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Tha sinn air a bhith a’ cuimhneachadh a’ Chiad Chogaidh thar nan trì bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. Chaidh ceangal iongantach a thogail anns a’ chogadh eadar mìltean de shaighdearan Gàidhealach agus Bedford ann an Sasainn. Tha na saighdearan air an cuimhneachadh mar ‘The Bedford Highlanders’.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Bhuineadh na saighdearan don Highland Division. Bha iad air an tarraing às na Gòrdanaich, na Sìophortaich, Rèisimeid Earra-Ghàidheal is Chataibh agus na Camshronaich. Chaidh iad ann an toiseach anns an Lùnastal naoi ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1914).

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Chaidh iad a Bhedford air còrr is seasgad trèana. Taobh a-staigh dà latha, ràinig seachd mìle deug duine à ceann a tuath na h-Alba am baile. Chan fhaca Bedford a leithid riamh. Dh’fhaighnich boireannach de shaighdear cò às a bha iad. Fhreagair e, ‘Ross-shire’. Cha robh i eòlach air a’ chainnt aige. Chuala i ‘Russia’. Agus chaidh fathann timcheall gun robh iad às an Ruis!

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ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ach cha do mhair a’ mhì-chinnt fada. Bha fèilidhean air na saighdearan. Bha feadhainn a’ seinn na pìoba mòire. Bha iad Albannach, le cinnt!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Bha cuid mhath de na saighdearan a’ fuireach còmhla ri teaghlaichean. Agus fhuair an dà shluagh air adhart gu math. Bha na goireasan dachaigh ùr do chuid, ge-tà. Bha uisge – fuar agus teth – a’ ruith à tapaichean. Agus bha gas ann airson còcaireachd. Cha robh sgeul air tobraichean no teintean mònach!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Bha na saighdearan a’ trèanadh airson a’ chogaidh. Bha na pàircean làn dhiubh. Nuair a thàinig Oidhche Challainn, bha iomagain air muinntir a’ bhaile mun dol a-mach aig na saighdearan. Ach bha a h-uile càil rianail gu leòr.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Aig àm na Càisge, naoi ceud deug is còig-deug (1915), bha geamannan Gàidhealach ann. Ghabh mìle gu leth duine àite sna farpaisean. Bha ceithir mìle deug neach-amhairc a’ coimhead orra.

We have been remembering the First [World] War over the past three years. A surprising link was made in the war between thousands of Highland soldiers and Bedford in England. The soldiers are remembered as ‘The Bedford Highlanders’.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The soldiers belonged to the Highland Division. They were drawn from the Gordon Highlanders, the Seaforth Highlanders, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Cameron Highlanders. They went there initially in August 1914.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý They went to Bedford on more than sixty trains. Within two days, seventeen thousand men from the north of Scotland reached the town. Bedford had never seen the like. A woman asked a soldier where they were from. He replied, ‘Ross-shire’. She wasn’t familiar with his speech. She heard ‘Russia’. And a rumour went around that they were from Russia!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý But the uncertainty didn’t last long. The soldiers wore kilts. Some were playing the Highland pipes. They were Scottish, for sure!

ÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýMany of the soldiers were billetted with families. And the two peoples got on well. The domestic facilities were new to some, however. Water – cold and hot – ran from taps. And there was gas for cooking. There was no sign of wells or peat fires!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýThe soldiers were training for the war. The parks were full of them. When Hogmanay came, the local people were full of dread about how the soldiers would behave. But everything was fine.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý At Easter time 1915, Highland games were held. Fifteen hundred men took part in the competitions. Fourteen thousand spectators watched them.