regimental news

REGIMENTAL NEWS
November 2015 – February 2016
IN MEMORIAM
Captain The Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne (Thirds Guards Club member and Dundee & Angus Branch Scots
Guards Association member) died 28th February 2016.
1ST BATTALION
Sporting Success
Football. The Battalion Football
Team has had a spectacular season
with back to back wins. Their most
recent game, against the Welsh
Guards, saw a well-earned 4-3
victory. Other notable successes
have come in the form of a 9-1 victory
against 9 RLC and a 3-1 win over
ATC Pirbright. The team is going
from strength to strength and
continue to do the Battalion proud.
Rugby. The Rugby Team have
done extremely well given that this is
their first season in the Army Rugby Union
Premiership. The team capitalised on some
early wins against the Welsh Guards and a
very narrow defeat to The Royal Welsh, 13time Army Rugby Champions. The start of
2016 saw the team come up against some
very strong opponents. Their last game saw
them playing in the Quarter-Finals of the Army
Rugby Union Championship. It was a hard and
physical game which saw 17 Port and
Maritime win 23-3. The team are still firmly
within the premiership and look to consolidate
their position after some well- earned leave.
Boxing. The Boxing Team are training hard of the upcoming Household Division Championships
which are to be held in Aldershot towards the beginning of April. The team, coached by Sgt Harvey
and LSgts Miller and Monkhouse are a mixture of novice and experienced boxers. The training tempo
will increase after February leave and will see the championship team selected out of the Battalion
Team. We are looking forward to the preliminaries and what will be a fantastic culminating final.
From this championship event, the Household Division will select a team to compete against the
Parachute Regiment later on in the year.
Skiing. The Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams have had another successful season with Lt Arbuthnott
doing the Regiment proud and coming 35th in the individual combined competition. Lt Martin led the
Nordic Ski Team with again notable success. The Battalion as whole, along with F Company,
were able to send a
number of novice skiers
and instructors away to
Val D’Isere
for the
annual
Exercise
TARTAN
SNOWPLOUGH.
This
continues to be a great
success story for the
Battalion,
introducing
Guardsmen with no
previous experience of
skiing and training them
in some of the best
conditions along with world class instructors.
Right Flank Live Fire Tactical Training. Right Flank have been stood by for UK Contingency Operations
since late November 2015. However, that did not stop them conducting some exceptional ranges and LFTT
packages. This proved a fantastic opportunity to develop and hone skills with live ammunition, in safe but
stressful situations. Right Flank now look forward to some well-deserved leave and prepare for a busy 2016.
B Company Gunnery Competition and
Cadres. B Company were also stood by for
assisting in UK Contingency Operations. The
Company has been busy meeting this
commitment as well as conducting a number
of exercises on Salisbury Plain and the annual
B Company Cadres in Brecon. The Machine
Gun Platoon also participated in the
3 UK Div Mounted Gunnery Competition
coming second. An amazing achievement, all
the more so when considering we came
ahead of our Mechanised Infantry brethren 4
Rifles; good and healthy competition!
Left Flank in Denmark. Left
Flank took part in Exercise
WHITE SWORD as part of a
multinational
exercise
demonstrating
interoperability with Danish
and American armed forces.
The exercise saw the longest
and
largest
Mechanised
Infantry road move since
Afghanistan.
Left Flank
conducted
themselves
impeccably and were praised
by the Danish Brigade
Commander for their skill and
attitude throughout the two
week exercise.
Pipes and Drums tour the United States of America.
The Pipes and Drums are currently away on a two month
tour of North America. Capt Charlie Craven is leading the
Pipes and Drums along with PMaj MaCrae and DMaj
McCutcheon on what has been a phenomenally
successful tour. Reviews and videos have been posted
on the Facebook page, 1st Battalion Scots Guards, and
could not be more flattering of not only the performances
but the conduct and bearing of all those on the tour.
St Andrew’s Day. St Andrew’s Day was celebrated with the traditional 0630 hrs bagpipes and gunfire. This
was shortly followed by a multitude of Scottish physical tests, although the most difficult to stomach was by
far the porridge eating event. The day was made all the more special for the presence of the The Colonel,
HRH The Duke of Kent. The Colonel oversaw the events and also took the opportunity to present several
members of the Battalion with Accumulated Service and Long Service Good Conduct medals. LCpl Nassiwa
AGC(SPS) was also presented with her Op GRITROCK medal for her service in Sierra Leone. This was a
special day indeed, which marks our return to the home of the Guards.
