The Blue Hackle
Newsletter of The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
December 2014
Commanding Officer’s Introduction
This edition of The Blue Hackle is published to complement the Battalion’s contributions to the
Royal Regiment of Scotland Journal, which will be published in March 2015 and repeated in The
Highlander Online which is due to be updated early next year. This Blue Hackle therefore focuses
on our recent Infantry Section 2IC Course (PJNCO Cadre in old money!) and a selection of the
sporting and adventure training events we have entered and conducted. Both of these activities
have played a vital part in helping to re-set the Battalion during its recuperation from HERRICK 19
and have helped to ensure that we are well set for 2015.
In addition, to the events covered below, we have found the time and space to maintain some of
the antecedent traditions, such as the Caber Feidh skill-at-arms meeting, won by D Company, and
the blanket competition, won by the Recce Platoon. However, now that 7th Armoured Brigade has
closed and we have re-subordinated to 20th Armoured Brigade, we turn our attention to next year’s
three main tasks: completing the initial part of our conversion to Mechanised Infantry, supporting
the Army’s training requirements on and around Salisbury Plain and conducting our move back to
Catterick. All of these offer many opportunities and I am confident that the Jocks will be energised
by the challenge. From all the Officers and Soldiers in The Highlanders, Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!
Parading through Bergen to mark the drawdown of 7th Armoured Brigade
Infantry Section 2IC Course
From mid-September through to the end of October, Hldrs, and one LCpl from the SCOTS DG,
were marching, running and exercising around St Barbara Barracks, the Bergen-Hohne ranges
and Haltern training area. The students received 7 weeks of intensive training in command,
leadership and management, learning marksmanship and range management, navigation and how
to be an effective instructor. The physical training was individually demanding, but designed to
develop team cohesion amongst the soldiers through various arduous collective events.
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During the 10 day final exercise, all students had the opportunity to practise being a section 2IC,
with the most able being given the chance to shine as section commanders. The exercise focussed
on the basics of dismounted infantry skills at section and platoon level, while exposing the cadre to
the effects of mental and physical fatigue. This was reinforced once they had returned to
Fallingbostel and, having expected to be honing their drill, they found themselves being rudely
awoken for bayonet fighting.
Hldr Skinner leading from the front
Post Final Attack – Students and Staff
The final parade saw the 36 students who finished the cadre march on in front of the rest of
Battalion. They were inspected by the Commanding Officer who then promoted the top four
students on the square: LCpls Young, Fergusson, Brown and Ballard.
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LCpl Young receiving the
Capt Smith trophy for Top Student
Diving in Malta
Adventure Training
Operational commitments have inevitably meant that opportunities to conduct adventurous training
have been few and far between however, in October 54 soldiers deployed on two sequential 5-day,
multi-activity packages to the Harz Mountains in Germany. Based at the Sonnenberg Lodge, each
group was given an introduction to rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking, with the latter
counting towards nine soldiers gaining their Mountain Bike Trail Leaders qualification. In
November we also deployed twenty five soldiers to Malta to take part in a mixture of scuba diving,
rock climbing and mountain biking, a real treat given the poor weather they left behind in
Fallingbostel! Further trips are planned for next year, notably a two-week expedition to the
Drakensburg mountains in South Africa and further use of the fantastic facilities in Germany before
we move back to the UK.
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Sport
Winning silver at the BA (G) X-Country Competition.
Sport within The Highlanders is thriving. The rugby team are well placed in the British Forces
Germany (BFG) League, the football team are through to the last 16 of the Army Cup and the
cross-country team are top of the BFG cross country league, as well as recently coming second at
the BFG inter-unit cross-country, a race that now qualifies us to run in the Army championship. We
have also sent soldiers to compete in Nordic and Alpine skiing in France. Both teams have settled
well and we look forward to reporting on their success in the next Blue Hackle.
Nordic ski team building their fitness in the French Alps
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Boxing has also featured heavily over the last three months. In November the newly-formed
Battalion team competed in the 7th Armoured Brigade inter-unit boxing. After a series of
successful preliminaries, the Battalion had representation in seven of the evening’s eleven bouts.
Six victories, and the awarding of ‘Best Boxer’ to Hldr Mitchell, capped a thoroughly enjoyable
performance.
LCpl Chilcott coaches Hldr Mitchell
Hldr Miller in his winning bout
This was followed up with the Battalion inter-company boxing competition. An impressive number
of soldiers entered and the ten bouts on finals night were of an exceptional standard given the
novice nature of the competitors. D Company managed to pip B Company to the title by the
narrowest of margins, but perhaps more importantly, it was a fantastic way to bring the battalion
together prior to going on leave.
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