T H E C O V E N A N T E R
I n   M e m o r i a m
To those they leave behind may their memories be happy ones
Mr John (Paddy) Duffin spent abroad where he made use of his
At the age of 96 Sergeant (Paddy) Duffin clear aptitude for languages. He had to
enlisted in 1926 and spent 7 years abroad, learn Urdu and Pashto during his wartime
serving in Egypt, India and Hong Kong. He service. In retirement he taught himself
Gaelic. He also spoke some French and
German, and he probably picked up some
Norwegian during pre-War visits there.
Brought up in Lanarkshire he joined The
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as a territorial
on 1 September 1939. Three years later he
was commissioned into the JAT Regiment,
Indian Army, where he was first of all the
Motor Transport and Carrier Officer. Less
than a year later, still only 22 years old,
he was made Adjutant and promoted to
Captain. Two years later he transferred
to 4 Indian Parachute Battalion to be
Adjutant of that unit, becoming a company
commander in the rank of Major in June
1945.
Come the end of the War, though still in
India, he was granted a regular commission
in The Cameronians. But service with
the Regiment was yet some time in the
future. January 1946 saw him a company
Sgt John Duffin and son
commander with 1 Indian Parachute
Battalion and two years service with the
(North West) Frontier Corps followed from
which he gained an extensive knowledge of
was recalled to the colours in 1939 and Baluchistan, Sind and the Afghan border.
served as an Instructor at various locations
including Maryhill Barracks, where we lived
and where he completed his second period
of service in 1950.
The stories he told me of his foreign
service were a major factor in my decision
to join the Regiment in 1956, Many of his
old colleagues were still serving including
my recruit training squad Sergeant Paddy
Mulvenna.
Following my posting to B Company
and our move to the Gulf, I was able to tell
my father stories of my service in Bahrain,
Aden and Kenya.
Stewart Duffin
Maj TV (Tommy) Gilfillan was born
in Glasgow on 1 April 1921. Though he
was plainly no fool the date may have set
a pattern for him for life. Writing after his
death ADIN refers to his “ . . . infectious
laugh and his long repertoire of jokes and
stories.”
A great deal of his long service was to be
67
Major TV (Tommy) Gilfillan
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