Social Media. The Battalion has continued to develop our presence on social media. This has taken the
form of our Facebook page – 1st Battalion Scots Guards – and our Instagram account – ScotsGuards1642.
The Scots Guards page on the Army website has been updated to reflect our new home and our new role.
In addition to the launch of these social media sites, which provide weekly updates, photos and videos of
what the Battalion is doing, March also sees the launch of the new Regimental Website.
F COMPANY
London continues to be a busy place and F Company remains fully involved. The street lining for the State
Visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China was of particular note given the controversy the visit
has caused. This was not F Company’s only public ceremony as the Company was to present a small Guard
of Honour for the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Narendra Modi, in the Treasury Drum, which
featured heavily in the latest James Bond film that had just been released. F Company also assisted in a
French public military ceremony at the Marshal Foch Statue, Grosvenor Gardens. The contrast between
ceremonial styles was remarked by Lt Wesley as being one of the more unusual ceremonies on the F
Company calendar; it would seem foreign cooperation in the field is a simpler task than on the parade square.
F Company along with many other members of the armed forces and associated charities were in the public
eye for National Poppy Day. It was a concentrated effort to raise money for the Poppy Appeal on the 29 th
October in the build up to Remembrance Day. An impressive amount was collected all over London by
those involved with main railway stations proving most lucrative. A long day out for those out on the shop
floor but the importance of what was being done was not lost by those involved.
F Company was able to reinforce Left Flank on their deployment to Denmark on Exercise WHITE SWORD.
A section was sent under LCpl Ferguson for the week-long exercise and F Company was mixed in to Left
Flank rather than operating as a homogenous section. The idea was to demonstrate interoperability between
the Danes, Americans and British. From all accounts it was a tough week with very low temperatures and a
sharp learning curve for the guardsmen.
With two sections away on deployment it left the Company light on numbers with the run up to a busy
Christmas period. The company maintained their high levels of professionalism all the way through until
Christmas leave on the 27th December. Unfortunate that the Company was on duty but it was then followed
by a healthy amount of leave in the New Year as well as a skiing exercise in the French Alps.
REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS
Extension of the Appointment of the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel. At the request and recommendation
of the Regimental Council and other senior retired officers from the Regiment, the Military Secretary is delighted
to approve an extension of five more years to Brigadier G H F S (Harry) Nickerson in his appointment as the
Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Scots Guards. This period will almost certainly extend beyond his service in the
Regular Army, but this is by no means unprecedented and the appointment may be retained by a Retired Officer.
F Company Scots Guards to Edinburgh. It has been confirmed by Headquarters London District and by
Headquarters 51 Brigade in Scotland that F Company Scots Guards will provide this year’s Royal Guard at
Edinburgh Castle and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during this year’s Royal Week. They will deploy to
Edinburgh in the last week of June and remain there until the end of the first week in July.
Presentation of New Colours 2017. Readers should be aware by now that due to a number of very good
reasons, most notably the availability of Her Majesty The Queen, presentation of New Colours to the Regiment
will not now be taking place this year. Regimental Headquarters are investigating the options for a New Colours
parade, with the hope of highlighting the Mechanised Infantry role of the 1 st Battalion at the same time, in May
2017. All members of the Regimental family will be kept up to date with these developments.
Regimental Association Gathering. Largely as a result of there not being a New Colours Parade this year, an
Association Gathering is being organised in its stead. The Gathering will take place in the grounds of Brechin
Castle, Angus over the weekend of 1st and 2nd October in the area of their equestrian park. It will involve a band
concert and March through the City on the Saturday and a Gathering with a multitude of events on the Sunday.
The Chairman and Secretary of the Association will issue further information in due course.
Regimental Remembrance Sunday. All are reminded that this year’s Regimental Remembrance Sunday will
take place in the Guards’ Chapel on Sunday 10th April. Parking is available on the Parade Square at Wellington
Barracks and all family members are most welcome. Association members are reminded that lunch on a “Pay
as you Dine” basis is available in the Cookhouse after the Parade has returned from the Guards’ Memorial.
