The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

'Sans Peur'       Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders red and white dicing       'Ne Obliviscaris'


A Snapshot of Service

'A' Company
Tobruk - 1958


Map of Libya 		  from the A&SH tray..........
Cyprus, military intelligence informed us that Colonel Grivas was in a Greek Cypriot mountain village. Operation 'Kingfisher' was mounted and a massive cordon of troops surrounded the village during the night. Each soldier was lying 10 yards apart with instructions to shoot anyone who moved. Middle of the night, a machine gun goes off. Everybody was petrified, but no one dared move.
Next morning we found a dead donkey, shot by an 'A' Company bren gunner.
Later that day when 'A' Company went into the cookhouse, the whole Battalion chanted - 'Hee, haw! Hee, haw!'

Background Information

Most of our time in Tobruk was taken-up with desert training, fieldcraft, infantry weapons and physical fitness.

Most people will be aware of how hot the desert can be in the daytime, but it's not so well known how cold it gets in the night.


Photo © H M Aitken
L/Cpl Tam McBride
who accompanied 'A' Company to Tobruk

 

We soon experienced this at first hand, while living in bivouacs during our desert training. Most of us slept with our kit on to try and combat the night cold.

Trips into Tobruk were frequent and very safe. This was a pleasant change from the tense, hostile atmosphere we often felt in the towns and villages of Cyprus.

Our time in Tobruk was well occupied with various important events, such as:-
  • 6th October — the Commanding Officer visited us from the Battalion's base in Cyprus.
  • 9th November - we held a Memorial Day Parade at the British War Cemetery, Tobruk.
  • 11th November - the Company provided a Guard of Honour and Riot Control Demonstration to King Idris of Libya.


There was plenty of time to get to know the RAF boys and to see how 'cushie' they had it.

It was also a time for getting to know each other better, in a more relaxed environment and to recharge our batteries, before returning to Cyprus. After all, most of us were still in our teens and many of the Jocks had never been abroad nor stayed away from home before!


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