Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist and celebrated worldwide. This year the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) delayed celebrating Scotland’s National Bard to allow them to do so in Romania during Exercise Steadfast Dart.
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The celebrations, held in the field cookhouse, brought hundreds of officers and soldiers from across NATO together, giving allied partners a real flavour of Scotland.
This was a great opportunity to host NATO Allies, demonstrate Highland hospitality and for all to experience a great Scottish and Battalion tradition while deployed in Romania.
The Commanding Officer of 4 SCOTS, Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Muir said:
“This was a great opportunity to host NATO Allies, demonstrate Highland hospitality and for all to experience a great Scottish and Battalion tradition while deployed in Romania.”
The haggis was traditionally piped in by Lance Corporal Jamie Killorn and Piper Lewis Dane towards the VIPs which included Brigadier Andy Watson, Commander 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, and military representatives from NATO partner nations, including Romania, France, and Spain.
The Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class One George Allison, performed the ‘Address Tae the Haggis’.
It was a real privilege to recite the trials and triumphs of Scotland’s favourite Son to our NATO allies and an honour to spread his work to those that may not have heard it before. Whilst there may have been a slight language barrier at times, the audience all seemed to enjoy and follow along to the poems and songs – proving Burns’ work really is universal!
Reciting The Immortal Memory was Warrant Officer Class Two (Company Sergeant Major) Eddie Buntine. When asked what it was like reciting one the Bard's classic poems to an array of nationalities in an exercise environment he said:
“It was a real privilege to recite the trials and triumphs of Scotland’s favourite Son to our NATO allies and an honour to spread his work to those that may not have heard it before. Whilst there may have been a slight language barrier at times, the audience all seemed to enjoy and follow along to the poems and songs – proving Burns’ work really is universal!”
It has been a tradition in the British Army for soldiers to celebrate Burns, predominantly in the Warrant Officer and Sergeants mess, with newly promoted Sergeants often being called on to recite the famous poems.
The famous ‘Tae A Louse’, ‘Tae a Mouse’ and Scots Wha Hae were performed in the usual Scots style, with passion, pride, and plenty of character.
