“Beauty of Scotland,”

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1922, Page 4

“Beauty of Scotland,”

SIR I. HAMILTON ON ARGYLL AND SUTHERLANDS.

General Sir Inn Hamilton, speaking at tho unveiling of a memorial <to the men of the Bth Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (51st Highland Division) at Ardishaig on August 6th., said: “To this spot, so near by the map to the vast whirlpool of Glasgow, so remote, so isolated by mountains, (that it is one of the loneliest as well as one of the loveliest townships in Scotland—to this spot I have come to help yon, not to lay the spirits of the dead, but to pay them all reverence, and to encourage 'them as best I may to walk daily amongst us. “When I was a very small hoy, living in this very country, I beheld a magical—never- to-'be-forgotten sunset. I saw the Holv Loch lying like a pool of blood at the feet of the tall .mountains sitting -round in their mantles of purple, and it was said to me by one who held mfl by tho hand. 4 Oil will travel far, little Tan; when you are grown up you will see many foreign lands, but never will your eyes meet anything so wonderful as the lochs and mountains of Argyll.’ “The men whose names are inscribed on you memorial were gallant fellows, worthy to take their stand as long a-s these stones will hold together amongst the heroes of a region of romance—romance, aye, and not only for as long as the stones will hold together, but for a s long as history and legend endure. .Many corps figure on your memorial, I am told—the names of Australians, New Zealanders, and J.ovaCs Scouts—who landed filled with high resolves on Anzac Beach at the far-olf Dardanelles; K.O.S.R.’s who may have formed part of the Division called ‘lncomparable’; or, they may have belonged to tho grand 52nd Lowland Division, who lost so many lives precious to Scotland on Gallipoli, and won bright laurels at Ghaza. “But mostly, I take it. the names now to bo unveiled belonged to the 51st Highland Division, of whom that gallant General. Sir Hubert Gough, commanding, not tbe'it- own Army, blit another army, belonging liimself not to their own country, hut to Ireland, has said to mo: ‘They first fought under me at Beaumont Hamel; I always looked upon them as ona of the best, if not the host, division in France. They wore quite splendid.” FOUGHT GLORIOUSLY.

“Colonel Pelham Burn, of my own regiment, who commQqded the 1.52nd Brigade, speaking ('.specially of the Bth Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Beaumont Hamel, Arras, third Battle of Ypres and Camhrai, says:— ‘Tii each of tlid.engagbments they went over (with the leading waves of the Division, and in each case reached their objective.’ When he .says ‘ln each case thc-y readied their objective,’ he meant of course, that some did; the names of tho others are likely to he. here. Sir William Thomson, a wellknown soldier, whose words arc held to be exact, the officer now commanding the Brigade, says to me that, having fought gloriously everywhere, beyond doubt the zenith of their performances was in the retreat of .March, 1918, where they retained their formation and discipline, fighting mi until they were ordered to withdraw. Major Dick-Gunyngham, of the Gordons, says much the samo, hut adds that to his mind their superlative feat was on the occasion of the -German attack on Roeux and the chemical works, May 16th, 1917. when Lieut.-Colonel Ronald Campbell, with a handful of Bth Argyll and Sutherlands restored the situation by a wellturned counter-attack from his Bat- j talion Headquarters. “Except Sir William Thomson these , testimonials come from witnesses who cannot he accused of regimental clan, j or any other special feeling of favouri- j tism for the West, and it ought to | ninkci every mail and woman on the is- | lands and mainland of Argyll proud to think that they sent forth so mag- 1 nifieent a body of men to the wars, f am glad you do not let it all end . here either with laying a wreath, hut : that you will remember the poor re- ; latives of those who have fallen. T j am glad you have raised this memor- | ini. 1 hope and pray it may prove an 1 inspiration to the hoys and girls of 1 Ardrisht.ig to think not only of their ' own careers, hut. always to remember j the glory of Scotland, and that their ! .romantic, chivalrous ancestors art* .

pair and parcel of themselves.’