1945 - 1959

1945 - 1959

After the Second World War Stobs seems to have reverted to a summer time camp only, training men of the Territorial army and those undertaking their National Service.

Fred Ewart's hut

"I was back there a fortnight ago, 61 years on, since June 1949, the only hut left standing is the one I was billeted in, third window along the front.

I played the piano in the old Church of Scotland canteen, same as my dad did 30 years before.
My draft left Dreghorn barracks in two 3 ton trucks, nobody told you where you were going in those days, I remember going through one town, must have been Peebles, never having been there, I was sitting on the tailboard of the truck and I remember coming into Hawick High street.

"BLOODY HELL" I said, we are going to Stobs, lay in bed at night and heard the trains going down to Copshawholm
Happy memories, I don't think."

22127375 Ex.Cpl Fred J Ewart, Cameronians - Copshawholm Holm

Linda Gowans wrote of her late partners time at Stobs in the early 1950's:

"My late partner, Jim Boyles (1926-2008) was a sergeant in the Gordon Highlanders until demob in 1948. He used to tell me that in the early 1950s he was recalled as a reservist during the Korean War, attached to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (the territorial battalion), and sent to Stobs Camp. When he talked about it he didn't give the negative impression which others seem to have received, maybe because he was already used to Army life! He wasn't there long before the crisis was over and everyone was able to return to civilian life, but the connection of Stobs Camp with training for the Korean War should be recorded.

When he arrived at the nearest station, he said he was whisked off in an Army lorry to the camp and reinstated as sergeant. The rest of the intake had to march (something many of them weren't used to any more, and certainly weren't dressed for!) from the station, and when they arrived he was told he had to look after them, so it was a question of finding his way around very quickly. I only wish I'd discovered your website before, as he had so many anecdotes I've forgotten. He was quite indignant at being recalled as he'd settled down to a very different life in accounting but I think he soon got back into the pattern, especially being in Scotland, which he loved. He was from Flimby, Cumbria."

Stobs camp @ 1956

The 4/5th Battalion RSF in 1953:

"That year the scene of annual camp reverted to Scotland and the Fusiliers went to Stobs Camp, near Hawick, where training was enlivened by the presence of rocket launchers and flame-throwing tanks."

from THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS 1919—I959 BY COLONEL J. C. KEMP, M.C.

Eric Flack remembered: "There were latrines in the open with canvas sacking round them!"

Spent a TA summer camp at Stobs around 1957. We got a train from Glasgow direct into a siding at Stobs off the Hawick line. There were the remains of an old railway line right into the camp.

I was in huts towards the top of the hill. It was a bit of a walk downhill to theNAAFI/camp shop. There were "toilets" which were sacking round a wooden
structure. They got blown over in high winds. Also those who had "misdeads" had to clean them out and relocated them. A long broom handle was used to
grab the bucket handle and the contents were deposited in a newly dug pit. I recall a sergant march over a freshly dug pit and getting highly polished boots in "excrement!".

It would be around 1954/55 I was at Stobs. Route marches round the hills/dales and roads!

I recall rifle butts shooting. Cant remember exactly where they were but got to fire a Bren gun and an old WW1 vintage Vickers machine gun - for some reason!
We had to fire, if I recall about 200 rounds on the old .303 Lee Enfield. Got a 2nd class badge in the end. But was an awful lot of time spent cleaning and oiling the thing.
The mechanism -up and down targets- were made by Aimers McLean up the road in Galashiels. The paper targets were printed by "McQueen?" in Galashiels. I had to go in a Land Rover to get more paper targets as the ones in store had been badly water damaged.

We got a troop train into a rail siding at Stobs and marched to the camp. The siding was pretty overgrown if I recall. There was the remains of an old rail track into the camp.
If I can recall more will. But we did a night map reading excercise to the Eildon Hills and I got lost! Got a lift back to camp in a PO van!

	1945 - 1959


After the Second World War Stobs seems to have reverted to a summer time camp only, training men of the Territorial army and those undertaking their National Service.


"I was back there a fortnight ago, 61 years on, since June 1949, the only hut left standing is the one I was billeted in, third window along the front. I played the piano in the old Church of Scotland canteen, same as my dad did 30 years before. My draft left Dreghorn barracks in two 3 ton trucks, nobody told you where you were going in those days, I remember going through one town, must have been Peebles, never having been there, I was sitting on the tailboard of the truck and I remember coming into Hawick High street. "BLOODY HELL" I said, we are going to Stobs, lay in bed at night and heard the trains going down to Copshawholm Happy memories, I don't think." 22127375 Ex.Cpl Fred J Ewart, Cameronians - Copshawholm Holm


Linda Gowans wrote of her late partners time at Stobs in the early 1950's: "My late partner, Jim Boyles (1926-2008) was a sergeant in the Gordon Highlanders until demob in 1948. He used to tell me that in the early 1950s he was recalled as a reservist during the Korean War, attached to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (the territorial battalion), and sent to Stobs Camp. When he talked about it he didn't give the negative impression which others seem to have received, maybe because he was already used to Army life! He wasn't there long before the crisis was over and everyone was able to return to civilian life, but the connection of Stobs Camp with training for the Korean War should be recorded. When he arrived at the nearest station, he said he was whisked off in an Army lorry to the camp and reinstated as sergeant. The rest of the intake had to march (something many of them weren't used to any more, and certainly weren't dressed for!) from the station, and when they arrived he was told he had to look after them, so it was a question of finding his way around very quickly. I only wish I'd discovered your website before, as he had so many anecdotes I've forgotten. He was quite indignant at being recalled as he'd settled down to a very different life in accounting but I think he soon got back into the pattern, especially being in Scotland, which he loved. He was from Flimby, Cumbria."


	The 4/5th Battalion RSF in 1953: "That year the scene of annual camp reverted to Scotland and the Fusiliers went to Stobs Camp, near Hawick, where training was enlivened by the presence of rocket launchers and flame-throwing tanks." from THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS 1919—I959 BY COLONEL J. C. KEMP, M.C.


Eric Flack remembered: "There were latrines in the open with canvas sacking round them!" Spent a TA summer camp at Stobs around 1957. We got a train from Glasgow direct into a siding at Stobs off the Hawick line. There were the remains of an old railway line right into the camp. I was in huts towards the top of the hill. It was a bit of a walk downhill to theNAAFI/camp shop. There were "toilets" which were sacking round a wooden structure. They got blown over in high winds. Also those who had "misdeads" had to clean them out and relocated them. A long broom handle was used to grab the bucket handle and the contents were deposited in a newly dug pit. I recall a sergant march over a freshly dug pit and getting highly polished boots in "excrement!". It would be around 1954/55 I was at Stobs. Route marches round the hills/dales and roads! I recall rifle butts shooting. Cant remember exactly where they were but got to fire a Bren gun and an old WW1 vintage Vickers machine gun - for some reason! We had to fire, if I recall about 200 rounds on the old .303 Lee Enfield. Got a 2nd class badge in the end. But was an awful lot of time spent cleaning and oiling the thing. The mechanism -up and down targets- were made by Aimers McLean up the road in Galashiels. The paper targets were printed by "McQueen?" in Galashiels. I had to go in a Land Rover to get more paper targets as the ones in store had been badly water damaged. We got a troop train into a rail siding at Stobs and marched to the camp. The siding was pretty overgrown if I recall. There was the remains of an old rail track into the camp. If I can recall more will. But we did a night map reading excercise to the Eildon Hills and I got lost! Got a lift back to camp in a PO van!