THE COVENANTER
to know my new colleagues. think, D company as a platoon commander
under the company commander, Captain
The first thing that I had to do on arrival Donald Cameron. My platoon sergeant was
in Lanark was to hand in my former ‘other Sergeant Attwell. I think he was unimpressed
rank’ by me! The rawest National Service second
equipment. With huge reluctance, I produced lieutenant in the battalion was hardly a
my Black Watch kilt, but the quartermaster catch for a career regular soldier like Sergeant
had told me that he had no use for it, Attwell. I would love to meet him again. I
and why did I not simply keep it, at least owed him a great deal, he was a fine man.
for the time being. So I did. I still have it,
fifty years later. Indeed, I kept my whole I recall well the route marches across the
Highland uniform, although the white spats desert; simulated platoon actions, and night
and the white leather sporran decayed with exercises stumbling through the desert.
time and had to be disposed of. It is now Night fighting was a bit of specialty of the
many years ago, and I have forgotten many battalion. They had discovered in Oman,
of the names of those new Cameronian when fighting a rebellious bunch of Arabs
colleagues. Second Lieutenant George in a small war shortly before I arrived, that
Stephens, however, I remember well. He Arabs did not like to fight at night. (There
had joined the Seaforth Highlanders as a were still a couple of companies based at
National Serviceman, and had also found Sharjah ready to assist the Sultan of Oman
his way as a commissioned officer into the again if required). I recall driving into the
Cameronians. He later became a regular desert with the Landrover festooned by
soldier, but I cannot recall whether he had canvas bags tied to the Landrover. The
made the decision when I met him. I believe canvas bags were full of fresh water which as
he was still thinking of it, as indeed was I, it seeped through the canvas and evaporated,
for I had immensely enjoyed the army. It acted like a refrigerator and kept the water
would have been serious mistake, however, cool and fresh.
had I done so, for I am naturally a somewhat
anarchic character. George Stephens was Many years later on a cruise in the Gulf, I
immensely helpful and by the time I started met both Sir Donald Hawley, who became
my journey I was passably knowledgeable the British Ambassador to Oman, and Colin
about my new regiment. Richardson, who at the time was a young
fighter pilot, but latterly became head of
While waiting for my travel orders, I helped the Sultan of Oman’s air force. His book,
with training recruits. I remember going to ‘Masirah, tales from a desert island’, describes
the rifle range to teach weapon training, the history of RAF Masirah, and describes in
after it had snowed heavily. It was the first detail the Jebel Akhdar campaign in 1957 in
and last time in my life that I ever had a which the Cameronians had played such a
pair of skis on my feet! But then I began my significant part. Alas, it was all over by the
journey. first to London and to a military time that I arrived, but I drank in all the
airport (I forget which one) for a flight in stories and tales of the action. From the
a RAF Hastings to Cyprus. There I stayed two of them, on that cruise over forty years
for three or four days in a transit camp later, I learnt a great deal of the historical
called Wayne’s Keep outside Nicosia. I recall evolution and diplomacy then happening,
walking through Nicosia with a side arm (the which as a mere subaltern, I had no idea of
EOKA rebels were still active) and cashing a at the time.
cheque at the Ottoman bank. Then it was
another RAF Hastings to Habbaniyah in In Bahrain, that spring, I well recall the
Iraq, then a big RAF airbase. In 1958, Iraq massive curry lunches on a Sunday. I recall
was still under British control. I was there for learning to drink whisky seriously, a habit
a couple of days. Then it was a civilian very that stayed with me for a great many years
small plane in a small local airline called until, lying in hospital after a major heart
Gulf Aviation, and a flight down the Gulf problem, I was told that my whisky drinking
to Bahrain, landing at RAF Muharraq. The was doing me serious damage. I recall one of
airfield was a very simple airfield with very my men, Rifleman MacAtasney (I believe I
basic RAF huts. today, of course it is a major have spelt it correctly) who was a bit of a
airport, and Gulf Aviation is the flag carrier tear-away. He got in trouble with the local
for the Emirate of Bahrain. Finally, I arrived authorities - I think he got drunk, stole a
at the barracks at Jufair. I was assigned to, I car and piled it up driving into Manama,
89
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