The headline above is from yesterday’s WSJ Europe, page 9–KSH.
Last Saturday afternoon, baggage handler John Smeaton was standing in front of Glasgow Airport smoking a cigarette when a Jeep Cherokee burst into flames nearby. He watched its burning driver emerge. A police officer pursued the passenger.
What happened next has turned Mr. Smeaton, 31 years old, into an unlikely folk hero. When he saw the passenger hitting the officer, Mr. Smeaton ran over and kicked the assailant.
Mr. Smeaton has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN and other networks about his response to the attack in which two suspected terrorists attempted to ram into the airport’s main terminal. (See the CNN interview.) In a Glaswegian accent that is at times impenetrable — Australia’s Channel 7 subtitled its interview with him — Mr. Smeaton voiced a defiance that has turned him into a de facto spokesman for Glasgow’s fighting spirit. His message to terrorists: “You come to Glasgow, we don’t stand for it,” he says. “We’ll just set aboot ye.” (Translation: “In Glasgow, we’ll just deck you.”)
By the next evening, an admirer had created a Web site devoted to Mr. Smeaton — nicknaming him Smeato. It includes links to his media interviews, purported details from his past (he once owned a ferret) and a plea for Britons to buy him a pint in the bar at the airport’s Holiday Inn hotel. There is also a picture of Osama bin Laden with the caption: “You told me John Smeaton was off on Saturdays!”
Nemo me impune lacessit.
Or: ‘Wha dare meddle wi’ me?’
Up the Black Watch!
Pageantmaster,
A quick FYI re; “No-one assails me with impunity”
Are you aware that this was the motto of the now-defunct regiment
The Scottish Rifles, aka the Cameronians, which drew many of it’s members from…….Glasgow?
Invicta – I am not or whether they were amalgamated into another regiment. But I am aware the it is also the motto of the Black Watch Regiments based in Alexandria, by Loch Lomond who recruit from Old Reekie.
I always think of it as translating to “Who’re you looking at Jimmie!”
It’s the Black Watch, the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. My uncle was from the auld country & served in it & we kept his cap badge with the motto on the mantelpiece. The popular translation is ‘Wha dare meddle wi’ me?’ but I’ll go with Pageantmaster – or in contemporary Glaswegian, ‘You lookin’ at me, pal?’
AKA ‘the Ladies from Hell’ – the sight of them emerging in their Stewart tartan kilts from landing crafts, led by a piper, could frighten the meanest member of the Wehrmacht.
[blockquote] Among the Smeaton tribute poems circulating on the Internet is this anonymous, Burns-style ode. It reads in part:
Twas doon by the inch o’ Abbots
Oor Johnny walked one day
When he saw a sicht that
troubled him
Far more than he could say…
Now that’s no richt wur
Johnny cried
And sallied tae the fray
A left hook and a heid butt
Required tae save the day.
Now listen up Bin Laden
Yir sort’s nae wanted here
For imported English radicals
Us Scoatsman huv nae fear [/blockquote]
‘S math sinn! Gle mhath! 🙂
Gordian
Think they sadly were amalgamated, against very strong opposition, but continue as the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
http://www.army.mod.uk/blackwatch/
Here is their own website including archives:
http://www.theblackwatch.co.uk/newsite/index.html
Not sure whether smoking cigarettes at an airport or fuel station is a bright idea, but Glasgie is a law to itself.
As someone who was ‘born and bred’ in Glasgow, I am not surprised!!
Pageantmaster, Invicta and Gordian:
Perhaps you will forgive me as somone who has served in a Highland Regiment, and indeed was at the Cameronians disbandment parade in my pram (my mother had dated several of their officers), however you got your recruiting areas all wrong.
‘Auld Reekie’ is actually Edinburgh not Glasgow, and has traditionally been the recruiting area for both the Royal Scots (I was assistant Chaplain to them in the summer of 87), and the Kings Own Scottish Boarderers (though they also recruit from the Borders of Scotland). In the most recent bout of reorgs they have been amalgamated to from the Royal Scots Borderers and are the 1st Bn Royal Regiment of Scotland. They have the honor of beng the oldest continuing military unit in the world (1633) much to the chagrin of the Vatican Swiss Guard, hence the Royal Scots nickname of ‘Pontius Pilates Bodyguard.’
The Cameronians actually as a regiment chose to disband rather than amalgamate in 1967, and bearing in mind this regiments history it is not surprising as they were the only regiment in the British Army who always carried loaded weapons to Church… why because they were originally from the Covenanters, and their Easter Day service used to be something to see, a whole Regiment formed up to worship God (after they had posted guards so us peskie Piskies wouldn’t come after them with a Prayer Book). Traditionally their recruiting area was Ayrshire and they were based out of Hamilton, as was their remaining Reserve company till the new RRS fun a games.
Glasgow actually has her own Regiment, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, formed in 1959 from an amalgamation of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Highland Light Infantry. They are unusual in the British Army in tha they are one of the few Regiments to carry three Colours with the Assaye colour orginally awarded by the East India Company, and carried by the Quartermaster on Parade, in commemoration of his predecessor’s actions at that Battle.
The Black Watch are the oldest Highland Regiment (the ones mentioned previously are all Lowland Regiments and used to wear trews rather than the kilt). It recruits from Perthshire and Dundee.
Above them geographically is the Highlanders which were formed in 1994 from the Queens Own Highlanders (themsleves and 1960’s amalgamation of the Seaforth Highlanders and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders) and my old regiment the Gordon Highlanders.
