THE COVENANTER
the main town of Bahrain. The British magic, and any article of faith that cannot
High Commission had jurisdiction over be reconciled with reason I accept only as an
British subjects, and I recall going to the allegory or as revealing a truth other than a
subsequent trial, and acting as his defending literal truth. In any event, as a twenty year
counsel. I actually rather liked him, but he old soldier who, like all twenty year olds,
was definitely a handful. Then there were was immortal, to me religion at that time
the football games. Football was a religion. seemed very unimportant.
I think it was the first time I had ever come
across sport being treated as a religion. Bahrain was a very hot and humid place.
The officers’ mess did not have any air
Religion itself, curiously, was not very conditioning. I remember sleeping in the
significant, as I recall. The Cameronians nude with a fan blowing continuously over
were raised from an ultra-Presbyterian my body. We did a lot of route marches
covenanting movement in the seventeenth through the desert in the south of the island;
century led be Richard Cameron. They always in the heat of the day. I remember
actually fought pitched battles with the them well. I learnt about brewing tea with a
British army at the time. signing of the Benghazi Burner, a can filled with sand and
Good Friday peace agreement in Northern petrol and setting fire to the petrol fumes.
Ireland, a new British Army regiment had Then there were the tinned ‘compo’ rations.
been raised from the IRA men, called the The labels always fell off, so one had no idea
IRA Grenadiers. In any event, by the time what the cans contained. Some contained
we get to the mid-twentieth century, the loo paper, with four pieces per man per
religious devotion of the regiment was day (One up, one down one across and one
largely confined to some fierce traditions polish!).
(the Queen was never toasted after dinner
at the officers’ mess, merely acknowledged) Ramadan took place that year while we were
and every year on the anniversary of the in Bahrain. There was some concern that
raising of the regiment on 14th May, a it might end in anti-British riots. Nothing
presbyterian covenanting conventicle was happened, but I recall being briefed and
held in the open air, with armed sentries doing some training and then turning out
posted about. But the regiment’s recruiting for riot control duties. Bahrain, at the time
area of Lanarkshire included the industrial was a pretty poor place. Oil had only just
centres of Motherwell and Coatbridge, been found and exploitation was only just
where many Irish immigrants had arrived beginning. Manama was a place of largely
to work in the nineteenth century. Their single storey buildings. There was no
descendants were Catholic, and National causeway to Saudi Arabia, and the port was
Service took them into this most pr otestant small. Large ships could not get in because of
of all regiments, where a bible was standard the shallow seas. However, US frigates could
issue to all recruits. But it was never a problem get in, and once a month a US navy frigate
as I recall. One was aware that about a third arrived. That caused some excitement. In
of the regiment was Catholic because of the those days, there were only two places in
numbers attending services on a Sunday, Bahrain were alcohol was to be found. The
but I never recall it being an issue. My own first was the RAF base at Muharraq, and
religious affiliation was Church of England, the second was the Cameronian base at
in which I had been brought up. I had Jufair. US Navy ships are dry. But US sailors
been a chorister at King’s College chapel in make up for lost time when they reach
Cambridge. Most Manx people were and are port. When we heard that a US navy ship
Methodist, a tradition I well understand and was arriving, preparations were made for
respect. The Cameronians introduced me to an invasion of thirsty Americans. Another
Presbyterianism much more strongly than event when US ships arrived was a game of
had the Black Watch. I cannot say I liked it softball. The Americans played softball. We
very much. It seemed to me that the Minister played rounders. I recall well the disgust
was far too powerful, and the religious of the Americans when we beat them! But
philosophy was not one that appealed to everything comes to an end. And orders
me. Eventually, many years later, I became came for the companies in Bahrain to take
a Catholic, or rather, I became a heretic, a troopship. We prepared to leave Bahrain.
which is what a free thinking Catholic is. The relieving regiment was the Royal
I accept the authority and demands of the Fusiliers , all Londoners. The difference
Catholic Church, but I do not believe in in culture between the two regiments was
90
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