T H E C O V E N A N T E R
whether it is more humiliating to be sacked lucky to find that our Lowland Divisional
before the sacker knows you or afterwards? commander, Maj Gen John Frost had
Early in 1962 the situation in the 6/7th Bn the same vision about training. If he had
was not very good as Lt Col Ian Keith was different views on training from me I
having personal problems and had gone off would undoubtedly have been finished
on an extended visit to South America. there and then. General John of Arnhem
Major Walter Hunt was the 2
1
/c but fame was a paratrooper but had started
his civilian employers had posted him to off as a Cameronian. I was also supported
New Zealand where, as far as I know, he by the Colonel of the Regiment, Lt Gen Sir
still is! Consequently Major Bob Dobson, Horatius ‘Nap’ Murray and Major Lennox
as the senior company commander, was Paterson, another former Cameronian
left to keep the battalion ticking over, a (6th Battalion) who was Chairman of the
near impossible task which Bob did most Lanarkshire T.A. Association. Last but not
successfully with considerable help from least my brigade commander, Brigadier Jack
Peter McGhie, the O.R.Q.M.S. (Orderly Montieth, Black Watch was a most cheery
Room Quartermaster Sergeant). and helpful officer who went out of his way
Although I didn’t know it till then, I to smooth the path of the new boy.
had been recommended for command by My first and most urgent task was to have
Ronald Clydesmuir and Brig Speedy. Col a meeting with the battalion officers and
Eric Southward who had succeeded the senior NCOs in order to explain how my
Duke of Hamilton as Honorary Colonel of much tougher training schedule and life in
the 6/7th approached me about returning general would affect them. I asked for their
to the battalion as commanding officer. support in the exciting proposal to help
This was not an easy decision to take restore the battalion to its former glories.
because: However, I gave them the opportunity,
It was quite the wrong time of year to without rancour, to call it a day now and
take over. Normally the outgoing C.O. not to vote with their feet later on, thus
handed over after annual camp leaving his perpetuating an already unrealistic paper
successor a full year in which to dig himself strength. In the event only one person
in. I had four months. stood down but he was already finding that
The Scottish Daily Express ‘Poison Dwarfs’ his business and TA commitments clashed
campaign against the 1st Bn in Minden and would probably have departed anyway.
was unlikely to be confined to the regular Needles to say I was a very relieved man
battalion. and greatly encouraged by their display of
The injury to my hearing which was caused support and solidarity.
by the gun of one of our supporting tanks My first days in office were not very
being fired over my head during the attack auspicious. First to come out of my
on Dreirwalde in April 1945 came back overloaded pending tray was an authority
to haunt me 17 years later and I was now for me to sign giving the bands a day’s
completely deaf in one ear. pay. From memory one was only entitled
My wife Peggy, however, although realising to a day’s pay if you were on continuous
that it would mean 2
1
/2 years ‘hard labour’ duty for about 7 hours. For anything less,
for both of us was very keen that I should TEA (Training Expense Allowance), which
accept so I agreed to do my best to try was much less remunerative, applied. On
and restore the battalions fortunes. Peggy discovering that the bands had been on
was marvellous and at all times gave me parade for about 3 hours at most I declined
her unqualified support both then and to authorise a day’s pay whereupon I was
subsequently. told that the bands would walk out. I was
Despite the drawbacks I was heartened not prepared to be blackmailed like that
to get support from various sources. For and said, ‘Let them go.’ I promptly told
long I had been convinced that the best our Honorary Colonel, Eric Southward that
way to train for war was to get out onto the when he came to visit us at Bellerby Camp
hills, irrespective of the weather which was near Richmond in July there could well be
usually foul. Previous training programmes no pipe or military bands to welcome him.
had largely been confined to practising He agreed with the stand I had taken and
TOETs (Tests of Elementary Training), in the event a few of the military band
important as they were, in unexciting drill departed for other units but they were
halls, later to be more correctly named not good soldiers and the band was over
Training Centres. In this I was incredibly strength anyway.
26
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