The 'Bedford Highlanders' (1)
We have been remembering the First [World] War over the past three
years. A surprising link was made in the war between thousands of
Highland soldiers and Bedford in England. The soldiers are remembered
as ‘The Bedford Highlanders’.
The soldiers belonged to the Highland Division. They were drawn from
the Gordon Highlanders, the Seaforth Highlanders, the Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders and the Cameron Highlanders. They went there
initially in August 1914.
They went to Bedford on more than sixty trains. Within two days,
seventeen thousand men from the north of Scotland reached the town.
Bedford had never seen the like. A woman asked a soldier where they
were from. He replied, ‘Ross-shire’. She wasn’t familiar with his
speech. She heard ‘Russia’. And a rumour went around that they were
from Russia!
But the uncertainty didn’t last long. The soldiers wore kilts. Some
were playing the Highland pipes. They were Scottish, for sure!
Many of the soldiers were billetted with families. And the two peoples
got on well. The domestic facilities were new to some, however. Water –
cold and hot – ran from taps. And there was gas for cooking. There was
no sign of wells or peat fires!
The soldiers were training for the war. The parks were full of them.
When Hogmanay came, the local people were full of dread about how the
soldiers would behave. But everything was fine.
At Easter time 1915, Highland games were held. Fifteen hundred men took
part in the competitions. Fourteen thousand spectators watched them.
And the soldiers weren’t only from the north of Scotland. Some came from
the local area, and from London, to join the Highland regiments. But one
great difficulty arose. That was disease. I’ll tell you about that in the
next Litir.
Na ‘Bedford Highlanders’(1)
Tha sinn air a bhith a’ cuimhneachadh a’ Chiad Chogaidh thar nan trì
bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. Chaidh ceangal iongantach a thogail anns a’ chogadh
eadar mìltean de shaighdearan Gàidhealach agus Bedford ann an Sasainn. Tha
na saighdearan air an cuimhneachadh mar ‘The Bedford Highlanders’.
Bhuineadh na saighdearan don Highland Division. Bha iad air an
tarraing às na Gòrdanaich, na Sìophortaich, Rèisimeid Earra-Ghàidheal is
Chataibh agus na Camshronaich. Chaidh iad ann an toiseach anns an Lùnastal
naoi ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1914).
Chaidh iad a Bhedford air còrr is seasgad trèana. Taobh a-staigh dà latha,
ràinig seachd mìle deug duine à ceann a tuath na h-Alba am baile. Chan
fhaca Bedford a leithid riamh. Dh’fhaighnich boireannach de shaighdear cò
às a bha iad. Fhreagair e, ‘Ross-shire’. Cha robh i eòlach air a’ chainnt
aige. Chuala i ‘Russia’. Agus chaidh fathann timcheall gun robh iad às an
Ruis!
Ach cha do mhair a’ mhì-chinnt fada. Bha fèilidhean air na saighdearan. Bha
feadhainn a’ seinn na pìoba mòire. Bha iad Albannach, le cinnt!
Bha cuid mhath de na saighdearan a’ fuireach còmhla ri teaghlaichean. Agus
fhuair an dà shluagh air adhart gu math. Bha na goireasan dachaigh ùr do
chuid, ge-tà. Bha uisge – fuar agus teth – a’ ruith à tapaichean. Agus bha
gas ann airson còcaireachd. Cha robh sgeul air tobraichean no teintean
mònach!
Bha na saighdearan a’ trèanadh airson a’ chogaidh. Bha na pàircean làn
dhiubh. Nuair a thàinig Oidhche Challainn, bha iomagain air muinntir a’
bhaile mun dol a-mach aig na saighdearan. Ach bha a h-uile càil rianail gu
leòr.
Aig àm na Càisge, naoi ceud deug is còig-deug (1915), bha geamannan
Gàidhealach ann. Ghabh mìle gu leth duine àite sna farpaisean. Bha ceithir
mìle deug neach-amhairc a’ coimhead orra.
Agus chan ann a-mhàin à ceann a tuath na h-Alba a bha na saighdearan.
Thàinig feadhainn às an sgìre fhèin, agus à Lunnainn, airson ballrachd a
ghabhail anns na rèisimeidean Gàidhealach. Ach dh’èirich aon duilgheadas
mòr. B’ e sin galar. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin anns an ath Litir.
