THE COVENANTER
to be difficult after his pay night visit to the
Youthful readers (those under about 70) NAAFI. But, like quite a lot of other potential
may raise their eyebrows at section 39 of the trouble makers, he was as happy as could be
Army Act. Many years later, whilst swotting in any job where he was motivated. Such
up Military Law for my Staff Promotion was his brief medical career. Sgt Tony Forrest
exam, I discovered that ‘conduct to the MM was medical sergeant in Gilgil in Kenya,
prejudice’ had been inflated to section 69. In and was allotted this brawny Florence
the RAEC I dealt with only two disciplinary Nightingale for training-on-the-job.
cases in seventeen years! In an earlier life as a
company clerk I had typed out hundreds of Three incidents related by Tony convinced
AF’s B 252. How evocative numbers can be! the authorities that this was a round peg
Remember the AB64 parts I and II, the AFH in a square hole, and he was subsequently
1157, the B 120 and 121? Oddly enough appointed sports groundsman. Firstly he
I have forgotten the leave pass number, had ground down two codeines to pour
though I cannot think why. via a piece of folded paper into the orifice
of a soldier with earache; secondly a soldier
I came to know Paddy better a year later with an infected foot was injected with
when he was still provost sergeant, but had penicillin through the thickest part of his
a bunk in our company block. Music comes heel, and thirdly a man with ‘the runs’ was
into this story too. Coming from a sheltered administered castor oil four times a day for
background in the east of Scotland, I was two days whilst in the sick bay, the mistake
unfamiliar with sectarian songs. I had a being detected only when the patient was
piano accordion which I used in Sunday being hurried by ambulance to hospital in
School. Rifleman Andy Betts, ‘C’ Company Nairobi, when the castor oil bottle was found
storeman and accomplished weight lifter, mysteriously to be almost empty. Webster
not totally unrelated skills, whistled a tune made a superb and thoroughly conscientious
and asked whether I could play it. After a groundsman, whose only misdemeanour
few practice runs through, I felt confident was to enter the drive-in cinema at Muthaiga
enough to play it outside Paddy’s door, with his pal, our pig farmer, on the tractor,
having been assured that Paddy had recently not having disconnected the trailer with its
intimated that it was his favourite song. load of swill bins. Such was the geography
Well, how was I to know that it wasn’t? of the cinema that they were compelled
Seconds later a figure emerged precipitately to remain until closing time. Apparently
from the door, but then burst out laughing. neighbouring cars had problems hearing
We became fast friends, and I was briefly one the sound track, as their windows had to be
his training corporals at Lanark. It was quite closed against smells and flies.
something to being deputy to a veteran of
the North West Frontier. I have written on and off for the Covenanter
for much of my life. Often in the RAEC
Some time later my brother, in a train in a variety of postings I found myself
outward bound from Edinburgh Waverley, editing or contributing to journals great
found himself sitting opposite a trim middle- and small. Later in civilian life I sometimes
aged gentleman sporting a dark green blazer wrote in professional journals. But I could
with a Cameronian badge. He enquired never forget the Covenanter and Bahrain
politely whether he had ever known me; he Bugle which got me started, often giving
had. Alasdair was regaled with Cameronian opportunities for gentle fun poking. Over
stories most of the way to King’s Cross, to the past fifteen years the Covenanter has
the exclusion of fellow passengers’ slumbers. been an annual light-hearted contrast to
Paddy was on his way to join the Chelsea the more serious commitment of writing
Pensioners – a fitting end for one whose books, booklets and articles for ‘Prophetic
whole life was the Army. I know that people Witness’. It can be found via www.pwmi.
like Eddy Clark and Bill Coughlin used to org. I humbly commend it to you.
visit him and keep his memories alive. Donald CB Cameron PhD

Others were not necessarily heroes, but
were good value, and many are the episodes
Snapshots from a Rifleman
I recall. There was Rfn Webster, whose
CSM volunteered his services as a medical
All of us old soldiers have a fund of stories
orderly. Webster was a tough man, inclined
we like to tell when we get together to swing
48
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