Journal - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

3 scots
THE BLACK WATCH
3RD BATTALION THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND
BATTALION UPDATE
The latter half of 2007 was a tremendously
busy period for the Battalion, the likes
of which had not been seen since our
deployment to Iraq in 2004. During the
summer the Army’s enduring operation in
Northern Ireland (Op BANNER) ended, the
lack of fanfare was deliberate and closed
an uncomfortable period in modern
British history. The immediate fall out for
the Battalion came under operational
command of 19 Light Brigade from 39
(Irish) Brigade, and we became susceptible
for RAAT tasks.
Immediately after summer leave the
tasks and deployments began; A Coy
sent a platoon to Malawi to assist the
Platoon Commanders Division (PCD)
final exercise, B Coy deployed to the
Falklands as the Roulement Infantry
Company (FIRIC) over Christmas, and D
Coy assisted the UKSF selection escape
and evasion exercise. The Battalion also
began to convert to the BOWMAN radio
system, the Mortar Platoon conducted a
Scotland based cadre and a demanding
JNCO cadre was run. In November and
December the Black Watch bid farewell
to Palace Barracks and moved from
Belfast to Fort George, Inverness.
If this was not enough at the
beginning of November the Battalion
was tasked to provide the Small Scale
Focussed Intervention Battle Group
(SSFI BG). Due to continuing operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan some of the
UK’s usual high readiness troops will be
unavailable during much of 2008 and
thus to ensure there is no capability
gap and that some contingency
forces remain available, the SSFI BG
has been formed. This task will put
the Battalion at a reduced notice to
move to deploy to any trouble spot
across the world for a 3 month period.
The battle group is vast, with some
18 attached elements. The Battalion
has had to re-role to the light role
in just 5 weeks from a standing start
– a massive undertaking by any
measure. For those not previously
based in Northern Ireland, it must
be appreciated that resident Infantry
battalions are not equipped or scaled
as a normal mainland light role infantry
battalion. Therefore, concurrently to a
unit move the Battalion has travelled
the length and breadth of the UK to
gather some 200 vehicles and trailers,
and a unit’s worth of BOWMAN radios to
Fort George. Preparation of individuals
has been just as significant; on arrival at
the Fort many have been taken either
straight to the ranges, out on exercise or
to the Medical Centre for an injection!
The Battalion will deploy imminently on
test exercises to Otterburn and South
Cerney at the beginning of February in
order to assume the role in time.
These Exercises will be the first time
the whole Battalion has been together
for approximately 20 months due to A
Coy and 15 Pl’s deployments to Iraq.
Once the role as the SSFI BG has
been assumed, and if we are not
deployed anywhere, the Battalion
will finish the BOWMAN conversion
started in Belfast. Only at this point,
Easter, will there be an opportunity
for everyone to catch their breath and
begin to find some form of routine
in the Battalion’s new home for a few
years. This will, however, be short lived,
as the preparation for Ex GRAND PRIX
in September 2008 gets underway as
we also undertake Ceremonial Duties in
Edinburgh, a JNCO Cadre in June and
Battalion CAST in July.
B COMPANY – “HAPPY BOOTS – PATROLLING WITH THE PENGUINS”
by Major A G Tait
As the good people of the Falkland
Islands celebrated the 25 th anniversary
of their liberation and remembered
the sacrifices made by the British Task
Force on Remembrance Sunday, B
Coy from 3SCOTS were finally leaving
Belfast. B Coy was deployed as the
Falkland Island’s Roulement Infantry
Company (FIRIC) or RIC for short. Whilst
media attention quite rightly focuses
on the British Troops deployed in
Afghanistan and Iraq there are still also
approximately 1,500 Service Personnel
based in and around Mount Pleasant
Airfield on East Falkland. The British
Forces South Atlantic Island’s mission
is to deter Argentinean aggression
and reassure the local population of
the UK’s commitment to protect their
sovereignty. Commanded by a 1* their
remit stretches from the Ascension
Islands near the equator down to the
South Sandwich Islands and includes
forces as diverse as the Antarctic Survey
Ship HMS ENDURANCE, an F3 Tornado
Squadron and an Infantry Company
which for November and December
2007 was B Coy.
We took over from B Coy, 1 PWRR
(an Armoured Infantry Company) and
handed over to F Coy, Scots Guards (a
Public Duties Coy fresh from guarding
the HRH at Balmoral). To bring us up to
the mandated strength of a Rifle Coy
Gp, B Coy was reinforced by 15 Platoon
from D Coy, individual volunteers from
C Coy and Sigs Pl, MT and Catering
detachments. Whilst the Coy had to
spend Christmas away, we also missed
out on the chore of the Arms Plot move
to Inverness and so bid an early farewell
to Belfast in late autumn, moved families
over to Inverness and made the 8000
mile journey into the South Atlantic
just in time for their summer. The snow
storms that greeted our arrival did not
enhance the “hard sell” of the positive
aspects of the Falklands deployment that
myself and CSM McGilp and had given
the Jocks. They in turn announced their
arrival to a stunned and packed NAAFI
with a stand up Braveheart themed X
factor sing off against the departing
English Infantry Coy. Meanwhile,
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