The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Rest and relaxation vital for soldiers
In the final part of our coverage of 7 Scots’ participation in Exercise Sava Star in Croatia, Michael Alexander speaks to Army Reservists during a ‘try dive’ in the Adriatic
The Adriatic port city of Zadar is a city with a soul. Its irresistible Mediterranean charm has grown out of its city character, with a history entwining everyone from the Liburnians, Romans and Byzantines to the modern day Republic of Croatia.
It’s also been the perfect place for members of 7th battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland to enjoy some rest and relaxation on a 24-hour break from their soldiering drills during Exercise Sava Star.
Around 100 Army Reservists from 7 Scots have been learning and revising basic infantry skills at the Red Earth army base, high in the Croatian mountains near Knin – also working with the regular Croatian Army.
But built into their trip has been the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful parts of the Croatian coastline and have a go at learning new adventure training skills as part of their personal development.
The village of Tisno can be found a few miles up the road from the historic centre of Zadar, which itself is a twohour drive from Red Earth.
Here, a dusty track winds its way through pantile-roofed houses and olive groves to reach a rocky beach where members of 7 Scots take turns to try scuba diving – sharing the waters with Croatian families cooling off amid sweltering 34 degree temperatures.
Others have taken the opportunity to go caving, mountain biking or hill walking. I am also given the opportunity to try scuba diving for the first time – reaching a depth of 4.5 metres during a 19-minute dive – and as I prepare to go under, members of the reserve from Tayside and Fife tell me why they enjoy the balance of soldiering and learning new activities.
WO2 Steve Lawrence,48, a born-and- bred Dundonian, is running the adventure training element of the exercise along with Major Jimmy Pearson and Captain Ken Scott.
WO2 Lawrence, a former Charleston Primary and Menzieshill High School pupil, has been in the army for 30 years where he spent most of his career in Germany.
He joined the regular army at 18, serving with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps then the Royal Logistics Corps. He then transferred, five years ago, to the Royal Regiment of Scotland and is based in Perth at Army Reserve HQ.
The mountain bike enthusiast says: “We want the guys to go back from this and spread the word. Get more people to join up. It’s a bit of R&R. Whatever camp they go to, they would get this.
“It’s also important to integrate with foreign forces.”
Major Ian Bunce, 50, OC HQ company in Perth, joined in 1985 and came up through the ranks as a ‘late entry’ officer, eventually commissioned in Dundee.
Ian’s day job is as a radio engineer for Offcom, specialising in radio interference.
Having learned through the Army Reserve, he’s enthused by his latest diving experience.
“I saw seahorses, fish, marine life. It was a great opportunity to go down and experience that.”
Ian said the benefits of R&R to the reservists are that it “exposes people to opportunity, and it’s a great bonding exercise”.
“There’s no rank, doing anything like this. It’s good for the Jocks to just kick back, chill out, see us as human beings instead of someone that always tells them what to do. And I’m lucky I don’t get earache at home!”