Highlanders

[the 48th regulator]

But can you think of this, two people discussing the same battle over a hundred years later, on a medium those Highlanders would never have even dreamt of.  Witht the same passion.

Need I say anything more about this forum.

cheers

tess
;D

 

[SHARP WO]

The Argyll's Sgt's and WO's Christmas dinner.

December 4th at 6 pm. Contact me at [email protected]

Snr NCO's amd WO's only.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

The Argyll's Sgt's and WO's Christmas dinner.

December 4th at 6 pm. Contact me at [email protected]

Snr NCO's amd WO's only.

Please tell me that isn't your only Christmas dinner.  We honour all the military Christmas traditions in our Regiment - all ranks attend the dinner, the youngest soldier in the Regiment becomes the Commanding Officer for the occasion and sits at the head table, and the officers and Sr. NCOs serve dinner and drinks to the men as a way of thanking them for their hard work throughout the year.  There are usually promotions and decorations to be given out, and an open mess afterwards....

You DO do this as well, I hope....

 

[Kirkhill]

As the CHs junior subby at my first District All Ranks Christmas Dinner,  held in Medicine Hat,  I had the dubious honour being offered the first opportunity to toast all assembled with a concoction served up an a particularly vile and well aged (although polished) Combat Boot..... mmm, love those floaties.. ;D

 

[the 48th regulator]

Please tell me that isn't your only Christmas dinner. We honour all the military Christmas traditions in our Regiment - all ranks attend the dinner, the youngest soldier in the Regiment becomes the Commanding Officer for the occasion and sits at the head table, and the officers and Sr. NCOs serve dinner and drinks to the men as a way of thanking them for their hard work throughout the year. There are usually promotions and decorations to be given out, and an open mess afterwards....

You DO do this as well, I hope....

We did it, eactly as you described!

Always remember though don't ever, ever drink the wine from the warm bottle!

nuff said,

tess

 

[Argyll_Socks]

Please tell me that isn't your only Christmas dinner.   We honour all the military Christmas traditions in our Regiment - all ranks attend the dinner, the youngest soldier in the Regiment becomes the Commanding Officer for the occasion and sits at the head table, and the officers and Sr. NCOs serve dinner and drinks to the men as a way of thanking them for their hard work throughout the year.   There are usually promotions and decorations to be given out, and an open mess afterwards....

You DO do this as well, I hope....

We do this as well, don't worry.

Warrant: One thing Highlanders should always do is buy the piper who played them into battle drinks after!  ;D

 

[pipertoad]

That is, without any doubt, one of the most moving pieces of music I have ever heard. Other tearjerkers I can think of:

"The Last Post" (band, piper and trumpeter with the hymn interspersed with the lone trumpeter);

FYI

The tune between the Last Post and Reveille is the Lament titles "Flowers of the Forest".  It is a traditional military lament not a hymn.

 

[pipertoad]

And on the subject of pipers and MacAuslan, perhaps pbi can do me a favour while he's in the neighbourhood.   Could he check with some of the locals and find out what tune it was the Piper Findlater was playing on the Heights of Dargai?

I think one of the tunes was definitely "The Haughs of cromdale" (as a Strathspey) because this was the Gordons Advance tune.  I also remeber reading somewhere (can't remeber where right now) that Johnnie cope was also played. 

There were other piper present at the Hieghts of Dargi include Pipe Major James R Fraser of the 48th Highlanders.  At the time he was a Cpl Piper in the Gordons.

Dileas!

 

[Kirkhill]

Thanks pipertoad for the infill.

I thought that I heard one of the tunes he played was Cock O' the North.

Cheers

 

[bossi]

And then there's the old story about the Highlanders attacking repeatedly, being rebuffed, and the RSM finally telling the piper to play them into battle one more time: "... and this time, for God's sake, play something the enemy likes!" 

 

[Donaill]

I digress here but what is wrong with being a Jacobite?  ;D

Never ever, ever call an Irishman or a Scot a Sasanach.  That can be a very bad day for you.  >

 

[BDTyre]

Nothing is wrong with being a Jacobite....

However, my family, hailing from Argyll and thus being subservient to the Campbells most of the time, likely never would have been Jacobites.

 

[Kirkhill]

So we have some honest-to-god Teuchters on the board do we?  My folks, at least the Scots side, were all Lallanders, Ayrshire and Gallloway,  although there is a family rumour about some folks having originated up by Otter Ferry in Argyll. 

 

[Art Johnson]

Regarding the tunes played at Dargai. Lloyd Tucker a former staff member of the 48th Highlanders Museum wrote to the Gordons Museum about this subject and received a reply that they do not know what which tunes were played during the charge. P/M Findlater was wounded and and still continued to play though unable   to walk. Cpl. Fraser we are told played to the top of the hill. I'm sure that Ian (I'll never get to spell your name right if I live to be a hundred) is correct in his asumption that the Houghs of Cromdale would have been included in the tunes played.

Aye Dileas

 

[Donaill]

My family were Irish / Scots Irish.  Not much difference between the two Gaelic languages. What I have written below is in both Irish and Scots Gaelic.  If anyone can tell me which part is which I will owe you a Guiness. Well enough of the history lesson.  My interest in this string was due to my Grandfather. He was overseas in WW2 and Korea. In WW2 he was with the North Novies. Imagine that a member of the Irish fighting in a Scots unit. Not the first time in history either.  8)

You infantry types fill me with awe because I know I would not be able to dal with some of the things you dal with on a daily basis.  I chose Navy and Air as my first and second choices because I liked the idea of travel in the navy and I also like the atmosphere of an air force base. I live close to Greenwood and spent alot of my youth on that base.

To be honest if I could join an army unit it would either be a Highland unit or, if they still existed, The Irish Canadian Rangers.  Im a techie type though. I love dealing with RF.

Peace to you all

Slainte mhath

 

[pipertoad]

For those interested in Dargai and Piper Findlater,

http://www.cabarfeidh.com/dargai.htm

http://www.findlater.org.uk/Piper.htm

It has been said the findlater did not want to play the Gordons Regimental March "**** of the North" because it was a march and they were charging.  

Of the five pipers who led the charge, the only piper to have reportedly reach the top was Piper   Piper Kidd.

 

[Kirkhill]

Thanks again pipertoad, but why the "****".  A cock is a bird, as in a male chicken, as in Cock of the Walk.  Surely you weren't impuning the morals of our Victorian ancestors were you? ;D

 

[the 48th regulator]

Pipertoad has a challenge that everytime he says the "C" word he tends to giggle, and that is very painful when playing the pipes.

tess


BTW Ian, have you heard from Fraser lately??  Tell him I asked for him, and let me know when he is in town, I will visit you guys in the mess.

 

[Kirkhill]

GAWDSTREWTH would somebody check the dictionary....methinks censorship runs rampant


Cheers ;D ??? ;D

 

[pipertoad]

Thanks again pipertoad, but why the "****".   A **** is a bird, as in a male chicken, as in **** of the Walk.   Surely you weren't impuning the morals of our Victorian ancestors were you? ;D

I think the forum software is the shy one!  Maybe Colonel Jock Sinclair was correct in Tunes of Glory... Thats's a cheesy tune.