This was one of the best Hallowe'ens, well organised and without a hitch, if you except the fact that a certain Brigadier was late (and a temperamental microphone - which seemed to be quite overcome by the chief guest's oratory). The guests seemed almost to outnumber the others present - indeed the pipes had died away long before they had finished coming downstairs.  We faced the 1914 - 18 War Memorial and Pte Bloomfield, the newest recruit, placed the wreath at its base, while the Pipe-Major played the Lament.

The meal was excellent and good value for the money. The haggis received traditional welcome and portions were generous. No complaints were heard and that in itself is remarkable!

The traditional toasts were drunk with much enthusiasm, and the repleted guests and members sat back to give cars to speeches.  But first there was the presentation of the trophy awarded to the best soldier of the year, and offered annually by the Knights of the Round Table.

Major Rutherford-Young named Pte Christopher Ross as the recipient and this produced a large cheer from G Coy present.  The OC said that Ross joined in May 1975 and had attended three Camps.  He devoted an enormous amount of time to his duties and was cheerful at all times.  He made himself available when others were reluctant to do so.  He always came up smiling, was an asset to his Coy and had a good future before him.

Making the presentation on behalf of the Knights of the Round Table, Vice-Admiral Sir Antony Miers, a famous submariner of the last War, said that he was proud to make the award and congratulated a blushing Ross on his achievement. (Further cheers).

There was now a break for comfort and the pipes sounded recall. The Regimental Colonel rose and said he was sure that those present would wish to thank on their behalf the Committee led by Hector Robertson, aided by Mrs Rylands, for arranging such an excellent Hallowe'en. This statement was greeted with warm approval. Hector then read the messages from home and overseas. They were from: Richie Cleland (Glasgow OCA); Jock Sturrock (Castle Douglas; Hugh Price (Ullapool), Ronnie MacPherson; J. Wilson, 6665644, Christchurch (NZ); Peter Judge (Australia) and Bill Somerset.

The Pipes and Drums now performed with their usual skill and began with a drum roll which was unique in rhythm and sound, and new to many present. One wonders who composed it. This was followed by The Dark Island, Millbank Cottage, The Shepherd's Crook, Alick C. McGregor, Black Bear, Blue Bonnets, Bonnie Dundee, Colonel Robertson and Cock O' the North. The last four tunes are, of course, the old Coy Marches and the finale a tribute to the Gordons. The applause greeting these offerings of our traditional music was warm, sincere and long, but never has it been otherwise.

Major John Clemence was now called upon to propose the health of the guests and said:

"Bismark said 'a good speaker must he somewhat of a poet and cannot therefore adhere mathematically to the truth'. I hope, therefore, that you, Colonel Penman (whose doing this is) and you General (our guest of honour) and you our other guests (whose health I am to propose) and you gentlemen and fellow London Scots (whom I shall be preventing from getting; to the bar) will forgive me if I, being more of a mathematical than a poetic turn of mind, adhere approximately to the truth.

"I am told all speeches must contain one story and I am reminded of the story of the hangman who was about to despatch a beautiful young woman and as he stooped to pinion her legs her smock fell to the floor. On seeing her thus revealed he remarked that it was a shame that such a beautiful body should come to such an end. To which she replied 'you can do what you like with my beautiful body as long as you keep your trap shut.'

"I must now turn to the hierarchy of the TA, that is to say, London District and the Duke of Yorks. The former is represented by Colonel Carden, TD, London Yeomanry & Territorials, who, as many of you may remember, was part of that great attempted Scottish takeover which flashed across the pages of Military History and was known as LYT or AVRIII.

"The Duke of York's are represented by the Chairman, one, Colonel Alan Niekirk, and you may well ask how he comes to be on our list of guests. He is accompanied by his Secretary-Alan Woolford, MC and we must be thankful to them and their team for all the work they do for the TA is general and us in particular.  I suppose it was inevitable that in Jubilee year we should end up with a red, white and blue Drill Hall.  I personally thought that it was rather a shame that while all that scaffolding was up we did not have a few heavenly bodies on our midnight blue roof.

"From Perth we welcome the CO of 1/51 Highland, Colonel Graham Murray, who, as you will have seen, has a promising future as a cover person on magazines.

