Colours on their way to Belgium

A ‘unique ceremony’ only made possible because of the war and the German ‘capitulation’ took place in Stirling 100 years ago.

At the Drill Hall in Princes Street, the colours of the 7th Battalion A&SH (Stirlingshire Territorials), were handed over to a colour party to be taken to Belgium.

The colours were deposited at the hall in August, 1914, when the battalion was mobilised.

‘The 7th, we understand,are presently stationed at historic Mons but expect to soon move into Germany as part of the Army of occupation,’ said the Observer.

‘The Battalion desires to have its colours carried at its head when it marches across the Rhine so that the Huns will be duly impressed that they are not the super people they think they are, particularly in the presence of a unit of the famous A&SH.’

A large company of military personnel and dignitaries attended the ceremony and members of the public were also there to witness the event.

Meanwhile, the display of captured German field guns, which had been placed in Corn Exchange Square, Stirling, was proving popular with the small boys of the town.

The guns were not guarded by anyone and had become a popular gathering point in the evenings for gangs of youngsters.

They were enjoying themselves sitting on each gun’s seat, ‘pulling any lever that would pull’, tilting muzzles and then walking away with one or two ‘trophies’.