1st Battalion
The Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders
Edinburgh 1995 to 2001
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1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Edinburgh 1995 to 2001 |
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All photographs are the property of RHQ Argylls and may not be reproduced or copied without permission from RHQ Argylls.
The move into Redford Barracks, where the refurbished accommodation was regarded universally as excellent, was accomplished without fuss, but only thanks to the unremitting efforts of Quartermaster Major Jim Bain and his team. The battalion learnt lesson one of civilian business, that once the largest bill is paid the contractor loses interest and follow-up work becomes a very low priority, while the saying 'beauty is only skin deep' clearly applies as much to the construction industry as it does elsewhere. The success of the Royal Guard at Ballater, ably commanded by Major Bruce Russell and with W02 N McKinnon a most successful Guard Sergeant Major, gave the battalion an excellent start in Scotland at large.
Royal Guard - Click photos to enlarge
1. a b c d e f g h
During this period the 1st Battalion received a new mascot, Cruachan III, a black Shetland stallion who paraded for the first time on Balaklava Day 25th October at a Drumhead Service held on the Battalion Square before the Director of Infantry. The pony is a genuine product of the Regimental area, from Alloa, and shows every sign of more than fitting the shoes of his predecessors.
As a light-role battalion moving from one National Defence brigade to another, 1 A and SH were not at the top of the Army's priority list for combined arms training opportunities, for training support or for equipment, but were lucky in the Brigade Headquarters Staff in Shorncliffe and Edinburgh and in the opportunities that have came our way. While TESEX was the jewel in the crown in that it accelerated training in conventional war fighting, the Infantry Night Fighting Trial conducted by A Company, a series of Study Days and Battalion TEWTS, 2 anti-poaching exercises, field firing at Barry Buddon and a testing JNCOs cadre have maintained the momentum.
2. a b c d e f g h i
Click here for more pictures from 1995
1996
The year started off relatively quietly with public duties and preparations for Ex Grand Prix III.
Since April the Battalion was busy, without ever having been busy as a complete battalion. Companies assisted in the running of ASSAM, taken part in a FIBUA trial on Salisbury Plain, provided CIVPOP for 1 PWO for their NI training, and prepared for the Falkland Island Reinforcement Infantry Company which was to deploy almost immediately after the departure of the Queen on 1st July. All these activities were conducted to a very high standard, which was a tribute to the leadership and inspiration of the commanders and NCOs at all levels, and on the insistence of the highest of standards in everything that was done. Inevitably, preparations for the Colours had begun before the battalion went to Kenya and the Colours Project Officer, Major Graham Linney, as OC Rear Party, was working very hard on the routine but essential task of issuing invitations, collating returns and booking equipment, tents, photographers, stands, printing and so on. The feeling that the Colours Presentation was imminent did not really hit until the middle of June when the square at Redford Barracks started to come alive with companies drilling, while the sight of the RSM and the Adjutant walking around with markers and pace sticks and putting Jocks into places before making mystic chalk marks on the tarmac, began to give some shape to what had previously been just a simple list of commands on a piece of paper. Believe it or not, the Battalion's preparation for the Colours Presentation Parade began less than two weeks before the Parade with a Drill Competition on Wednesday 17th June, followed by four days of RSM's drill parades, and three days of Commanding Officers's drill rehearsals before the Dress Rehearsal on the 27th June in front of the Colonel of the Regiment.
3. a b c d e f g h i
Presentation of Colours 1st July 1996
Early July the Falkland Island Reinforcement Infantry Company 180 strong based on B Company moved to the Falkland Islands. The advance party of 20 people left two hours after the colours parade.
Highlights and successes for the year have been too numerous to mention; on the individual side the award of the MBE to Major Jim Bain in the New Years Honours List in recognition of his loyalty and unstinting service to the Battalion comes pretty near the top of the list. the provision of the Guard of Honour at the ceremony to return the Stone of Destiny to Edinburgh Castle allowed the Battalion to see itself and most importantly to show off to others, quite how good the Argylls really are. Two distinctions and one instructor recommendation on the last three courses at Brecon, numerous good passes and a near 100% pass rate on courses, and two successful passes this year at SAS selection testify that individual standards are also high.
