hut .,l..ovat;,wasthe "nut." ; Again: Faskally was a I signaUing,'s.tatioIl:.: .!l'hihgs were getting very r:ealhitic., . E;very; hOilr ,narrowed the circle we ,001:11' .b~fore the attack during the,:bivoilacwasa great sight. We ,had! 110'· tel'llt!f,' and"less food,· Horses were constantly becoming loose and stampeding; in fact, it was the fnn of the fair. Sight must not be lost of the signalling station, which got to Craigie Barnes on the 18th. All that day and night they had no food. This be, coming known, everyone pitied them; the 18th Hussars sent them food; so did each regiment of the Scottish Horse; also from Headquarters and the Signallers, and again from the base camp. Not content with this, the plum puddings in tins were sent them on the night of the 17th, and rum carried by two stalwart Argyll" chiels." The puddings arrived, but not the "rum" ! B. H. B. SI BERKOVITCH &SONS, IMPORTERS AND BONDERS OF FINEST TURKISH TOBACCO IND OIGIRBTTB lIIIINUPIOTURERS. 89 GLASSHOUSE STREET, REGENT STREET, ~ LONDON, w. ~ Supply Omcel's' Mess Depot Scottish Rifles a.nd H.L.I.
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10253 Pte. J. Crowley, 16th Novembe
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The Shoulder Belt Plates of the 71s
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NOTES ON THE GAME. Lieut. Bryant ag
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HLI Chronicle 1907 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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