And over on the upper west coast one has the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who for some unknow reason have the RHQ inside Stirling Castle.They did the last Highland bayonet charge in Iraq in 2005.
As to tartans, remember there are different ‘Stewart’ tartans with the Hunting Stewart being worn as trews by the Royal Scots. ‘Royal Stewart’ however is worn by the pipers of the Scottish ‘Royal Regiments’ as well as the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Scots Guards.
Gets all confusing but half the fun. Saying that though with Glasgow being the largest city in Scotland, one can’t go far in any Scottish Regiment (or the Corps) without some kind of Glasgow accent being heard.
Trust you didn’t mind my wee breakdown.
However you can see the calibre of your standard ‘Jock,’ aka Scottish GI.
Bydand,
Alasdair
Alasdair,
Wee breakdown accepted. My info came from my grandfather who served with the Cameronians in WW1- which may account for the
misunderstanding about recruitment areas-it also explains how a 17 year old from Hull ended up in a battalion of Glaswegians. “Largest cap badge in the British army” so I understand.
Suffice to say, it’s never a good idea to meddle with the Scots, and especially not on their own turf- just ask Edward I !!!
Great! Just Great! Now I’ve an urge to put on a CD of pipe and drum music! :cheese:
“Fortiter Et Recte”
Jim Elliott
Alasdair+ [and I cut and pasted your name because I know it can be a minefield-]
Thank you also for the helpful information. I am not Scottish so my knowledge of things Scottish and military mainly comes courtesy of George MacDonald Fraser, the reel of the 51st and a Scottish uncle.
However you have me a bit confused because on one of my frequent visits to Loch Lomond I am sure that Alexandria was pointed out as the Black Watch base. Don’t know if you can shed any light?
Also wondered where that very fine regiment the Scots Greys fitted in?
Pageantmaster:
If one knows George MacDonald Fraser, I am presuming one means the excellent ‘The General Danced at Dawn,” so you know the traditions of the Gordons very well (Dand served in the 2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders).
Let me go ask my Black Watch buddies.
As to the Royal Scots Greys, well they were amalgamated in 1971 with the 3rd Carbiniers to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, who maintain the Greys tradition of the mounted kettle Drummer or if not on parade the Bass Drummer wearing the white polar bear bearskin!!!
I’ll get back to you on Alexandria.
Alasdair+
If you want to follow up on the British army’s amalagamations and realignments take a look at http://www.regiments.org
Sorry, brain’s gone blank and I can’t remember how to make one of those cute purple links. (Herein I insert a variety of Yorkshire phrases, none of which properly belong on this, or any other blog!)
Oh, I DID remember-there’s life in the old cells yet!
Alasdair+
I do indeed mean ‘The General Danced at Dawn’. What a wonderful story from a truly wonderful writer. It is some years since I read the description of the dance instruction class and the ‘horns of the deer’ or was it the antlers. I do remember writhing uncontrollably in laughter on the floor and years later understood more as I learnt to reel. We did try a sixteensome reel and on one occassion a thirty-twosome and I thought of that book. Happy days.
Thanks so much for reminding me.
Isn’t the internet wonderful. I remembered a connection. The Royal Scots Greys went in to the charge at Waterloo accompanied by the 92nd Gordon Highlanders.
[blockquote]”At around 2pm Major General Ponsonby’s Union Brigade of heavy dragoons (the 1st Royal Dragoons, 2nd Royal Scots Greys and 6th Inniskilling Dragoons) charged D’Erlon’s infantry columns as they reached the British line. As the Greys passed the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, the Gordons attempted to advance with them, holding the trooper’ stirrups. The charge built up momentum and the British “Heavies†launched themselves on the French infantry, the Greys shouting “Scotland for everâ€. Sergeant Charles Ewart of the Greys rode at the eagle bearer of the 45th Infantry. He cut down the four escorts and the eagle bearer and bore the eagle away.”[/blockquote]
http://www.btinternet.com/~james.mckay/rsg.htm
http://www.britishbattles.com/waterloo/waterloo-army-greys.htm
#11 – Alasdair, I knew they weren’t Glaswegian – my Black Watch uncle was from Perthshire (died in Tripoli, 1943), also my grandfather who served in the Black Watch in WWI (gased in France). I think they both would have been very indignant about the amalgamation of the regiments.
I promised I would get back regarding Alexandria, but my friend has not replied to my email yet, and he should know as he used to be QM of the Black Watch.
Pageantmaster is correct about the ‘Stirrup charge’ of the Gordons and the Greys, and this act was commemorated up until recently by the Gordons then the Highlanders, by the fact that we ‘bell’ our hose top flashes by puting an old magazine rolled up through the loops then starching it to death, so that when looked at head on it resembles a stirrup.
For a Gordon of course the finest part of Waterloo is when HG. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, rode up to the Regiment after the battle, took of his hat to the men lying around in various states of disrepair and said “Thank you Gentlemen.”
Oh, did you know there are two sequels to ‘General Danced at Dawn?”
Mclausan in the rough (he caddies for the RSM!!!) and the Sheik and the Dustbin. It is in the last book that having been confronted by his old colonel at a book signing and gone through the best part of a bottle of whisky, he dedicates it to his old colonel and owns up it was 2nd Bn. Gordon Highlanders.
Another bit of trivia to keep my American friends happy, but no where on any Scottish regiments Colours or Drums will you find any battle honors from the American War of Independence or the war of 1812. Simple answer was the regiments refused them for they did not deem it right to accept such for fighting against ‘kith and kin.’
Alasdair+