Falkland Island Reinforcement Infantry Company
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1997
As soon as the Christmas and New Year leave ended the companies started in-barracks training at team and multiple level, the Recce Platoon deployed on a 6 week course, search teams went away on their courses, the commanders were 'cadred' by NITAT and the urban and rural packages were completed, ready for the battalion to take over its new role as Province Reserve Battalion for Northern Ireland. During this time the CO, 2IC, QM and three company commanders all changed over in the five week period between 13th December and 18th January.
Province Reserve Battalion - 1997 to 1999
4. a b c d e f g h i
During the battalion’s period as Province Reserve Battalion, training continued for General War. During the last months of the year most companies carried out some form of conventional training exercise. Support Company ran a number of internal cadres including live firing of the mortars and Milan and demolitions at Otterburn. During the period two JNCO cadres were ran and topped up the Corporals' Mess from below with another ten promotions to Lance Corporal at the Jocks Christmas lunch.
During the year the battalion achieved the elusive distinction of reaching the finals of the Army Football Cup, and although being narrowly beaten in the final by the Royal School of Military Engineering, proved themselves worthy opponents.
The battalion continued to be involved in sporting competitions army wide with the obvious emphasis on football. Privates Cameron and Rhoddan played football for the Infantry and the Army and Cameron has played for the Combined Services Team. The battalion held a very successful novice boxing evening in December with some very spirited and competent bouts. The McEwan Cup was run on the day of the Jocks Christmas lunch and a good time was had by all! The battalion did very well in the Infantry Downhill Skiing Championships in Val d'lsere — becoming the Infantry Champions!
Click here for more pictures from 1997
1998
The year began with one company deployed to Bessbrook as the operations company of the Armagh Roulement Battalion and during the year companies moved back and forward to Northern Ireland as required.
5. a b c d e f g h i j
In May the Regimental Reunion was held in Redford Barracks and coincided with the Battalion Highland Games. Nearly two hundred members of the Association paraded before the Colonel of the Regiment in the morning, together with a Guard of Honour from B Company and a Colour Party. Over 900 people including members of the Association, families, and serving soldiers were fed for lunch and on one of the few sunny days this year a very good time was had by all. B Company were the winners of the Highland Games and HQ Company won the Inter-Company Eightsome Reel Competition. The event was very well attended by the Association and the Battalion very much enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones.
The football team reached the quarter final of the Army Cup, where they met the previous years finalists, 3 Regiment Royal Engineers. If Pte Rhoddan had not been injured in the first 10 minutes then the outcome of the match could very well have been different. In the Infantry Cup the battalion again reached the quarter finals, being knocked out by 1 RWF who went on to win the competition. L/Cpl Sweeney represented the Battalion in the Army Novice Bobsleigh Championships in Austria where he came fourth, and then went on to the Army Open Championships in which he came fifth in Norway. Sgt Woodward won the Army in Scotland Golf Championships and he and Sgt Harper came second in the pair’s competition.
The companies continued to train for their general war role whilst carrying out their Northern Ireland operational role and A and B Companies took part in two separate TESEXes in February and March respectively. A Company provided the OPFOR, or enemy, to the 1st Battalion The Black Watch and B Company provided the exercising sub-unit for the battalion’s own company-level TESEX. Further conventional training focused on the second TESEX laser exercise for the year which was held on Salisbury Plain in a firstly very cold then very muddy December. The preparation for the exercise included D and A Companies exercising at Otterburn and Garelochhead and a spell at the Combined Arms Staff Trainer — Battle Group Trainer by another name — in Catterick. The exercise was a great success, even with the sudden removal of A Company to return to Northern Ireland at twenty-four hours notice. The battalion were joined by a platoon of Royal Marines from Arbroath for the exercise and they gained enormous value from the attachment. D Company and the Marines proved yet again that properly handled infantry are more than a match for anything that the more technical arms of the army can throw at them — yet again the Plain was littered with knocked out tanks. In October Lt Horridge led the Cambrian Patrol team to a well deserved Bronze Medal in the very difficult patrol competition run at Sennybridge in appalling weather.
