THE COVENANTER
tradition in the HAC that their unit should Armed Services. They must be proposed and
be commanded by one of their own… seconded by Regimental members.
The tangible benefits of HAC membership
And here is the first point that we should include use of the restaurant, bar and
look at again. Baynes says that it was the accommodation at Armoury House
2nd Battalion HAC and not the 1st and it [City Road, London], the Holmes Place
was undoubtedly that which he commanded gymnasium, various meeting rooms, playing
with such distinction. Why the discrepancy? fields, secure car parking facilities and
Odder still, his official army record (AFB199) access to the many HAC clubs and societies
shows the following entries: (see other pages on this website for more
details).
Appt Temp Lt Col in Command 1st Bn HAC
(Inf) - France - 4.6.17 … [and then, next line] This, in very broad terms, was the
To Italy appt OC British Troops Austrian organisation which O’Connor joined in
Tyrol under orders 47th Italian Division. 1917. Here again opinon is divided. In the
Times obituary it says:
Let’s try to clear up this first point: which
battalion was it? In writing the biographical [Picking up again from the above quotation]
sketch quoted above this writer concluded … it is a three-centuries-old tradition in the
that (based on the Times obituary and the HAC that their units should be commanded
official army record) it must have been the by one of their own number who had
1st Battalion to which he was appointed. In served in the ranks, a difficulty which was
recent discussion with the Archivist at the overcome in O’Connor’s case by payment of
HAC, Ms Justine Taylor, we have together one guinea to join the regiment, and being
concluded that both versions are probably entered on their roll as a private soldier for
right. This is based on evidence in the one day.
HAC regimental number register (a purely
civilian Company record) that the infantry On the other hand Baynes says (p22):
battalions were referred to as the 1st/1st,
and 2nd/1st and sometimes the 1st/2nd in In a matter of weeks he had won the respect,
much the same way that in other regiments even the affection, of the HAC and he was
at that time we see reference, for instance, to gratified when the officers of the battalion
the 1/7th, 2/7th, 1/8th and 2/8th Battalions elected him to honorary membership of the
of the Middlesex Regiment. The entry in Company.
the HAC register shows:
It is this writer’s view that, with no disrespect
4.6.17 RN O’Connor 2/1 HAC. whatever to the biographer, the former
story from The Times sounds more like the
Which brings us to the story of his joining man and is therefore, perhaps on balance
the HAC first before taking over command the more likely. Further, the date given in
of the 2nd Battalion. Here some explanation the civilian register for joining ‘the club’ is
is necessary. The HAC is unlike any other the same as that given in his army record
regiment in that it has a social club element for promotion and the assumption of his
which is connected to and yet separate of command.
course from the military wing. Details are
to be found at www.hac. org.uk. There it In passing it is worth making brief mention
says: of the 5th Battalion The Cameronians
There are two broad classes of memberships (Scottish Rifles) who, based in Glasgow,
available in the HAC, Regimental and Non- fulfilled a similar role in the west of Scotland
Regimental. to that of the HAC in London. Many of the
very best soldiers from both these units were
Regimental Members are either TA soldiers promoted, often commissioned, and sent
in the Active Unit of the HAC or Veteran elsewhere to positions of importance .
members who have ended their active
soldiering but still enjoy the many benefits We have read of ‘the respect, even affection
of belonging to this unique organisation. of the HAC’ for their new Commanding
Non-Regimental members will have served Officer. This should come as no surprise.
for at least 2 years in Regular or 3 years He had that magnetic quality of an inspiring
in Volunteer units of any of the British leader. He must also have fascinated them.
11
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