seaforth reunion - 25th aug 1943

8/13/2019 Seaforth Reunion - 25th Aug 1943

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JSEAFORm RE-UNION 25TH AUG. 1943

On the 25 .August 1943. a day which wil l always beremembered in the History ot THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS. took placein th is llt1l1e island o t Siel ly . There are a t the mom.ent POURl3a.ttalions of' SBAEORTBS. the 2ND, 5TH and 6TH Ens. from theUnited Kingdom and THE SEAroRTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA who area t present servinog with the 1st Canadian Division. Al. l SE UURTHSwere longing to get together and. a t a very informal m eeting.it was decided-to se t the bal l ro l l tng.

There were various diff icul t ies which are only to beexpected in war but these were soon overcane. The f i r s t problem.was, where was th i s gathering to be held. Natural1y. as manySEAFaRTHS as possible were wanted. to be included. t was decidedto have a Retreat of the Massed Pipes and Irums of the Battalions,tol1awed up by two par t ies froB representatives ot the Officersand sergeants Messes. As the 6ffi BIlts Officers Mess was housedin a la rge I ta l ian Baron's House with plenty ot garden and openspace around i t , there was no need to look tu r ther af ie ld to r alocat ion. The House. apart frcm having a rec t forecour tmoat sui table ot o r the Pipes also had a i b onyer th ewas adequate epaoe ror seating accammodat on. The Sergeants esswas a long reotangular terrace with a wall around it and pil larsa t tab. oome r s - ample roCZll to r al.l the i r requirements. I'or Retreat__ tro.m the Massed Pipea 8:ld Drums. the local Oatania tootbal l groundwas appropriated to r the atternoon which had an arena with seatingaccommodation tor about 50,000 people.4 t30pa 25TH ADgust 1943

The stage was now se t far the SEAJIORTH re-union. For thetime being. War was to be t o r g o t ~ n and a gathering ot the Clans totalte i t . p a c e .The Drums and Pipes assembled in the area n 8 ~ the Park.and were to march down the s t ree ts o f Catania to the Stadium.Convoys ot TF ssing 1 di ect io s . The tratr iowas a l l ato ne s t l era r s e led out of thegate by the ajo of t e 5T tt _ on . n Vel' to be fo rgotten sight that Kl1ted Phalanx walking through Catania withloca l populace agape wi th wonder and admiration, and so to theStadium through crowded streets which were l ined with SEAJORTHS'rom a l l the Bat'laliOD.lJ. Those who had arr ved ear ly . watohed thespeotacle from an elevated poai t ion ot the Stadium.The Retreat. which ca.nmen.ced t 5 : 0excel lent , Great cred i t goes to a l l those 0one rehearsel was held and various dlfferenoesBeat1ng had to be rec t i t i ed .

%actly, wastoo part . onlyot Dri l l and Drum~ n g the oe , a 0 acord ecorder wasin action, which abl to p l a a recor ng of the Retre t1mm.ed1ately on i t s co clue on . I s record , in oour 0 t e . wil lbe broadoast to the world, who w 11 once a in be d to rea l i sethe SEAFORTHS are in 51ci17.Photographs were taken ot a l l the Officers and N.C.Os otthe Battal ions, af ter which the :men retumed to the i r oamps andthe Officers and Sergeants to M1sterbianco. where the 6TH BattalionMansion HOuse was s i tuated.

.

THE E T:f'ter t h e 1 a ti adiereside s pres dent ;had unf'or'tl ate ly0 , 0 . 0. 0 -


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, .. a&Ut'Oll',dl i j E ~ U ~ I Q N .. 2 6 ~ .. A I 1 G . ~ 4 3On tho 25tl1 g 1 9 4 ~ 3 a dny Whioh wil l D.l 'lays be 00 orad m th 0, .crtm_'y c : ~ TIiE B J L 1 i ' O T H I G I l l J ~ D E R S , took p laoe , in th i s l i t t l e islruld Of

C i 1 ~ i o 1 ' i h o ~ o arc t t ..lO LODen't ~ O W Ba"GtaJ.iollS of S E i ~ O R ~ . d S , tho 2ND,G : : ~ ' : : i : nne. 6TH EllS t ~ o t .J.0 United Kil.1cdom and THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OFc. X S ~ I 1 ' ~ , . ".i: O ~ ' O t '.t : : , " o 8 e n " u [Jorvine th t.he 1s t Canadian Division. AJ?' J': . . ' } " y : : ' ) I ~ ' ' ' ' J \c . lO'lf',t:lr - 'IJ -o It ro+ tor"other" and .. a t a v o ~ y in1'ol"l.:ml, nO(ltJJ1E ,~ . : J f .. \. .. ...... ..., , ...... - .. _'-.. ., . 1-_ ._\ .) L.> v \ .J. . . . .i'c ' ~ : u a ( 1 c c : ' c ~ 1 "vo ~ 1 C t tho bu l l ro l l ing .