Third Guards Club Dinner. All Third Guards Club Members are reminded that this year the annual dinner will
take place in Edinburgh over Royal Week on Wednesday 6th July in the New Club Edinburgh. The Third Guards
Club membership list and letter from the President, plus the dinner invitation, reply card and envelope back to
Regimental Headquarters will be send out to all members shortly.
Regimental Website. Readers are informed that much progress has been made regarding the new Regimental
Website and it is hoped that it will be launched shortly for all to access. The intension is that the size and scope
of the website will expand over time depending on how well it is used. Therefore, this may or may not be the
last Regimental Newsletter depending on whether or not the Website is viewed as a better means of
communication which supersedes the need for the continuation of the Newsletter.
Extension numbers. Regimental Headquarters has had a slight revamp of their telephone extension numbers
and they now are as follows:







Regimental Adjutant Ext 3333 (Back to the original number)
Equerry Ext 3779 (A new number)
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Ext 3334 (No change)
Clerks’ Office 3324 (Back to the original number)
Regimental Stores Ext 3335 (No change)
Archives Clerk Ext 3419 (No change)
Fax Machine Ext 3445 (No change)
Thanks to Mrs Jan Rawlings. Our thanks, as always, to Mrs Jan Rawlings for all her help in the production
of this newsletter. It is greatly appreciated by all at Regimental Headquarters. Although having retired, she still
formats this letter through the kindness of her heart.
44 SILK ESCAPE MAP OF FRANCE
Before the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944 – D Day – folded silk printed escape maps were issued to
be carried in pockets. This map, in its original folds, shows the boundaries between German occupied
France, in the North and West, and unoccupied France, run by the puppet government at Vichy. It also
indicates German patrols along the Pyrenees because Allied escapees were most likely to aim for Spain.
Very quickly after the invasion the Germans took complete control of all France.
This map belonged to Major William “Willie” Whitelaw, later The Viscount Whitelaw, who was awarded the
Military Cross while commanding S Squadron 3rd (Tank) Battalion Scots Guards in the Battle of Caumont on
30th July 1944.
The map was presented to the Regiment by his
daughter, The Honourable Mrs Susan Cunliffe- Lister
in October 2015.
The photograph to the right shows Major Willie Whitelaw being presented with the ribbon of the Military Cross, by Field
Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery at Plön, Schleswig Holstein, in June 1945.
KINGSTON POLICE CHASE ‘TRIP’ HELPER WAS
OFF-DUTY SOLDIER
PC Brenden Exter-Beek seen in the photograph on the
right, had been pursuing a suspected drug dealer
through the streets of Kingston in Surrey when LSgt
Lawson, a Bandsman in the Scots Guards Regimental
Band, kindly assisted by sticking out a leg to trip up the
suspect. PC Exter-Beek thanked LSgt Lawson for his
assistance before adding ruefully, “I reckon I’d have still
got him, but that’s my personal opinion!” The
photograph shows LSgt Lawson being formally
thanked by the Police in Wellington Barracks the day
after the event.
SCOTS GUARDS REGIMENTAL ITEMS PRICE LIST
Serial
Regimental Items
1.
Scots Guards Blazer Badge
2.
Badge Lapel Scots Guards Association
3.
Plaque Scots Guards
4.
Greeting Card (Piper) x3
5.
Leather Key Case (Blue/Red/Blue)
6.
Plate – 1st Battalion Scots Guards
7.
Tie – Third Guards Club (Officers only)
8.
Tie – Household Division (Silk)
9.
Tie – Guards Armoured (Silk)
10.
Household Division Umbrella
11.
Cufflinks Scottish Flag
12.
Cufflinks with Capstar & (Blue/Red/Blue)
13.
Watchstrap Household Division
14.
Braces Household Division
15.
Tankard Scots Guards Engraved
16.
Large Regimental Place Mats x 2 (State Colour)
17.
Medium Regimental Place Mats (Coy Colours) 1st Battalion
18.
Medium Regimental Place Mats (Coy Colours) 2nd Battalion
19.
Print – Battalion Iraq
20.
Print – Battalion Afghanistan
21.
