Chapter 20
Return to Barracks Part Two

The town of Stirling in Scotland has been the home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders for many years. In fact I was stationed there for a short time when I first joined the battalion in 1940. After visiting the Battalion in Redford ( see part 1 ) My Grandson drove me the 50 miles up the road to Stirling for the annual Regimental reunion on Saturday the 13th of May 2000.
We arrived at our hotel in Stirling late in the afternoon of the 12th  and met a very nice chap called Ray Vearnals from Cheshire.  Ray served with the 1st Battalion from 1945 to 1952 in Palestine and Korea with 'A' Company's HQ Platoon. Ray has always been a very active member of the Manchester branch of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association. We sat and had a few beers with Ray in the hotel bar while he explained what would be happening this weekend. Ray and my Grandson had been in contact with each other in the past few months via e-mail. Ray had found out about me through the Argylls message board that my Grandson runs. Ray as a young Argyll
That night Ray invited us to the Balaklava club, which is the clubhouse of the Stirling Branch of the Regimental Association. Being the night before the reunion the bar was full of old Argylls.
Ray and my Grandson It was a most enjoyable night and many a beer drunk and many battles re-fought. There were lots of veterans of the Korean war and other post war campaigns the battalion has served in but no veterans of the 1st Battalion from W.W.II. Still I had a great time and met lots of great lads. We spent a good few hours talking about old times. The Manchester branch had even brought their pipers up for the weekend who treated us to a few old tunes.
Next morning, a little head heavy from all the beer, we had a wander around Stirling, which has changed quite a lot over the years although it is still a very nice town. It was a beautiful sunny day. About 11 o'clock we caught a taxi from the town up to Stirling castle which is not very far but would have been too much of a climb for my old legs. Stirling Castle stands on a hill above the town of Stirling with wonderful views of the surrounding Scottish countryside and the Wallace monument about two miles away.
Martin took this picture of me as I was about to walk though the castle gates again after 60 years. The castle was just how I remembered it, cobbled stoned streets leading up to the main hall and beautifully kept gardens. Back in 1940 I used to pull guard duty at the main Castle entrance. I remember it being a lot colder then. There were lots of tour buses arriving with American tourists and also lots of Japanese, two of them were wearing kilts, a very strange site. It was a beautiful day and there were many Argyll's, who had come up for the reunion,  walking about the Castle.
We wandered all around the castle grounds and enjoyed the spectacular views from every wall. From the rear of the castle we tried to see if we could see the old barrack huts were I lived in 1940, but they must have been pulled down many years ago. The castle grounds were lovely to walk though, there were even families having picnics around the battlements
Inside the castle is the Regimental Headquarters and Regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The museum was a fairly small building but it had many rooms containing all sorts of interesting things from the Regimental history. Including some very interesting pictures and items from my Battalion while we were serving in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Well worth a visit. We also met Major Campbell who is in charge of the museum. My Grandson Martin presented the major a copy of " Sids War " for the museum to keep. Major Campbell had already read my story on the internet and was very pleased to meet me. Martin also gave the Major a copy of all of Tom Barkers writings which Tom had asked Martin to present to the museum.
We had a nice lunch at the Castle café and then started a long leisurely walk back down into the town, resting up every now and again to save my old legs. On the way down we met lots of Argyll veterans who were in Stirling for the reunion. Every where you looked you could see a glengarry When we reached the hotel I had a lie down and a rest before the reunion that night
The reunion was held later that night at the local Argyll Territorial Army (TA) center. Tea and sandwiches were served before we all trooped out side to watch the beating of the retreat. It was a wonderful sight to see the pipes and drums march onto the parade ground with the castle behind them and the sun setting. All very moving. The Pipes and drums went through a few tunes including Highland laddie before Major General D. P. Thomson CB CBE and MC the took the salute.
In 1967 General Thomson was with the 1st Battalion  when the Jocks went to Aden. He severed under Col. Mitchell when the Argylls made their famous re-entry of Crater. He is now the Colonel of the Regiment. The General was popular among all the veterans  and took time to talk to all of them after the beating of the retreat.
Back in the TA hall, the bar was starting to get very busy as the thirsty old Argylls piled in to quench their thirst. I met some great blokes from the various Associations around England. There was even a very nice chap who had come all the way from Canada to be there by the name of Donald Campbell, he was a piper. Many of the veterans had read my story on the internet and many had their picture taken with me. Including "Big Mo ' who as you can see is a larger than life character from the Stirling Branch. Some great entertainment had been laid on for the night with a live folk band and a troop of young boys and girls who treated us to some Irish dancing. These young kids got a big round of applause.

About 9 o'clock we all trooped off back to the Balaklava club where the old vets continued to quench their thirst. It turned out to be another night of drinking and story telling. What a night. David Murry, the Vice Chairman of the Stirling Branch Balaklava Club, presented my Grandson with a Korean War Veterans Association blazer badge and Tom Dobson, another vet from Newcastle gave Martin a beautiful Argyll tie pin.

All to soon the reunion was over. We left the next morning. Before leaving Martin took another picture of me standing outside the castle gates wearing my Glengarry. I had a wonderful weekend both at the barracks and in Stirling. It was wonderful to return to the regiment and great to spend some time with other old Argylls. A trip I shall never forget. I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone I met that weekend and thank you all for your kindness.