15th Scottish Division

Lt-Col. R. Delacombe

/ Matthew K Barrett / Leave a comment

Lieutenant-Colonel Rohan Delacombe
8th Battalion, Royal Scots

I don’t think I’ll be blown to bits today or tomorrow because of this Cuban business. My assessment of the Russian character is that while they will go to any length in applying pollical, moral or economic pressures, they will always endeavor to stop just short of war.

(Quoted in Montreal Gazette, 26 Oct 1962, 1)

Born on 25 October 1906 in St. Julian’s, Malta, Rohan Delacombe was a commissioned with the Royal Scots since 1926. He was educated at Harrow School before attending Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He served with the 1st Battalion in Egypt, China, India and Palestine where he participated in the suppression of the Arab revolt in the years prior to the Second World War. In 1940, he was assigned to 4th Infantry Brigade during the battle of France and then was posted to the general staff of Adrian Carton de Wiart during the Norway campaign.

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Lt-Col. R.W.M. De Winton

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Lieutenant-Colonel R.W.M. De Winton
5th/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
1st Battalion, Tyneside Scottish
2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders

I did not mean to hit the man or the uniform. I wanted to hit only the major representatives of the Big Four at Pola. Unfortunately he was a man and a soldier. If I had had the occasion, I would have hit the Big Four—as a symbol of the injustice to my country.

(Maria Pasquinelli in Associated Press, 19 Mar 1947)

Born on 16 September 1908 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Robert William Michael De Winton was a graduate of Royal Military College, Sandhurst and a commissioned officer in the Gordon Highlanders since 1932. He temporarily took over 5/7th Battalion in Sicily in August 1943 and then commanded 1st Battalion, Tyneside Scottish from January 1944 until it deployed to France after D-Day.

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