Proud men one and all
‘Brilliant’events evoke emotions
Ex-Sergeant Major Rab Curran and former Corporal Adam Steven were among more than 120 ex-Argylls who took part in the events to honour veterans of the Borneo and Aden campaigns.
Rab, who is now 80 and served with the regiment from 1955 to 1980, said he had a tear in his eye when, to the skirl of the pipes, the old soldiers marched from the Church of the Holy Rude to the Golden Lion Hotel.
Rab, whose father and grandfather served in Argylls, added: “These are forgotten wars. We did three six-months tours of Borneo, in the jungle with no electricity. But we were young men; you were not scared or frightened because it was an adventure. You would do it all again.”
Adam, now 75 and known as ‘Junior’, said: “The commemoration is brilliant . I went down to a similar event for a regiment who lost men in Aden on the day we lost three of ours.
“I also went out to Borneo to visit the villages we were in. We were a group of guys in our 70s so it was hard going but the people in the villages were marvellous and we received a great welcome.”
And while the image of the Argylls commander in Aden, Lt Colin ‘Mad Mitch’ Mitchell, may have been tarnished over the years – following his forceful re-taking of the country’s Crater area – he clearly retains the respect of the men who served with him.
Following the unrest in the country, Crater, had become a no-go area for British troops until Lt Col Mitchell and the Argylls re-took the town and established law and order.
Adam said: “We had 600 men in Aden, a battalion, and we would have followed him into hell.
“It was not politically correct what he did but it was correct.”