Journal 2008 - The Journal Royal Highland Fusiliers - The Royal ...

Regimental MiscellanyREGIMENTAL DINNER AND LUNCHEONBoth took place this year in London in The CaledonianClub, the Dinner on the 27th of September, the Luncheonon the 28th. It was unfortunate that no Officer of theBattalion was present at either – but that’s soldiering for you.(We only hope that digging in on Luneburg Heath (or whereverone digs in nowadays in what used to be BAOR) wasn’t toorain-soddenly undesirable.) But there were three members of theBattalion there at the Dinner – and how they made their presencefelt! Pipe Major Roderick Weir was one, LCpl S Gillies another,and LCpl A Gordon the third of that notable trio.It was a ‘trio’ – and yet the pipes were so beautifully tuned itwas only the reduced volume that let us know when they weren’tplaying in concert. They played in particular The 71st Quickstepwith such beauty that even the subsequent 74th Slow March paledinto insignificance! But we mustn’t forget the Pibroch. This,played of course by the Pipe Major, was The Groat, a piece quiteunknown to our unmusical ear. How perfect it was to hear! (Wetook counsel with LCpls Gillies and Gordon and were happy tohear that even that redoubtable pair of experts in the Good/GreatHighland Music agreed with our untutored ear. Pipe MajorRoderick Weir can cheerfully take his place among the Greats!)But that was not all the greatness. We had with us OUR OWNCOLONEL! Major General Euan Loudon may no longer beColonel Commandant of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (in shorthand:SCOTS – without the superfluous ‘Royal’) and is now solely‘The Representative Colonel of The Royal Highland Fusiliers’.As such he spoke of the Battalion’s future. Would it be Iraq or elsewherein the Spring? If Iraq is off, somewhere else is on. (It is. The Battalion is offto Afghanistan in March 2008.) And recruiting! We’re not only somewhatahead of our immediate competitors but we also win on retention. Oursoldiers like being Royal Highland Fusiliers. Not only do many of themstay the course but more of them stick it than some others do.He also spoke of the past, of the notable Service conducted by theReverend Dr Laurence Whitley in Glasgow Cathedral this yearto remember the Somme. (There is a report of this on page 23.)More presently, he spoke of our Benevolent Society conducted byKen Kenyon and, of course, of HHQ conducted by Colonel Steele.Even The Journal was mentioned!Then came the future – other than whatever else “is on” forthe Battalion. Next year (2008) there is to be an RHF Dinnerin Glasgow’s City Chambers – and the next (2009) will see apresentation of a new Assaye Colour.Oh dear, that’s all we can decipher from our scribbled notes.There must have been lots more.Next day was the Luncheon. No speeches – but lots of ladies. Itwas unfortunate that General Stuart Green couldn’t make it (wehear that he is very ill) – and nor, of course, could Mrs Green.In fact, there wasn’t a great deal of us there. But Dick BromleyGardner was. We were, as ever, more than amused.Nor did we mind the red wine (an unobserved claret) beingserved first. Why should we (or why should most of us be)?Most of our palates are untutored. (Sandy Ingram used to say, atthe Maryhill Depot in 1958, “Red wine rots gentlemen’s guts!”– despite there then being in the Mess Cellar bottle upon bottleof Pre-War Clarets, each of a notable Vintage. How particularlyuntutored we were then!)But, despite our (no doubt ignorant) semi-criticism of the winesequence,we must applaud The Caledonian Club. The food wasas good as we have ever eaten and the service was remarkablyimmediate. The Club did us well.But someone remarked (despite his lack of Latin), “Quis custodietcustodes ipsos?” Oh dear, not only might our Latin be a bit inaccuratebut its relevance has escaped us. (Can we look forward to a vigorouscorrespondence – to be published in the 2009 Edition?)Incidentally, Pipe Major Weir played even more recently in ourearshot. The occasion was Donald Mack’s funeral where, despite thepouring rain, the Pipe Major played a fine succession of CompanyMarches at the entrance to Hyndland Parish Church (Donald havingcommanded all of the Companies other than FSp Coy), and then later,at the Clydebank Crematorium, he played The Regimental Lament.At the latter, ‘The Good Highland Music’ was even brieflysurpassed(?). Fusilier Christopher Crawford (Mackenzie-trewedand sharply-spatted) blew Last Post and then Reveille. We havenever heard a finer Last Post. Convinced that its excellence musthave come from an orchestral key-trumpet, we inquired. Beneathhis (luckily) all-enveloping Gortex cape, Fusilier Crawford had nomore than an issue bugle slung!Lt Col David Stephen Robertson OBE RoyalScots Fusiliers (1874-1919)Lieutenant-Colonel David Stephen Robertson OBE (1874–1919) wasa brilliant linguist – he spoke French, Chinese, Russian, Japaneseand Serbo-Croat fluently – and for much of his career worked insemi-diplomatic/intelligence posts in areas of conflict in the FarEast and Russia. His medals (shown below) reflect his fascinatinglife and, with their intriguing names and exotic designs, provide awonderful glimpse of the cultures in which he worked.David was the son of David Robertson J.P. of the Glasgowpublishing firm, Robertson & Co. David senior was active inthe then newly-formed Clan Donnachaidh Society and in 1894organised a dinner attended by Alasdair Stewart Robertson ofStruan, the 20th Chief.Young David joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1897. He served withhis Regiment in India and then in the Boer War in South Africa. Hewas promoted to the rank of Captain at this time and received his firstmedal, the Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902. This Medal, withbars to indicate the campaigns in which the individual fought, wasawarded to British and Colonial Forces who took part in the Boer Warand to civilians employed in official capacities.THE ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS 21