The Pipes and Drums have continued to produce the goods in competition and elsewhere. They did not do as well as they would have liked in the World Championships but built an excellent base of experience and ability. Pipe Major Motherwell moved on to become the Queen's Piper in October and Pipe Major Rowan took his place. The platoon ran a machine gun cadre in October and then took part in the TESEX as machine gunners gaining valuable experience of their war role, then to serve again in Northern Ireland with the rifle companies proving, as always, that they are soldiers first and pipers and drummers second.
Click here for more pictures from 1998
1999
The year began with training focused on returning the battalion to its normal conventional orbat and on the training of Support Company. Aa soon as the battalion had handed over its role of Province Reserve Battalion a five week cadre period was held immediately following Easter leave and as well as the normal Support Platoon training there was also MT, medical, SNCOs, storeman's and sniping cadres. The cadre period finished with a firepower demonstration at Otterburn where Support Company showed off its toys to the rest of the battalion. An enormous amount of hard work was put in by everybody involved in the cadres and a great deal was achieved, all the more creditable as the battalion took up Public Duties in Edinburgh on the day that it finished the Northern Ireland Province Reserve role and gave them up just in time to deploy to Northern Ireland as United Kingdom Standby.
The Edinburgh Public Duties commitment consisted of the standard Castle Guard in Number 1 Dress and also includes providing the guard for the Army Headquarters at Craigiehall and various other garrison duties such as escorts for Scottish Absentees. D Company provided the first Castle Guard and set a very high standard which was then maintained by the rest of the battalion. The first major commitment was the Guard of Honour and Holyrood Palace Guard
for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. B Company provided the bulk of the Guard of Honour and the other garrison duties with Major Simon Orr (OC B Company) as the Guard Commander. The morning after the General Assembly finished the Holyrood Palace Guard was mounted under Captain Crawford Thomas when Her Majesty The Queen visited Edinburgh briefly to elevate the First Minister following the Scottish Elections. The final act of Public Duties before deploying to Drumcree was to provide the escort to the Crown for the State Opening of The Scottish Parliament on 1st July.
6. a b c d e f g h i
Early July the battalion had a two week deployment to Northern Ireland as the United Kingdom Standby Battalion (UKSB) during which it occupied exactly the same fields as the previous year, as well as one or two more, and prepared for the same violent stand-off as experienced then. At the end of the two weeks there had only been two nights of disorder and the jocks played a lot of volleyball, football, scrabble, etc while waiting in the fields for a demonstration that never came. By 14th July the Jocks were relieved on the ground before the barbed wire obstacle had to be lifted and to fly back to Scotland to prepare for the normal Edinburgh Public Duties.
The Summer period saw the Battalion back fair and square as a Public Duties battalion in Scotland. D Company, commanded by Major Orr, provided the Tattoo Support throughout August as well as playing a major part in portraying 200 years of 93rd Sutherland Highlanders' history. This involved tracing the history of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders from the Battle of Balaklava through both World Wars, Aden and more recently in peace support operations in the Balkans. The Pipes and Drums also played a major part in the Tattoo with Cruachan taking centre stage in the finale. Under command of Major McAlister, the Battalion Second in Command, B Company provided Her Majesty the Queen's Royal Guard at Balmoral. The high standards that the Battalion has set on Public Duties were replicated at Balmoral and the Guard rightly drew praise from all quarters.
