Even
for today's generation, names , places and battles which dominated the World
War 2 years, conjure up images of famous events. For instance, Dunkirk, Battle
of Britain, Hitler, Stalingrad, Tobruk, Patton; but what about the 5th
Battalion Scots Guards ?
"Who ?, ..............."
" the
5th Battalion Scots Guards !, ................."
" Never heard
of 'em !"
In January 1940, Lieutenant Colonel J.
S. Coates MC, of the Coldstream Guards, as Commander, together with Captain W.
D. M. Raeburn, Scots Guards, as his Adjutant, was commissioned to raise a
Battalion of experienced skiers, to be ready for service overseas by March
1st. This new force was to be gathered, in absolute secrecy, at Quebec
Barracks, Bordon in Hampshire. The vast majority of volunteers
however, over 700 of them, were Officers of varying ranks; among them,
Lieutenant David Stirling, who was later to create the embryo SAS in
North Africa. The Battalion needs, of Officer rank, were 4 Company Commanders,
1 Assistant Adjutant and 14 Subalterns. Once these positions had been filled,
the remaining Officers were requested to resign their commissions and serve in
the ranks, with the proviso that they would be paid as Officers, at their
current rates and that they would revert to their former rank at the end
of their tour of duty. To undertake the tedious duties normally assigned to
other ranks, a company from the 1st Battalion Scots Guards was drafted.
On 2nd March, the 5th Battalion
Scots Guards were pronounced ready for active service and were despatched to
the slopes of Mont Blanc, in France, where they underwent extensive ski
training, until on 11th March they were ordered back home, to spearhead a
expeditionary force bound for Finland, to engage the Red Army in combat at the
side of the Finns. On 15th March, the Finnish Prime Minister sued for peace
and the 5th Battalion Scots Guards was now redundant and disbanded.
The experience gained by members of
this Special Force; the free and easy atmosphere and the sense of belonging to
an elite force, persuaded many of the participants to join other like forces,
in which they served with distinction.
