Colonel (Ret) Gilbert Scott Morrison, CD
1928 – 2010
Born in Halifax, Scotty enlisted in Dalhousie University’s COTC Contingent in 1947 and was commissioned into the Army Reserve’s Princess Louise Fusiliers (MG) in 1949. With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 Scotty transferred to the Canadian Army (Regular) and served with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment in Canada and Korea. In August 1954 he married Midge and was posted to the Royal Canadian School of Infantry in Camp Borden where he served as an instructor for the next four years.
Scotty was promoted captain in 1957. The following year he transferred to The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and was posted to its 1st Battalion with whom he served in Aldershot NS, West Germany and Gagetown NB until 1962. From there he went to India’s Defence Services Staff College for one year, then returning to 1st Battalion in Gagetown as a major and company commander.
At the end of 1964 Scotty was posted to Canadian Forces Headquarters where he remained until late 1966 when he was posted to Fort Bragg, North Carolina as Canadian Forces Liaison Officer. To celebrate Canada’s Centennial, on Canada Day 1967 Scotty made a parachute jump in Fort Bragg dressed in his kilt – a first in North America.
He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1968 and returned to Gagetown to command 1st Battalion, The Black Watch. He remained its Commanding Officer until the Regular Force components of The Royal Highlanders of Canada were disbanded on 30 June 1970. The next day he rebadged to his former regiment and assumed command of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment which was made up entirely of former members of 1st and 2nd battalions of The Black Watch.
A few weeks later, 2nd RCR deployed to the Hibernia bivouac site in the Gagetown training area to commence a series of work-up exercises to support the newly established Combat Arms School. At noon on 15 October the battalion received a warning order, and at 3:00 that afternoon confirmatory orders, to move to St. Hubert to conduct internal security operations in aid of the civil power in Quebec. At 7:00 p.m. that evening the first planeload of 2nd RCR troops lifted off from Fredericton Airport, and by shortly after 9:00 a.m. the following morning the entire battalion, over 1,000 strong, was in St Hubert where it remained until early December. Two months later Scotty took the battalion to Jamaica to train in tropical and mountain conditions.
In the summer of 1971 Scotty was posted to Kingston as a member of the directing staff at the Land Forces Command and Staff College, and the next year he attended the National Defence College in Kingston. In 1973 he was promoted colonel and returned to Gagetown for two years as Deputy Base Commander before being posted back to Ottawa. In 1977 he was posted from National Defence Headquarters to Headquarters Central Army Group in Heidelberg, West Germany. In 1981 he returned to Ottawa and transferred from the Regular Force to the Supplementary Ready Reserve in which he remained until compulsory release age in 1993 when he was appointed to the Regimental Advisory Board of The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada.
Scotty served his country and his two regiments with honour and distinction. He was greatly respected by his peers and his subordinates for his professionalism, his sense of humour, and because he led by example. He was deeply religious, and a strong family man who was devoted to Midge and their three children.
R.I.P.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit Pro Patria
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