Print – Edinburgh Castle (A3 – 297 x 420 mm)
22.
Print – Homecoming 1938/39: Scots Guardsman at Euston (A3 – 297 x 420 mm)
23.
Print – Return to Barracks (A3 – 297 x 420 mm)
24.
Print – Framed – Return to Barracks (as N o 24)
25.
Scots Guards in the Great War 1914 – 1918
26.
Book Espirt de Corps
27.
Belt Household Division (Blue/Red/Blue)
28.
Badge Lapel Association
29.
Cufflinks Round (Blue/Red/Blue)
30.
Queens Colour Mini
31.
Regimental Colour Mini
32.
Windproof Lighter (Blue/Red/Blue)
33.
Blue Red Blue Scarf (Fleece)
34.
Blue Red Blue Scarf (Wool)
35.
Medal Holder
36.
Blue Red Blue Socks
37.
A Short History of the Scots Guards
38.
Tweed Hat
39.
Regimental Walking Stick
Price
£15.00
£4.50
£30.00
£0.90
£22.00
£10.00
£20.00
£20.00
£20.00
£18.00
£12.30
£21.00
£8.50
£32.00
£24.00
£44.00
£46.00
£46.00
£15.00
£15.00
£10.50
£10.50
£10.50
£41.00
£14.50
£14.00
£32.00
£5.00
£35.00
£71.30
£71.30
£9.99
£20.00
£20.00
£7.50
£6.00
£5.00
£47.00
£155.00
THURSDAY LUNCH
There will again be the opportunity for former Members of the Regiment to have a sandwich and glass of
wine in the RHQ Library from 1230–1345 hrs on the first or alternative available Thursday of each month. A
member of the Battalion and F Company will normally be present to provide an informal update, along with
the Regimental Adjutant on current issues. There will be a nominal fee of £5 per head, payable on the day
and all those planning to attend are asked to let the Regtl Admin Clerk – Dafydd Wilson know – 24 hours in
advance (020–7414–3324). The lunches are currently planned to be held on: 7th April and 5th May. This will
only continue if well supported, so all Third Guards Club Members and Association Members are encouraged
to give it their full support.
NOTICES
ARTICLES FROM VETERANS WORLD
Finding the Right House in the Right Place in Scotland.
Military Matters is a specialist programme with the Housing Options Scotland providing an independent
housing brokerage service to veterans and their families in Scotland. With financial support from the Scottish
Government and Poppyscotland, Military Matters provide detailed housing information and advice to dozens
of serving personnel and veterans. A Military Matters film has been created about the services they provide
and can be viewed at
www.housingoptionsscotland.org.uk/projects-programmes/military-matters
A new range of leaflets about civilian housing in Scotland will be available soon. If you think that Military
Matters could help you, or know someone who could be helped then please contact the voicemail service
on 0131-247-1400 or by emailing
[email protected]
Pensions For Life
Widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of all members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme will
now retain their pensions for life.
From 1st April 2015 the rules on remarriage for all Forces widows, have been harmonised so that they are
no longer forced to surrender their pensions should they decide to remarry, cohabit or form a civil partnership
after this date. The decision highlights the Government’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant by
recognising the difficulties many partners of Armed Forces personnel face in earning their own occupational
pensions, often due to having to relocate their homes within the UK as well as overseas. The rule change
means that all widows will retain their Armed Forces pension for life regardless of any change in their social
status. This includes; widows currently in receipt of a Forces families pension under the Armed Forces
Pension Scheme 75 (AFPS 75) and all war widows receiving a pension under the War Pension Scheme,
and all those married to AFPS 75 personnel (either serving or retired) who may yet become widows.
Although the change will not lead to the reinstatement of pensions for those who have already surrendered
them until their current relationship ends (for whatever reason) from 1st April 2015 the means test used to
decide whether AFPS 75 widows’ pensions will be restored or not, has been abolished. Most importantly
those who previously applied for restoration of their AFPS 75 pension and were refused under the means
test, and who were not in a marriage or cohabiting from 1 st April 2015, can re-apply to VETERANS UK for
restoration of their widow’s pension effective from 1 st April 2015. Restoration will be automatic upon reapplication.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “It is vital that we do right by those who put their lives on the line for
their country – that is why this Government enshrined the Armed Forces Covenant in law. These changes
reflect the huge commitment surviving civil partners of members of the Armed Forces at a disadvantage”.