"The Gordon Highlanders, our much loved parent Regiment, are represented by the President of the Gordon Highlanders Association (London Branch), Colonel Reggie Lees, MBE whom we are very pleased to see once again in our midst. Also from the Gordons we welcome our PSI'S, CSM Davidson, S/Sgt Stewart and Sgt Morrison. They are a comparatively new team, but we wish them well and hope they will learn to live with our peculiarities.

"We are extremely glad to welcome from the NRA, Air Commodore Riall, CBE, who puts up so patiently with all we do at Bisley.

"Certain other organisations are represented here tonight. Our livery company, the Worshipful Company of Distillers by the Master, Mr Geoffrey Nobes and the Clerk, Mr Bruce Dehn. We are grateful to them for their patronage and generosity to us.

"The Highland Society, who were party to our formation, represented by Mr David Scott, Vice-President and Mr George Turnbull, TD, Secretary. The Caledonian Society is represented by the President for this year, Dr Archibald Macdonald, The Caledonian Club by the Secretary, Commander Fuller and his predecessor, Captain Geoffrey Vickers. 1 would also like to welcome Judge Tan McCulloch, our Regimental Counsel who doubles as Knight Almoner in the Knights of the Round Table.

"We are very proud of our association with the Knights and of the fact that they honour one of our young soldiers each year with the Messines Trophy. Here presenting it tonight is a most distinguished man among distinguished men. Vice-Admiral Sir Antony Miers, VC, DSO and Bar. A submariner of great repute, regular player for the London Scottish Rugby Club, Scottish triallist whose further career on the rugger field was interrupted by one, Adolf Hitler. Judging from the naval career that followed I am not sure that Adolf would not have been better off leaving our guest to expend his energy at rugger.

"Proposing the health of a soldier should not be a difficult task, but I thought I would lend a bit of erudition to the evening by some choice extracts from my well trusted dictionary of quotations.  I looked up "General" in the index and was surprised to find so few references. One caught my eye, 'General notions generally wrong' but I do not think that is any particular reference to military gentlemen of high rank. I did find that Anatole France had said that ' the real Generals will be stationmasters' which I can only take to be a suggestion as to what they should do on retirement.

"I then turned up Soldier in the index and was surprised to find so little that was complimentary. In his Seven Ages of Man, Shakespeare described the soldier of his day like this:

"And then I found that Generals in their turn had been pretty rude about soldiers. Wellington remarked on reviewing his troops before battle ' I don't know if they frighten the French but they damn well frighten me' and Napoleon is quoted as having said, 'The worse the man, the better the soldier.'

"His father was a Brigadier Reverend or a Reverend Brigadier. One of his three sons, Simon, is now serving in the Regiment, and his home is just up the road from Bisley, at Knaphill.

"We are very pleased and honoured to have such a distinguished military guest and we much look forward to his reply.

"I thought to finish I would remind you of what W. S. Gilbert wrote about a General, albeit only a Major-General, in the Pirates of Penzance, and by paraphrasing it a little, would adapt it to our guest.

He is the very model of a modern Lieutenant-General.  He's not so good at integral and differential calculus

He has problems quoting all the crimes of Heliogabulus And writing out his washing bill in Babylonic Cunciform He may not know every detail of Caractacus' uniform.

But: He knows what is meant by Mamelon and Ravelin.

"I am sure he knows a chasse pot rifle from a javelin I am certain at sorties and surprises he's quite wary at and knows precisely what is meant by commissariat.  He has more than a smattering of elemental strategy In short a better General has never sat a gee.

"And so it gives me much pleasure to ask all London Scots to rise and drink to the health of all our guests, coupled with the name of Lt-General Sir David Scott-Barrett."

Lt-General Sir David Scott-Barrett then replied and gave one of the most stirring speeches ever heard at 59. He said it was one of the truly great privileges to speak at this HQ, so hallowed with its tradition of the volunteer spirit and upon an occasion when there were present survivors of Messines. In his capacity as Governor of Edinburgh Castle he had recently taken a day off from duty and spent it studying the War Memorial there and its Rolls of Honour, among which was one of the London Scottish. He had found it a deeply moving experience.

