Royal Scots Scout Section

This was drawn from the Royal Scots Regiment. At present very little is known about the Unit. It is thought to have been one of two Scout Sections in Fife and Angus.

The Scout Section was made of Regular Army soldiers with a Lieutenant in command. Their role was train the Home Guard Patrols, but also to go to ground themselves in the event of an invasion.

Tommy Cummings was later recruited in the SAS and was one of the survivors of Operation Bulbasket, where he served alongside Auxiliers from the East Dorset and East Norfolk Scout Sections and also former Home Guard Auxiliers from Norfolk, Dorset, Moray and Essex.

It is known that other men from the Royal Scots Scout Section joined the SAS along with Tommy. Their names are not known, but the other men listed were with the SAS in 1944/5 and had previously enlisted with the Royal Scots.

If you are able to clarify whether these men served with Auxiliary Units or not, we would be very pleased to hear form you.

The Scout Section operated from Pitscandly House, a 17th Century building near Forfar in Angus. The Scout Sections also trained local Auxiliers at Melville House and on occasion also trained those from south of the border. At Melville House they lived initially in tented accommodation as part of the house was out of bounds to the military, though later they were billeted in the one of the outbuildings.

The men most likely attended a Scout Section training course at Coleshill House.