The veteran Issue 6

Hamish McConnachie
Alicante Branch
Webmaster & Publicity
Member
It was decided when we first published the ‘Veteran’ that
each Committee member would take a turn at writing a
few words as an introduction. The idea was that Committee
Members could introduce themselves and give a brief
description of their past and indeed their current Committee
Role. It seems that for issue six of the ‘Veteran’ that task
now falls to me.
I was born and educated in Inverness attending the
Merkinch Primary and the Inverness High Secondary
school. At the age of thirteen I joined the Queen’s Own
Cameron Highlander cadets and decided that the military
was going to be the life for me
I joined the Army as a Junior Soldier at the age of fifteen in 1970 and was posted to the
Junior Infantry Battalion at Shorncliffe in Kent. Having completed just over two years as a
Junior I joined my Regiment, The Queens Own Highlanders (Seaforth & Camerons) in
Germany. I remained with my Regiment for nearly 24 years (23 years 300 days) Serving
in Northern Ireland, Belize, Kenya, Falklands and Hong Kong to name a but few of the
locations. I was also posted to the School of Infantry at Warminster as an instructor and
to the 3rd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment in Ballykinler as a Permanent Staff
Instructor.
On leaving the Regular Army I was employed with Scottish Water in IT and annual
reporting to the water regulator in Scotland (The Water Industry Commission for
Scotland) before being head hunted by Network Rail where I was employed as a
Maintenance Planner.
On leaving the Regular Army I also joined the Territorial Army and served in the 3rd
Battalion The Highlanders, 52nd Lowland Volunteers (Royal Scots) 51st Highland
Regiment and The 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland for fifteen years
making a total of 39 years in uniform.
I joined Legion Scotland in 2008 where I did a short spell as Recruitment and Retention
member before moving to Spain in 2013 where I joined the Torrevieja Branch of the
Royal British Legion. I transferred to the Alicante Branch three years ago where shortly
after I took up the post of Webmaster tasked with getting the Branch Website up and
running. Shortly after this I was asked to take on the role of Publicity Member. 3