Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Museum

Through “Pull Up A Sandbag”, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Museum will, between July 2008 and May 2009, bring together young people from the Tullochan Trust, which provides diversionary activities for disadvantaged young people in the west central belt of Scotland. They will hear the experiences of veterans from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, both Regular and Territorial, and will discuss these encounters and memories of conflict, peace-keeping roles and army life from World War II to the present day.

In addition, the local Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme will include as the community element of the award, the collection of oral histories from veterans across the Regimental area.

Themes the museum will pursue include: ‘Pony Majors’ – oral histories will be sought out from the Regiment’s soldiers on the significance of a Regimental mascot. The Argyll’s is a Shetland pony called Cruachan III, his predecessor, Cruachan II disgraced himself by biting HM The Queen! ‘Surgeons, Doctors and Nurses’ – this will record the experience of those who treated people in field hospitals, from minor ailments to life threatening wounds. Finally, ‘Drilling & Parading’ will seek to discover and document the secrets of cleaning kit, marching in time and standing on parade for hours on end. Also, how it feels to march at a parade to mark the gaining of a freedom of a town or to parade in memory of fallen comrades.

It is hoped that these will all create a unique history of a regiment that has served the Crown since 1794 and continues to serve as The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Commenting on the initiative, Joyce Steele, Manager at the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum said: "The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum is delighted to receive funding to participate in TPYF2. We are thrilled that our veterans will be able to interact with the young people who will be participating in this project to produce vignettes from WWII to the present day. We hope to promote lasting partnerships and friendships that will ensure the collection of the Regiment's oral histories will continue well into the future."