"His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"
Here is the man WHO MADE Idi Amin Dada? [you can never get enough Idi Amin Dada?]
Amin, having an extreme fascination with all things Scottish. As a result of his coming into contact with and being influenced by this man!
Colin Campbell Mitchell.
Mitchell, a British army officer of some marked ability, referred to as "Mad Mitch" because of his hard driving ways - - Mitchell - - a "bulldozer" of a man - - possessing considerable command authority!
"Colin Campbell Mitchell . . . was a British Army lieutenant-colonel and politician. He became famous in July 1967 when he led the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the British reoccupation of the Crater district of Aden."
"He also served on attachment . . . in East Africa with the King's African Rifles [KAR]. It has been claimed that while with the KAR Mitchell was instrumental in obtaining a commission for Idi Amin Dada . . . Mitchell's familiarity with the Scottish clan system made him more comfortable with African tribal issues . . . Impressed by Mitchell and other Scottish officers, Amin would later adopt the title King of Scotland."
Due to the promotion - - the mentoring - - the advocacy for Amin - - thanks to "Mad Mitch": "in 1961, one of the first two Ugandans to be given the Queen's Commission". An officer, a regular commission in the British Army? A singularly impressive appointment, regardless of rank!
A COMMISSION - - AWARDED TO AMIN - - EVEN WHEN EVALUATION REPORTS OF THE MAN WERE LESS THAN COMPLIMENTARY: "'A splendid type and a good [rugby] player... but... virtually bone from the neck up, and needs things explained in words of one letter'" [at one time the heavy-weight boxing champ of the British army also!]
Hard to say if the Scottish personae that was displayed by Amin was a put-on or not! The man was mental in a bad way, with the bad streak of sadism thrown in for good measure.
Here - - from an English reporter who interviewed the exiled Amin: "Amin beckoned us to the lounge reverberating to bagpipe music - he was playing a recording of the Edinburgh Tattoo at maximum volume. [he introduced] us to two of his sons, both with Scottish clans as their Christian names"
This too about "Mad Mitch". Born and raised outside of Scotland, but also having a tremendous fascination and "romantic view" of all things Scottish. MUCH AS DID IDI AMIN DADA!
"Although born and raised in a South London suburb, Mitchell always considered himself to be Scottish and exhibited a romantic view of Scotland."
Who was to know that Amin would turn out as he did? The military man gone bad is not what "Mad Mitch" and those others had in mind when they mentored and advocated that Amin be given a Queen's Commission!!
coolbert.
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1 comment:
Although you state that Mad Mitch was born and raised outside of Scotland, you fail to state that his father (also named Colin)came from an Argyllshire fishing family. He attained the rank of Captain in the 10th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was awarded a Military Cross at the 2nd battle of Ypres.Mad Mitch's mother was from Glasgow. I would consider that Colonel Colin Campbell Mitchell had realistic rather than romantic view of Scotland.
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