T ~ . ~ ( ) j . ' o \ ' i c ~ ~ ' e V[lj.'i'oUIJ dif ' f ioul t i os 'lh.:toh aro only to bo o::poctcd in-, l t Jto.'"Jo YJoro c 60n ove:;:'COi lO. ~ h o i ' irst problOIl was, vlhoro tine th1a: ~ : . ~ : i . j l : 'iio bo Jlolc1. N ~ turo.lly. ns nany SFJ-LFORTHS as poss ib lo vtOl'O

j to bo c l u o . o d . . It wno docluocl to havo a Retreat of tho MULlD04:)1: ~ : ~ ~ . : ~ C : D:..[ Ill} 0:1' t.ho Dr:'c.G[,lion:J, f'ollonod up by tVlo par t ios i'rOrl: : ' . ' ; c : " : > < j : ' ~ . r 0 3 o : ~ t1 1.0 O::"i"iccl',':i Cl.nd SOl'Boonts Mosses_ 1:'3 tho 6 En10O : : ' ~ ( l ' G I ic :: .: o \;"o.c l '.o1l:Jcd i : l c. I tl1. I"c,alian aron ln Houso with p ehty-nt' ... c : l ~ ) E ( . 1 ~ ( O : . l C O ['.:,:,ouiHl ~ , __0_'"0 J.:. 0 lO noo '(.0 fur ther o.1'ioldr', lnc.; ' . tiol1. ' J : 1 1 ~ o lIou:::o , o.]Jclrt fl'or Imving u rootnnGular forooourt: ., ..... '::. : : : : , . ~ ~ . - c ' . ~ ) J . c :: 0:' ' l i o' P i]?es, 0.1::;0 jlnd D. biG baloony whero thoro vms

r . t ~ . " , " - : ' ' ' : . ' ~ ' : c','): C',) J."OJ.' [.:co.t inr: : l c c o d o d o : ~ i o n . Tho S O l ~ G o a n t s MOSD '\'10.8 U long:' '; ': :.1 :: :_ cc::.':;,' c'.oo \ . ' i th l.l i 'wll al"oul1d i ' ~ nnd pi l l a r s a t tho oorn01"O-- -:-',:i.C' ~ : ' ( , , : : :;:'l ) j,. r . l l t:lO iJ:. rc cuirOI : .ont r::. For Rotreat from tho Massed P l p o ~[',:'.1. '0 :." : ~ L , t>o ' c ~ l l Q'1.tc:mia footbRll Gl'o'lllld 'Han appropriatoc.l for tho

)C : J. '\::dc>. : X,l r':"'Cl .n ' ' l ith ooo:c.inG aecomnodo.tiol1 to r about 50,000- .... ,-. t " . t..

~ J G J . ~ : "1,,--: ( ;- 0

' i ' : ' ~ c ::r;;'o.:.o I,1C.fJ JlOli IE oc t for tll.e SEt.J'CRTH ro-tul on. F01" tho tblOUe '1.' to bo ~ : o : ' : ; O - : : . t o l l m .d 0. G[;:i:i>.erinc; of tho ' 01ans to : ~ c l - ; : o i t o1 J . I I ~ ' ":'\ ..... , . .... ~ , - : ) ~ ' " ' '" ' ' ' ( '1 ' I ' l oel ; ' 1 tJ 1 0


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i '..t had boen decided to drinl.c tho hea l th of 'Tho' iingl. prolloDodby tho Pros idcn t "'fLO ' ould thOll, pl ior to prol 'osing tho hea l th ot TlmSE..uPORTB I G ~ ~ D E R S OF C 2 i ~ mals:::o 0 sna l l sJ?ccch. ,,'ift o r wh.ich tllo C.O.o f TIm SE,lF ORTH TIIG-EL.;.NDERS OF C " J ' 1 . - " ~ "\"lOuld sny 0. rOlf' Vi) rds in reply lUldthon too.Gt tho 2 . . ~ , 5TH 2nd 6TH Bat ta l ions but Lt . -co l . ,Ainslie, in nnos t exoel lont nc1c1ross, to ld a l l Of'ficors tha t th i s vms :Clot Q. lUliquQoccasion nD it had ho.:ppm:od ~ n 1918. On t h a . ~ _ . o c e D . s i o n ~ c . h e C.O. THESE..:Ji'ffi TH HIGIIT. J.WERS. OF c J \ r i i l l l ~ had saic;l i t lilQO a uniquo ocea.nion whichvlOuld proba 1 " '}}iJvC1" . l i ~ p : p e l 1 n f ~ [ l i l l , [tS Lt. -col . 4 .1nsl ic put i t it hadhapponcd ' s'gti:l l i , nncl, ' in COl1cluoion, ho ' spoko t o r 0110


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MASSED B ND RETREAT2 Seaforth 5 Senfortb. 6 Seaforth

Seaforth Highlanders of Ccnada- ..........-REGIMENTAL RETREATR E T P J : l A ~ . I hue a Wife 0 my a in:I:he, Highlnnd. Brigade a tM8gersfonteinSLOW MAI.CHM RCIl

tIARCBSTR A1iISPEY

o 0 o.. 0

..D eo

.,';- : 0 .. (> 0

My Homei tho le mid J?renda1baneGatherL'I1g

M ~ o c ~ J 3 f s i ~ > ~ ~ t ; H TThe Barren Rocks of hdenDovecote Pn;L kC18ch nu cudinThe Piper f Drummond

M RCH PAST .. 0 CnbsJ:' :tl 'eidh

S I C ; . I LY25th ~ g u s t 1943.


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..../

Capt. D H ~ StrE'_i..'I1( , I l t . VJ K Mr'_cDon::o:lclLieut . J.H. BuddLieut . F. C. YcllLieut . H. Viilson

~ 5 4 0 7 3 LjSct P o l J CK52666 Cpl. Ba,rba:r-, B 0K52182 Cpl. . Luce s D.K525Sl CuI. Tsr r v , F. j .K52571 Cpl. Wmd: E BK53753 Cpl. Gordon C.F.K52351 Cpl. C ~ ~ i h ~ ~ l ~ G.J.K53120 C:;11. E l c s o.K .K52278 Cpl. Mercer Ho

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ i 7 5 ~ 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ ; ~ n r t ~ : A

and those :rho cIi e cl of CU.21ctS

) -. 1- ;. ;e..

seaforth reunion - 25th aug 1943

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