SCLI Memoir by - Major General Peter J. Bush OBE. - SCLI

Webmasters Foreword:

It is with great pleasure that I am able to put this article up on screen of Major General Peter Bush OBE service career, he has responded to my letter and approach to him very warmly and is quite happy to be represented on the SCLI website.

I personally remember him very well, I was not in his Company at Osnabruck but as I was Major Tom Meredith's QM's clerk and went around all the Company offices on my daily work, I met him again in 1975 at Wilton near HQ Land Forces, he writes........

I hope the enclosed will be of some interest, My tour with SCLI started in August 1957 to September 1960 and was largely similiar to most officers based in Germany at that time and pretty uneventful.

Following the final parade of the 1st Bn Somerset Light Infantry at Knook Camp, Warminster, where we were the Demonstration Battalion to the School of Infantry, I together with the Somerset contingent, moved to Osnabruck. The amalgamation with the Cornish element took place there, we bacame the 1st SCLI.

Initially I commanded Support Company with Lt's Michael Baddeley and John White looking after the Mortars and Anti-tank platoons respectively. I then moved to command B Company until leaving for the Support Weapons Wing, School of Infantry at Netheravon. Field Training up to battalion level (Pheasant Tail) exercises and range work regularly occupied us over this period. I was then given the task of administering to Company groups using the Bn. Ski hut in the Hartz mountains which the Bn. rented, a good many men were introduced to this activity, albeit in pretty rugged conditions.

Overall the amalgamation of the two L.I. groups was achieved, in my view, quite excellently, thanks to both Officers and all ranks who were determined that this should be the case.

Service Career