HLI Chronicle 1914 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANT:8Y CHRONICLE.If Ambala falls short of Lucknow in verymany ways, at least we are more fortunatehere than there in the matter of our place ofworship. Here it is at our very door; thereit was off the beaten track.. A nasty tempting storm at 5 o'clock didsome damage to the decorations which wil~inghands had been for weeks before preparmg,and which, with the kindly help of the Barrack­Master, Capt. Renwick, we were able to putup.. But the storm, fortunately, passed, andby 9 o'clock the evening was fine, and ourdecorations were righted.A special pipe band under Piper M'Kay a:sActing Pipe-Major had voluntered thell'help and these assembling at the manse,. marched " to the kirk to the tune of "Mac­pherson's Rant." ..With tea and "pokes," song, plpmg, anddancing, the evening passed merrily a~ wesat round the blazing fire; in our cheermessthe night's cold seemed to go unfelt. Thenat 11-25 the Commanding Officer, aCCOmpaniedby General Brunton and a largenumber of officers-our own and othersarrivedfrom the Mess.At the "briggie" they were met by ourpipe band, who, together with a stalwart ~odyof torch-bearers escorted them into our mIdst,whilst the larg~ assembly cheered heartily.After a Reel of Tulloch danced well (especiallyconsidering the then somewhat shaky natureof the platform) by Corporals Sim and M'Av.oyand Pipers M'Donald and Jackson, the kIrkbell rang out, and we marched into c~ur~h.Here we brought in the New Year smgmg"The Scottish Traveller's Psalm "-Ps. 12l.We had previously sung also our own Regimentalhymn. Then once more, round the firea9 we stood, Colonel Ronaldson bade us all aGuid New Year.With "Happy we've been a' thegither"and" Guid-nicht, and joy be wi' ye a'" ringi.ngin our ears we went out from our famIlygathering into 1914 to seek to be strong, or,to use the words of our this year's mottocard "Like unto men that wait for theirLord."HOGMANAY NICHT.9·30 p.m., Assembly-- Pipers M'Kay, l\f'Donald,l\{orrow, Wilson, and J.ackson.9·30 tQ 10 p.m., Tea.10 p.m., The Gathering-The Pipers and the .Minister.Accompanist--Band8man Wade, N. Fsrs.Chorus-" The Bonnie Banks 0' Loch Lomond."Song-Lance.Corpl. Barnbrook.Highland Fling-CorpI. Sim, :Vi' :\'voy, and PipersJackson and M'Donald.Song-Sergt. Yendal, N. Fsrs.Song-Lance.CorpI. Bowdon.Mouth Organ Selection-Pte. Iunes.Foursome Reel-CorpI. Sim, Lance·Corp!. l\1'Avoy,Pipers M'Donald and Jackson. .Song-Pte. Bowman.'Cello Solo-Lance.CorpL Dallas, S. Lanc~.Song-Pte. Gilmour. ." Scotland my ain Hame"-The Piper,;.Song-Piper Campbell.Sword Dance-CprpI. Sim and Piper J ackson.Song-The Minister.Song-Bugler M'Echnie.Song-Pte. A. Dunn.Shean Triu bhs-CorpI. Sinl and Piper J ackson.Song-Sergt. Yendal, N. Fars.'Cello Solo-Lance·Corpl. Dallas, S. Lancs.Song-Pte. Harris.Song-Lance.CorpI. Barnbrook.Reel of Tulloch-CorpL Sim, Lance-CorpI. M'Avoy,Pipers l\1'Donald and Jackson.11-30-WATOHNIGHT SERVICE.12-15-" Auld Lang Syne" aroon' the fire." Happy we've been a' thegither," and ." Guid-nicht, and joy be wi' ye a' "-The Pipers.CRICKET. INTER-COY. CUP. OWING to the mOve froUl Lucknow, follo~edby our period on the line of march to Muker~anafterwards, we got little or no OP?ortuUl~yof deciding the possession of the CrIcket Cupfor 1913, so perforce we had to do so in theearly days of 1914.The previous holders- HH" Coy.-wereundoubtedly starting favourites for the.tro'ph~,possessing, as ~hey do, some splendId mdIvidualbatsmen III the persons of Capt. Wal~~r,Pte. Welfare, Lieut. Stewart, L. -CorpI. Wilbs,and Pte. 8argent. '.The draw for the 1st round resulted asfollows :-" A " v. " F," " G" v. "K," " H :'v "D",and" B" v., "I'" and the semIfi'ualistswere" A," "K," "H," and" B."Space does not permit of a detailed ac,countof each tie, but, in a few words, the wmnersof each had a lot to spare~" A " v. " H ,,' and " .B " v. "K " was theballot and on all hands (with apologies to" K,'" of course) " H" and" B " we~e tippedas finalists, but "K," greatly assIsted ~ySergt. Scevity, gave "B" their .,qui~;us-mthe shape of a 5-wicket defeat. . H had acomfortable innings victory over " A."