The Regimental Weekend in September was an ambitious project. It started on the Friday evening with a cocktail party and Beating of Retreat for the MSPs, Provosts and media from the Regimental recruiting area. On Saturday there was a Service of Thanksgiving for the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders at the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, followed by a parade from the esplanade at Stirling Castle to the Albert Halls. Elements of the 1st Battalion, the Argyll companies of the 51st Highland Regiment, the ACF Cadets and the Regimental Association all took part in the service and the parade. The music was provided by the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion, the 51st Highland Regiment and the Regimental Association Balaklava Pipes and Drums. The salute was taken by the Provost of Stirling. All those on parade were then treated to a lunch at the Albert Hall given by Stirling Council. The Regimental Reunion took place on Saturday night and as ever was a resounding success. Sunday saw a Regimental Open Day at King's Park in Stirling with arena and static displays being provided by all elements of the Regiment. In addition, a Fun Fair helped draw the crowds and a conservative estimate of attendance was between 6,000-10,000. Assisted by good weather, the whole week- end was a great Regimental success.
This period also saw the usual run of support tasks to the remainder of the Army. Perhaps the most interesting being the participation by members of the Support Company as trial troops for the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) trial. This 'Star Wars'-like kit pushes individual fighting systems to the very limits of current technology. The trials were reasonably successful, but it will be some years before this sort of equipment is available.
Whilst individual training opportunities have been limited, there have been a number of good opportunities for collective training. The highlight to date has got to be Exercise Native Trail in Belize. Based on A Company, the exercise involved 137 members of the Battalion taking part in a demanding jungle warfare exercise with adventure training on the coast and R and R in Mexico or on sunkissed Caribbean beaches. A Company worked hard, played hard and came back sun-tanned to prove it.
This period has also seen the return from operations of the Argyll Bosnia Platoon attached to 1 RHF who earned themselves a high reputation in the Balkans. In addition, the Battalion has had individuals serving in Kosovo and Lieutenant Roan has had the pleasure of finding himself in the right place at the right time as an attached officer to 2 RGR. More about his exploits in East Timor elsewhere in the TRL. At the time of drafting these notes, the Battalion is re-acquainting itself with the Northern Ireland training facility on the South Kent coast. We are roled as a Northern Ireland Battalion for the first six months of 2000 although home based in Edinburgh. On current planning it is hoped that we will not be required to deploy to the Province except possibly for the marching season.
Click here for more pictures from 1999
2000
The year started in Kenya on Exercise GRAND PRIX.
On return from Kenya, the battalion became a home-based Northern Ireland Battalion for six months. The battalion had a frantic ten day period at Easter when it was stood-by to deploy to Northern Ireland for the proposed Northern Ireland Fire Service strike. With recces done and plans laid, the firemen voted not to strike at the last minute and we, the battalion was stood down. Whilst something of a disappointment for the Battalion, it was probably just as well for the people of Northern Ireland.
7. a b c d e f g h i
In August the battalion completed it’s tour as a home based Northern Ireland battalion and went straight into a three month public duty season. The Tattoo Support Company which was based around A Company carried out their duties in a professional and praise worthy way. The Royal Guard at Balmoral this year, based on D Company, was a most notable success. Drawing on our experiences in 1999 the Guard drew praise from all quarters including our Colonel-in-Chief and the Prince of Wales. The task of guarding Edinburgh Castle was the staple diet for three months for the remainder.
Conventional training was a bit of a "come as you are" activity with some parts of the Battalion being able to grab more opportunities than others. The Battalion carried out a couple of short exercises, one in the Galloway Forest and one in Catterick, as well as putting Battalion Headquarters through the CAST at Catterick. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Battle Group on TESEX was a diverse organisation with platoons and troops from the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service), Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Logistic Corps and a number of reinforcements from the TA. Whilst some questioned the reason for doing a TESEX just prior to a Northern Ireland tour, the Battle Group rose to the occasion. In atrocious weather, the Jocks pulled any number of rabbits out of any number of hats beating the Green Howards Battle Group on two out of the three missions from which we all drew a great deal of satisfaction.
2001
As the battalion completed its time in Edinburgh, training in earnest for Northern Ireland started at the beginning of the year. The progression followed the standard package finishing at Lydd and Hyde Training Areas in Kent and Stanford Training Area in Norfolk. With the dual task of handing over the barracks in Redford and completing Northern Ireland training, there was a slight sense of ground rush towards the end. By the end of March, however, the battalion were all but installed in Palace Barracks, Holywood just outside Belfast.
Updated: 11 October 2014