THE COVENANTER
A totally unknown quantity he had been almost all later reported killed. O’Connor
imported into their midst from a Scottish would never forget these losses suffered in
infantry regiment of which most can have a frontal assault, and when in action again
had little if any knowledge. He was but 27 would always look for a way in from the
years old, small and bird-like, softly spoken. flank against an enemy position. …
But what they will all have noticed, because
in those days medal ribbons were worn on Luckily for the HAC, Reutel was the 2nd
everyday service dress, was his DSO and his Battalion’s last battle in France. On 20
MC. Had they made enquiry they would November 1917 it was moved with the rest
have been told that the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Division to the Italian front. …
of the Cameronians, who preferred to
be known as the Scottish Rifles, had an The next year was to be spent in rigorous
outstanding record. Their performance, training though the strategy was one of
though a crushing defeat, at the Battle of defensive inaction. Eventually an Allied
Neuve Chapelle in 1915 (O’Connor was not offensive was planned and hence the crossing
then serving with them) was to become a of the River Piave. His investment in that
legend. training was to pay handsome dividends.
The Times again: Returning to the recent Times article: it
O’Connor was a man of irrepressible energy, says … ‘ironically he spent some time as a
short, wiry, alert. He had a quiet, retiring, prisoner of the Italians against whom he
almost shy manner, but could sometimes be fought in the Western Desert’. This really
alarmingly direct in thought and speech. will not do, on two counts. Let’s deal with
the second point first.
Writing many years later, General Sir
Horatius Murray (a subaltern in the 1st The real irony of his relations with the
Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Italians was the feat of arms for which he is
Rifles) when O’Connor returned in 1924 as best known - and rightly so: his legendary
Adjutant) said: defeat of the Italian 14th Army in North
Africa in 1941.
‘Whether you are prepared to accept it
or not, the fact remains that you were a He had had to wait until 1932 before being
somewhat frightening person. We were all offered command of another battalion
told about the officer of the HAC who had but it was not in his own regiment. He
fainted while being dealt with by you . turned it down in the hope and expectation
of commanding a battalion of The
The 2nd HAC were in a bad way when Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). But before
O’Connor took them over: low in numbers could happen he was promoted to Brigadier
and morale. In little time he had impressed and given command of the Peshawar
his personality and professionalism on Brigade on the North West Frontier, a
them. Drawing not just on his wartime plum job for any Brigadier. His command
experience but on all that he had learned included five infantry battalions, and an
in his regiment before the war he soon Indian Army cavalry regiment as well as the
rekindled the spirit of a fine fighting force. usual supporting troops and elements of the
He led them first in France: Baynes again : Royal Air Force.
The battalion was at the Front again at the August 1939 found him in Jerusalem in
end of June, and spent the next few months command of the 7th Division. When war
doing the usual periods in and out of the seemed inevitable his headquarters was
line without suffering serious casualties. moved from there to Cairo and almost
Then in October 1917 the series of battles immediately from there two hundred miles
began which are known as Passchendaele. west along the Egyptian coast. Eventually
The first action … found the 7th Division by June 1940, having by this time been
back where it had been at the start of promoted to Lieutenant General, he was in
the war. Its objective was the Reutel- command of the Western Desert Force. At
Broodseinde track. Reutel was eventually his disposal he had: 7th Armoured Division,
captured, but the casualties sustained by 4th Indian Division and the 6th Australian
the HAC amounted to eight officers and 49 Division. Opposite him the Italian forces
men killed, 189 wounded, and 49 missing, comprised some 250,000 men, 450 medium
12
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