Stirling Castle
To read the Wikipedia article on the Castle please click [here].
Stirling Castle was included among the Brigade locations as it also contains a Regimental Museum - that of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - which was important to our work. Not only were the staff helpful to our research - facilitating access to Enlistment Books so that men could be traced between Regiments - but we were there on a most significant occasion.
This was the final full-dress parade of the Argylls before they were re-organised to become the Public Duties Company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Not only was our presence tolerated with good humour, when everyone was expremely busy with the parade, but an interest was taken in our work - especially by the Commanding Officer.
We were guided to a spot within the Castle which gave us a grandstand view, on the understanding that any photographs taken of the parade were made available to the Regiment, alongside those being shot by the official MoD photographer, and this we were more than happy to do.
Furthermore, John Regan, the Editor of the British Model Soldier Society Journal, "The Bulletin", featured a selection of the shots as the main pictorial interest in one of the Editions. Part of the aim of the shoot was to cover uniform detail - of major interest to modellers and collectors.
An article, prepared by the Lead Researcher, and published by the BMSS Journal, is included below to accompany the photographs.
A SURPRISE OPPORTUNITY
As BMSS members are aware I am responsible for a Memorial Website on the 70th Infantry Brigade 1939 – 1944, which includes not only the War Diaries of the units involved, but incorporates a database of those men who served. Pulling together that detailed information has meant consulting records, particularly the Army Enlistment Books (AB 358), in Military Museums and Archives around the country. When the Brigade was disbanded, to provide reinforcements for other units, in August 1944, a significant number of men from 1st Tyneside Scottish were posted to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. In order to track down what happened to those men I needed to visit the Regimental Archive at Stirling Castle. Given the distance involved, it made sense to co-ordinate the visit with a holiday we were taking in Wester Ross – a trip we do annually – so we arranged a couple of days in Stirling on the way North, and in addition, a day in Fort George to visit the Highlanders Museum, for the same reason, as we returned South. My wife and I were made very welcome in the Regimental HQ on 12th June and made good progress with the database – though we had always recognised that we would need to spend more time on Friday 13th to finish the job. It was then we learned of the Argylls “Final Parade” from Stirling Castle on the Friday morning and were assisted to find an excellent photo spot, with the agreement that I would make a copy of any images I took for the Regimental HQ – which I was very happy to do. This was an excellent example of a full dress parade – Mascot, Band, Pipes and Drums, Colours and the whole 5th Battalion on parade. A proud but emotional occasion for the men, the Argylls Veterans and watching families. One of the highlights of the occasion was the marching on of the Veterans for the Battalion photograph – and the subsequent urgent dismissal so the parade could proceed. The Veterans actually marched alongside – something I have not seen before. The sight of the RSM ushering, in dulcet language, if not in dulcet tones, a group of mature ladies – no doubt proud Mums and Grandmothers - to the edge of the Middle Square so the official photos could be taken, caused considerable amusement. Had anyone ever dared to speak to them like that before? Needless to say, the Japanese and American tourists were seriously impressed. Not my Regiment or my Corps – but a sight I would not have missed as those Colours and Battle Honours passed into history. Sincere thanks to the staff of the HQ, and the Officer commanding the Parade, who were so welcoming to strangers who just “happened to be there”. J L Dixon Friday, 19 July 2013
