THE COVENANTER
into amalgamation to create the Royal not like Germany in general or army life
Highland Fusiliers and since both Maryhill in particular. She decided to go back home
Bks in Glasgow and Churchill Bks at Ayr which of course was only up the motorway
were no longer required because Maryhill from Minden so to speak and once she was
was a victorian slum anyway and Churchill settled back in Copenhagen, Davie went
Bks wasn’t any great shakes either (both of round to visit his friends in the Canadian
course stood on prime development land) Embassy. When they heard his story they
the recruits of the new regiment were to offered him a job in their motor pool. It got
share with us in Winston Bks. We on the better when he went round to the American
staff were not at all happy about this and I Embassy because they offered him an even
dont expect the RHF were either since it was better job with American type wages , health
bound to lead to all sorts of disputes about and pension benefits etc.
seniority and so on and who had priority for Naturally he left the army and spent the
whatever. Luckily I was only there for the rest of his working life at the Embassy
only first few days of their moving in and during which time he drove two American
I remember how straight away they were Presidents, (Carter and Clinton I believe)
erecting an ugly great gong thing on the and was awarded the special gold and
hallowed grass outside our CO’s office and enamel tie pin and cufflink set with the
taking over the guardroom. They wanted to Presidential seal which is awarded to those
move the Regimental Depot sign at the gate deemed to have given personal service to
to the other side and put theirs in prime a President (I’ve seen them and they are
position. Then there would be a problem really rather impressive ). Finally he retired
about the flagpole and which flag would be with a very nice Amercan service pension
on it. and a very adequate Danish pension. Not
a bad outcome when you think that when
I wasn’t happy when I found myself captured he walked into the army recruiting office in
onto the staff at Winston Bks but now I look Glasgow the Cameronian recruiting serjeant
back on my time there as a rather happy was the first person he spoke to and that is
time in my service with the regiment,and why he became a Cam and was sent of to
if you will bear with me I would like to Norway where it all began.
finish this story with an account of what
happened to my friends of the time both Abie Little, Iain Collinson, Eddie Wallace
National Service and Regular and the dear and I all joined the Serjeants Mess in the Bn
old barracks itself.. and soldiered on until the Disbandment.

Bill Brown our resident Kenya Safari expert Abie disappeared towards the Small Arms
left the army and eventually became a School and I dont know whether he joined
succesful businessman in the south of them and rebadged or not for no one I’m in
England and often went back to Kenya on contact with knows where he got to.
holiday. He retired to France and we keep
in contact and visit a lot. Eddie Wallace was transferred to the RHF
but couldn’t get on with them, bought
Big Archie Millar the provost corporal went himself out and returned to his previous life
back to his beloved shipyards (they didn’t in the Merchant Navy travelling the world
last long did they) as Bosun on those big cruise ships for a
number of years before taking a shore job
Davie Keen who went of to be the Generals and finally retiring to become a computer
driver went on to Copenhagen when Nato nut.
Northern Group moved there and became
a well known face in both the Canadian Iain Collinson went to the Gordon
and American Embassies, marrying a local Highlanders and they got amalgamated as
girl and becoming fluent in the Danish well but he went on to become WO 1 and
language,but when the Generals term was was one of only two of us from those days
over Davie came to the Bn and it was rather who went on to complete the full twenty
difficult at first because he was a full corporal two years. There was a good letter from
with a few years service yet absolutely no him in last years Covenanter from his home
idea of what went on in the Regiment. He in Australia where he seems to be happily
was soon on top of the job and became a settled.
valued member of the MT but his wife did
39
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