THE COVENANTER
performances and singing. At the end they panting arrival at St. Bride’s church midway
received the most enthusiastic applause I through the opening psalm, which an
have ever heard in a theatre, proving that adjutant or C.O. would have had some
culture can beat anarchy. acerbic comments upon. However, things
Bill Coughlan. improved.
An Emigrant’s Reminiscences
That service itself was rousing and set the
on a Nostalgic and Moving
scene, so to speak. A visit to the little
regimental museum in the village brought
Occasion
back a few memories. The marquee feeding
of the multitude (at astoundingly low cost
I was a subaltern in the 6/7th (Territorial)
for 2008), followed by peregrinations around
Battalion from 1960 to 1965, before
the splendidly restored statue and the ruins
emigrating to then Southern Rhodesia and
of the castle were successions of (sometimes
attempting to transfer my commission
less than instant) recognition and greeting
to the then still white-officered Rhodesia
of old comrades and ladies of the regiment.
African Rifles (which showed itself as a first-
class unit during the UDI years up to 1980).
The highlight, of course, was the conventicle
on that gloriously sunny afternoon. Waves
It was not possible for me to attend the 1968
of nostalgia as the piquets were reported
disbandment ceremonies. After all, I was
posted and no enemy in sight reminded
declared a rebel against the crown (not an
me not just of many church services but
entirely new experience for a Cameronian!).
of the Remembrance Day church parades
Over the intervening years, it was never
at Glasgow Cathedral addressed by Rev.
“convenient” to arrange foreign travel to
Neville Davidson D.D., at one of which I had
attend the annual commemorations, or even
the honour to be the piquet officer of the
the annual dinners in London. However, I
6/7th TA contingent attending, with sword,
remained deeply interested in our regiment,
naturally. The Douglas open-air service was
as evidenced not least by Douglas tartan
short, but very much to the point. It was the
bedspreads and curtains in my house. Also
end that got me. The lament, the Last Post,
an avid reader of “The Covenanter”, in
probably for the last time before an even
which some outstanding articles of real
partly uniformed audience. All in absolute
historical interest appeared or were attached
and respectful silence as an important link
to. As years went on, it also recorded some
in the history of the country – indeed of
old friends falling off their perches.
the UK as we had been reminded by Hugh
Mackay – effectively disappeared before the
When I read of the planned final
eyes of the assembled congregation some
commemoration ceremonies, I decided that
four hundred attendees
I really must attend, and arranged my diary
accordingly. I am very glad indeed to have
The following day I visited the interesting
done so.
new Regimental Museum at the Low Parks
in Hamilton. Not without difficulty : the
The officers dinner in Edinburgh on 10
road layout is totally changed, being in the
May allowed me to renew several old
wrong lane in the heavy traffic results in a
acquaintances. A little disappointment
long circular “tour”, there is NO signposting
that none of the magnificent regimental
to assist and the kids coming out of school
silver remained was countered by the
nearby had never heard of the place. Sic
excellent live orchestrade throughout, but
transit omnia, I realised with renewed force.
especially by the two pipers’ piobroch and
Just two generations on, the youngsters of
the first battalion’s regimental march (in the
the old 6/7 Battalion HQ town had never
6/7th we marched to The Gathering of the
heard of The Cameronians or The Scottish
Grahams).
Rifles (and I don’t suppose have the chance
to read Ian Hay’s book “The First Hundred
The big day, Sunday 11 May, started
Thousand” (of 1914) partly featuring the
inauspiciously. With the closure of the
old barracks there).
West End to Haymarket road for Tramway
works, getting on to a totally unsignposted
The whole occasion was immensely fulfilling,
A70 that has no access from the ring road
as well as by its very nature terminal. It
lost over half an hour and resulted into a
made fitting close to 53 years of my life since
45
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109