This change has come into force in conjunction with the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 15.
For help and information on your Armed Forces pension contact VETERANS UK on 0800-085-3600 or The
Forces Pension Society on 020 7820 9988.
UNCLAIMED PRESERVED PENSIONS
Veterans UK, the MOD organisation that administers and pays Armed Forces pensions is trying to
track down those personnel who are entitled to received but are not claiming their ‘preserved
pension’. The preserved pension is the pension paid to certain entitled personnel who did not serve
until their immediate pension point, but who nevertheless became eligible at aged 60 or 65 depending
on which pension scheme they served under. The pages of Pennant, which caters for those with an
interest in pensions, may not seem the obvious place to advertise for those who have forgotten or
perhaps never knew about their entitlement. Nevertheless, we are endeavouring to assist Veterans
UK in their search. So, if you know of anyone who meets the criteria below and who is not claiming
their pension, please refer them to Veterans UK.
Anyone who has served in the Armed
Forces since 1975 may have an
entitlement
to
an
unclaimed
preserved pension (subject to certain
age
and
length
of
service
requirements set out below), payable
at age 60 or 65. There are two Armed
Forces Pension Schemes under
which personnel may qualify: AFPS
75 and AFPS 05.
 AFPS 75 pension benefits are
based on rank and length of
Service. This scheme was in
place for individuals who joined
between 6th April 1975 and 5th
April 2005.
Pensions are
payable at age 60 for service
prior to 6th April 2006 and at age
65 for service after this date
under this scheme (although
benefits payable at age 65 can be
brought forward to age 60, with a
deduction made for early
payment).
 AFPS 05 pension benefits are
based on length of Service and
the best 365 days of Final
Pensionable Earnings in the last
three years of service. This
scheme was in place for those
who joined on or after 6th April
2005 (although, personnel in
service on this date who were
already members of AFPS 75,
were given the option to transfer
to AFPS 05). Pensions are
normally paid at age 65 under
this
scheme
(unless
an
application is made to have them
paid early at an actuarially
reduced rate).
There are some differences between
the schemes that cover both retired
benefits and dependents benefits. To
find out more about the benefits
please visit GOV.UK and search for
Armed Forces and Reserved Forces
pensions
schemes
guidance
booklets, both of which are available
on the Veterans UK website.
Before 6th April 1975
provision for the
preserved pensions
personnel who left the
had to have either:
there was no
payment of
and service
Armed Forces
 completed 16 years service from
age 21 if they were an Officer or;
 completed 22 years service from
age 18 if they were Other Ranks
before they qualified for pension
benefits (unless they left the Services
on invaliding terms, when separate
rules applied). Those who left before
that date without completing the
above criteria lost all pension
entitlement.
From 6th April 1975 pensions could be
preserved for payment at age 60 for
all those who left the service and at
the time were over the age of 26 with
a minimum of five years service.
On 31st March 1978 the age criteria
was removed and on 6th April 1988,
the qualifying period was reduced
from five to two years.
Preserved pensions have to be
claimed at age 60 (or at age 65 for
service after 6th April 2006).
However, you can claim your
preserved pension sooner if you
become permanently incapable of any
form of full-time employment before
reaching your preserved pension age.
If you think you are entitled to an
Armed Forces Pension that you have
not yet claimed, you can do so by
completing and returning a paper
copy of Form AFPS 8, which can be
found by visiting the Veterans UK
website at GOV.UK and searching for
AFPS Preserved Pension Claim form.
Details of where to return it to are
included on the form.
FORECAST OF EVENTS
10th April 2016. Regimental Remembrance Sunday. Guards Chapel, 1100 hrs.
12th July 2016. Scots Guards versus The Clothworkers’ Golf Match. The Berkshire Golf Club,
Swinley Road, Ascot SL5 8AY
1st-2nd October 2016. Regimental Gathering, Brechin Castle, Brechin DD9 6RL
inks
Scots Guards
PRI Shop
Guards Hotel
Edinburgh
Guards Museum
Scots Guards
Association
Scots Guards Club
Edinburgh
Military Tattoo
Guardmounting