No. 19 Colour-Sergeant Michael Brown, 5th Volunteer Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1865 - 1899. I am very proud of this Certificate of Good Service of my Grandfather, who served from 16 February 1865 until 10 January 1899, based at the Drill Hall in Campbeltown in Arygllshire. The Battalion HQ was at Dunoon, the Certificate signed by the Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel D Campbell, The Certificate records my Grandfather had the Volunteer Long Service Medal, and “He has been returned 34 times as an efficient [sic] in each of the following years, viz. 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98”. My Father, his Son Lance-Corporal Neil Brown carried on the ‘volunteer spirit’ serving with the 1/8th Volunteer Battalion The Royal Scots in the years prior to the Great War and subsequently mobilised to The Colours in August 1914. My Brothers - Duncan, William and Basil - served with the Peebles Troop, 51st (Territorial Army) Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. My Brothers holders of the Territorial Efficiency Medal. My own voluntary service was with the 8th (Territorial Army) Battalion The Royal Scots from May 1939 and continued after the end of the Second World War with 7th/9th (Highlanders) (Territorial Army) Battalion The Royal Scots from 1946 to 1957 and recipient of the Territorial Decoration. Joe Brown
Joe And well you may be proud of both your family's service and indeed your own.! Thanks for posting this. With all best regards Ron
Thanks for showing this wonderful certificate to the forum and for detailing your family's record of service. As someone whose family has a similar history it's interesting to see examples of service over the generations, rather than our focus here on WW2. I wonder if other veterans can give some insight into non-ww2 service in their family. ( I know Gerry' s father served in WW1.)
My great great grandfather - George Shirran - joined the Black Watch aged 19 (actually aged 17) in 1883. This was, purely coincidentally, the same year that my great grandmother was born out of wedlock. George never married her mother, but went on to have a family during his Service. George served 21 years with the Colours. He was recalled in 1914; he was a Chief Inspector with the NSPCC in Edinburgh at this point. Within a couple of days he became CQMS and ended the war as RQMS. He returned to the NSPCC after the war and died in 1945. During his first 21 year with the Colours, George was stationed at Home, Egypt (Nile Expedition 1884/5), Malta, Gibraltar, Home, Mauritius, Indiam South Africa (1901/2 Transvaal and ORC) and Home. He arrived in France as CQMS 8RH on 10 May 1915 and was finally discharged on 13 May 1919. Roxy
