T H E C O V E N A N T E R
My Cameronian Days
dogsbody at Div H.Q. We had a very small
By an Ex London Scot
H.Q. and while we fed with the K.O.S.B. we
Part 11
had a small room set aside as an anteroom.
My first job in the morning as D.Q. was to
Our annual camp at Dallachy, Spey
get a bucket of hot water from the KOSB
Bay, was to be my last with the 6/7th
cookhouse next door and wash and dry our
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) for several
glasses from the previous day’s libations.
years as increased domestic and business
In 1958 the Brigade went to Garelochead
commitments made me apply to my C.O.
but I had to miss out as I could not get
Lt Col Ronald Clydesmuir to transfer to
away from my civilian job.
the T.A. Reserve of Officers. He persuaded
In 1959 we went to Stanford P.T.A.
me, however, to remain in the T.A. with a
(Primary Training Area) at Thetford on the
less arduous role and arranged for me to be
A 11 to the north of Bury St. Edmunds.
attached to HQ 52 Div H.Q. the following
The training area was large enough for
year, 1956, at Barry Camp as a junior staff
accommodation and training on a brigade
officer although I was able to retain my
group basis. This was most enjoyable and I
rank of Major.
for one learnt a lot from the many exercises
In 1957 the old 156 Brigade was
we took part in. By this time we were a full
resuscitated with their H.Q. in Lanark
strength brigade as my old battalion the
and comprising the Royal Scots and
6/7th Cameronians joined us.
K.O.S.B. The Brigade Commander was
In 1960 we came down to earth with
Brigadier A.E.C. Bredin DSO MC whose
a bump as this was our year for civil
two battalions involved him in travelling
defence training which none of us liked,
the breadth of Scotland from Edinburgh
and went to Millom, an industrial town
to Stranraer and vice versa. His nickname
in Cumberland to the north of Barrow-in-
of Speedy was deservedly earned in the
Furness. Only a few miles away lay some
early hours of the Normandy invasion in
of the most beautiful Lake District country
June 1944 when he galvanised his Dorset
but Millom itself was a tough place with a
battalion into overdrive and thus made
lot of tough characters.
secure an otherwise dodgy part of the
The local police chief was delighted
beachhead.
when the T.A. camping season came
I was posted to the newly formed 156
along since he was able to lay the blame
Brigade as a Staff Officer with the most
for any misdemeanours - and there were
imposing title of Deputy Assistant Adjutant
plenty - on the Military. Complaints came
and Quartermaster General, otherwise
in to Brigade HQ daily and it was my
known as D.A.Q.M.G or D.Q. The Brigade
job to investigate and apportion blame.
Major dealt with the G. (Ops) side while I
Occasionally they were justified since our
was responsible for A and Q matters. I soon
troops weren’t exactly saints, but usually,
found that my commander - whilst speedy
despite provocation from some of the local
on active service - was rather the opposite
bad boys they behaved well and the police
in peacetime. When he started out from
chief wasn’t a happy man when I had to
Lanark to visit his far-flung battalions he
reject his complaint. The area could well be
tended to leave late and far from making up
described as ‘Where every prospect pleases
time en route he fell even further behind. I
and only man is vile’. Shortly before the
should know, because I would get calls from
end of Millom camp Brigadier Speedy
irate C.O.s, particularly those at the end of
moved on, being replaced by Brigadier
the programme, who had effectively had
Freddy Noble, HLI. I had done three years
their troops standing to for several hours.
in the job and Brig Noble decided that
Despite his foibles he was a great character
I should make way for a younger man.
and we all thought the world of him. I was
He offered to get me the job of D.A.P.M
devastated when Brigadier Speedy died in
(Deputy Assistant Provost Marshal) another
1991 after a short spell in hospital suffering
imposing title for a military police staff at
from Motor Neurone Disease and a stroke.
brigade level. That was definitely not my
Luckily for him it was of short duration as
idea of fun, so having been sacked for the
he was still very energetic and would have
second time in my army life I went on
been miserable as an invalid.
the Reserve and for the next year devoted
For our 1957 camp I was back to Barry,
my spare time activities to a house with a
but this time as a staff officer and not as a
much neglected garden which we had just
acquired. I still can’t make up my mind
25
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