He said that he had recently introduced General AI Haig to Lord Haig of Bemersyde. They had discussed the volunteer spirit as displayed at Messines and Lord Haig had stressed how proud his father had been of the London Scottish, of which he had been Honorary Colonel. As GOC Scotland, the General said he was proud to have the Scottish under his command as part of the 51st Highland.  It was so obvious to him that the volunteer spirit was in this room tonight. His speech was not a political one and they were not trying to get more for the TAVR which was well-equipped and did not have to pick up weapons from the fallen.  The TAVR was of great value to the nation.  It developed the man.  He had seen the Scottish at the Review, at Retreat and at Camp, where they had dug in with enthusiasm on Salisbury Plain where others had dug before them!  He had told General AI Haig that G Coy of the 51st Highland was well up to standard, and it was with great pride that he called for the Toast of the Regiment and the spirit of Messines.

The Toast was hailed with great enthusiasm and the General received applause seldom seen in the Drill Hall - a standing ovation.

Major Rutherford-Young said the Coy was entering a new phase in its development. In this Silver Jubilee Year, it was the tenth year since the 51st Highland was formed and, "I am the last commissioned officer to have been a member of the Ist Bn Officers' Mess and I shall be handing over command at Church Parade on November 15. Next May I will be followed by our Joint Honorary Colonel who will be handing over his Hon Colonelcy."

When he had joined as a private soldier in 1961, the Regiment had an enviable reputation based on the achievement of its men in battle and their high standards in peace time. Messines was the most memorable battle and all were made aware of this upon joining and still were.

Those who had visited Messines in 1976 would appreciate more what the battle meant and had been moved by the sense of occasion engendered by the visit. "It was a great privilege for me to command the Coy on that occasion and something I will not forget. I am sure that those who fought and died at Messines would have heartily approved of their Regiment becoming part of the Highland Volunteers on re-organisation in 1967, a famous name to be associated with and part of the Scottish Division. As with all other Coys in the Bn we have managed to preserve our identity, particularly important in our case when there is no regular Bn to carry on our traditions. Without the name London Scottish and our unique uniform, there is no reason for our existence in London. You will be interested to know that with the defence economies and subsequent rationalisation of Highland uniforms during the last three years, our Royal Honorary Colonel has again been responsible for preserving certain aspects of The Scottish.  Other items continue to be worn with permission of the Army Dress Committee but at Regimental expense. We have had to prove ourselves militarily in a Bn which sets the very highest standards. London Scots are constantly striving to improve their own standards in the field.

"This year at Camp, we came the closest ever to winning the Bn Champion Coy Competition, but we were pipped at the post, coming a close second. So there is a challenge to my successor."

"He would equally need your help and understanding and support and I know you will give it to him. I believe that for all this to go on we should double the strength of the Association. Thanks to TAVRA, the building is a first-class place to bring your friends. Have a look at the Canteen tonight and you will agree with me. I hope you are all paid-up members but should you not be, there are forms available for you to sign. A strong Regimental Association will provide a firm base for a strong London Scottish Coy. I hope that more of you will take part in Church Parade this year. We value your support in the crowd but would rather have you marching with us. The day before you can either see us in the Lord Mayor's Show or on TV.

Major Rutherford-Young's speech was greeted with strong applause.

The Pipes and Drums now played a second set which included the Rowan Tree, Bonnie Galloway, Stirling Castle, Because he way a Bonnie Lad, Jock Wilson's Ball, Tail Toddle, Highland Cradle Song, The Boys of Bluehill, Cockney Jocks and the Bonnie Lass of o' Fyvie, and of course, the Regimental March.

The Evening Hymn followed verses being taken by the Coy Commander, CSM Archdale, lan Bulpin, Cpl Baigrie, and the Regimental Colonel.

It was an excellent evening and one must pay tribute again to the organisers and to the Cadets for their waiting service.

Colonel Penman had sent this message to the Honorary Colonel:

All ranks of The London Scottish Regiment gathered for their Hallowe'en Reunion Dinner at 59 Buckingham Gate on Monday, October 31, 1977, send loyal greetings to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

The following telegram was received: I very much appreciate the kind message that I received from all ranks The London Scottish Regiment. I send to you all my warmest good wishes for a very happy Hallowe'en Reunion Dinner.

Elizabeth R, Honorary Colonel.

Colonel Penman also had a message from The Belgian Remembrance Committee:

In the name of The Belgian Remembrance Committee, I beg you to forward to all the members of The London Scottish Regiment and of the Regimental Association our sincere wishes for a successful celebration and to all my personal friends who are present that night, the confirmation of my faithful friendship.

J-P. Schellekens, Commandant, Belgian Air Force Reserve.