On Saturday, December 2, 2023, Malcolm and Jinny, Lord and Lady Forbes, were honored guests at the formation parade of the newly reconstituted 215 (Scottish) Multirole Medical Regiment at Edinburgh Castle. Regiment leaders requested to use the Forbes Modern Tartan as the official tartan, which Lord Forbes granted. The new regiment, Scotland’s only medical Army Reserve unit, was created from the combination of the former 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment and the 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital.
The regiment has the full spectrum of healthcare capabilities to support tasks from training and education through to warfighting operations. The regiment will provide specialist medical care to regular and reserve units in Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Glenrothes, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Over 300 personnel took part in the Formation Parade on Edinburgh Castle’s Esplanade, including 120 members of the newly formed Regiment. Taking the Salute was the Governor of Edinburgh Castle, Major General Alistair Bruce of Cronaich OBE DL VR accompanied by the Honorary Colonel of 215 (Sc) MMR Dame Katherine Grainger DBE. Following on from the Formation Parade, Major General Robin Lindsay, laid a wreath in an Act of Remembrance at the Scottish National War Memorial.
Lord Forbes reported that “although the tartan was not on parade, the regiment will be wearing it in their ‘Tam O’Shanters.’” The Forbes tartan was chosen because it was the badge of King's Liverpool Regiment in the First World War, one of the original medical regiments combined with the new 215 (Sc.) Multirole Regiment.
Lord Forbes noted that “the Commanding Officer, Col. Brian Gordon, wore the sword that had belonged to Capt. Noel Godfrey Chavasse (1884 –1917) who won TWO Victoria Crosses in the first World War – the only person to do so.” During the First World War, Chavasse was a captain with the Royal Army Medical Corps, British Army attached to the 1/10th (Scottish) Battalion of the King's (Liverpool Regiment), part of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division.
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