Scottish church sends hearty congratulations to His Majesty

Energy Friday 22/July/2016 20:16 PM
By: Times News Service
Scottish church sends hearty congratulations to His Majesty

Muscat: A Scottish church 5,000 miles from Muscat has sent hearty congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the occasion of his 46th Renaissance Day – and it’s all thanks to his generosity of spirit.
St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hamilton, Scotland, wanted to restore some campaign flags from the local army regiment, the Cameronians, last year.
Minister Ian Barcroft – aware that the regiment was close to the heart of our Sultan, who served with them after leaving Sandhurst military training college in the UK, wrote to the Oman Embassy in London to ask if His Majesty might wish to help restore the flags.
A day later, a cheque arrived for £25,000.
Now, the restored flags have pride of place in the church and its congregation remembers His Majesty in its weekly prayers.
The Rev. Barcroft said: “On behalf of the people of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Hamilton, Scotland, I send very good wishes on Renaissance Day to His Majesty and the people of Oman.
“The Sultan has a long and loyal connection to The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) serving in the 1st Battalion in Germany after completing his officer training. His Majesty’s distinguished service to the United Kingdom and Queen Elizabeth’s armed forces is remembered and highly regarded in Glasgow and Hamilton, Scotland.
“The Cameronians 1st and 2nd Battalions’ reputation in the British Army is highly honoured. They were formed from the 26th Cameronians and a Light Infantry Battalion, The 90th Perthshire Light Infantry.
Many regiments in the British Army carried “battle colours”, flags upon which were displayed the names of the honours awarded for campaigns and battles. In 1883 a set of these 90th colours was given to the Scottish Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Hamilton to honour the courage of their soldiers. The church holds many memorials and has a fine stained glass window honouring the battalions in the nineteenth century.
“The people of the church are proud of their history and association with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and due to the very generous donation of His Majesty, the Sultan of Oman,these battle colours were professionally conserved. We now seek to improve our display celebrating this rich heritage.
“Reverend His Majesty the Sultan of Oman gifted £25,000 to St Mary’s Episcopal Church in order for them to restore flags which were used in battle by the 2nd Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Riffles) during the Zulu campaign in South Africa in 1879.
The Sultan had served as a young soldier in the The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 1st Battalion in Germany in the early 1960s. He joined the British Army following his graduation from the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst.
Such is the strength of the bond between His Majesty and the regiment that soldiers in the Omani army wear a Scottish bonnet with the Cameronian tartan band and even use the Cameronians badge within the uniform of the Omani Army.