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Looking For Trouble |
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March 19 |
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(Published March 20) THEIR battle honours read like a history of Britain's glorious military past: Waterloo, Balaclava, Sebastopol, the Somme, Arras, Ypres, Crete, El Alamein. Wherever Scotland's Black Watch have been called to serve, they have distinguished themselves with a bravery that has inspired fear in enemies and respect among all those who have served alongside them. Now the Black Watch is preparing to take its place at the forefront of another great military campaign. As part of the legendary 7th Armoured Brigade - the Desert Rats - and under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mike Riddell-Webster, they will play a key role in the events which will unfold over the coming days. For weeks, they have been preparing for this moment at their temporary home in northern Kuwait, a mere 25 kilometres from the Iraqi border. Camped out in a vast area of desert, they have grown used to the suffocating heat, the dust storms and the privations of life far from the comforts of home. Above their heads has been the constant sound of whirring helicopters and jets tearing across the sky. The desert has been alive with the noise of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and all the other vehicles that make up the formidable battle group stretched out facing the Iraqi border. As the 1,100 troops and 50 Warrior armoured vehicles prepare to engage, they know they could have done no more to get ready. In front of them is an Iraqi army dug in to defensive positions which they must overrun quickly if they are to achieve their objectives. Those inside the armoured vehicles are under no illusions about what they are taking on. The Iraqi army may not be as well-equipped and trained to such a peak of readiness as the British and US forces, their morale might not be as high, but they have the advantage of numbers and few among the Black Watch believe all their number will return home alive. Not everyone who will go into battle wearing the red hackle of the Black Watch believes theirs is a just cause. The debate among the troops has been earnest and impassioned: some have railed against the politicians who have sent them to a foreign country to fight against people with whom they have no quarrel. Some, making the last call home to loved ones, fear for the Iraqi children as they would for their own. Others have looked forward with enthusiasm to the moment the bombs begin to fall, standing outside their tents over the last few evenings in the hope of seeing the first flashes of explosions out in the darkness beyond the lights of the oilfields of Kuwait. They display mixed emotions, from nervousness to bluff confidence. Others have no words at all. Yet whatever their emotions, all understand they are professional soldiers who have chosen this path. When they joined the Black Watch, they knew at times they could be asked to do things they might find disturbing, even distressing, in the regiment's name. Formed in 1725 when six companies of Highlanders were raised to keep watch on the Highlands, they took their name An Freiceadan Dubh - the Black Watch - from the dark tartan they wore. When they fought for the first time in battle in 1743 at Fontenoy in Flanders, the enemy reported that "the Highland furies ... rushed in more violently than sea in a storm". Renamed in 1749 as the 42nd Regiment, at Waterloo they were singled out by the Duke of Wellington for their bravery at Quatre Bras. In the Crimea, they fought at Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol. In India, members of the regiment won eight Victoria Crosses in just 15 months. In 1861 the name The Black Watch was formally approved by Queen Victoria and the regiment went on to serve around the empire. During the First World War, they fought at Marne, Aisne and Ypres, Givenchy, Neuve Chappell and Festubert. At Loos, one general who saw their dead lying so thick that it was difficult to place a foot between them confessed his amazement "when I thought of the unconquerable, irresistible spirit which the men must possess to have enabled them to continue their advance after such losses". Now, more than 80 years later, they will be called upon to display that same rare bravery again.
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(Original copy) Their battle honours read like a history of Britain glorious military past. Alexandria, Waterloo, Balaclava, Sebastopoll, the Somme, Arras, Ypres, Crete, El Alamein. Wherever Scotland’s Black Watch has been called to serve, they have distinguished themselves with a bravery that has inspired fear in their enemies and respect amongst all those who have served alongside them in battle. And as the first waves of attacks go in at the start of what will become the second Gulf War, the Black Watch is again preparing to take its place at the forefront of another great military campaign. As part of the legendary 7th Armoured Brigade – the Desert Rats – and under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mike Riddell-Webster, they will play a key role in the events which will unfold over the coming days and weeks. For weeks now they have been preparing for this moment at their temporary home in northern Kuwait, a mere 25 kilome-tres from the Iraqi border. Camped out in a vast area of desert, they have grown used to the suffocating heat, the dust storms which blow in without warning and the privations of life far away from the comforts of home. Life in the desert has been one of a home under canvas in tents pitched alongside the Warrior armoured vehicles in which they will go into battle. Above their heads there has been the constant sound of helicopters swooping overhead and jets tearing across the sky. The desert has been alive with the sound of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and all the other vehicles which make up the formidable battle group stretched out facing the Iraqi border. When the 50 Warriors and 1,100 troops join the battle, it will be in the knowledge that they could do no more to ready themselves for what they will face. In front of them will be an Iraqi army dug into defensive positions which they must overrun quickly if they are to achieve their objectives. Those inside the armoured vehicles are under no illusions about what they are taking on. The Iraqi army may not be as well equipped and trained as the British and US forces, their morale may not be as high, but they have the advantage of numbers and few among the Black Watch believe they will all return home. And not everyone who will go into battle wearing the red hackle of the Black Watch believes that theirs is a just cause. The debate among the troops has been earnest and impassioned: some have railed against the politicians who have sent them into a foreign country to fight against people with whom they have no quarrel. While many of the soldiers have looked forward with enthusiasm to the moment the bombs begin to fall, standing around outside their tents over the last few evenings in the hope of seeing the first flashes of explosions out in the darkness beyond the lights of the Kuwaiti oilfields to the north, others only feel pity for those caught on the ground below the US and British aircraft. There has been angry talk of a great injustice done to the Iraqi people: men with children of their own have voiced their sorrow for the Iraqi infants who must inevitably perish in the air and ground campaign. But they also understand that they are professional soldiers who have chosen this path. When they joined the Black Watch they knew there could be times when they would be asked to do things which they might find disturbing or even distressing. And this is a regiment with a long history of involvement in warfare around the globe. Formed in 1725 when six companies of Highlanders were raised to keep watch on the Highlands, they took their name An Freiceadan Dubb – the Black Watch – from the dark tartan they wore. When they fought for the first time in battle in 1743 at Fontenoy in Flanders, the enemy reported that “the Highland furies ... rushed in more violently than sea in a storm”. Renamed in 1749 as the 42nd Regiment, at Waterloo they were singled out by the Duke of Wellington for their bravery at Quatre Bras. In the Crimea, they fought at Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopoll. In India, members of the regiment won eight Victoria Crosses in 15 months. In 1861 the name The Black Watch was formally approved by Queen Victoria and they went on to serve around the empire. During the First World War, they fought at Marne, Aisne and Ypres, Givenchy, Neuve Chap-pell and Festubert. At Loos, one general who saw their dead lying so thick that it was difficult to place a foot between them confessed his amazement “when I thought of the unconquerable, irresistible spirit which the men must possess to have enabled them to continue their advance after such losses.” After the 6th Battalion was granted the honour of the Croix de Guere for its action at Bois de Courton, the French erected a monument where they found the body of the Black Watch soldier who had pressed forward the furthest. It read: “Here will flourish forever the glorious thistle of Scotland among the roses of France.” Now, more than 80 years later, they will be called upon to display that same rare bravery again. As they advance across the desert, the moment will come when their vehicles slow to a halt, the hatches swing open and the men of the Black Watch will have to leap out and engage a new enemy once again. The young men, many of whom have never seen combat before, know that they will be tested to their limits in those first moments and in the campaign to come. But they know, and their officers truly believe, that they will not be found wanting. They believe in themselves. They believe in each other. They believe they will win. |