It is with considerable sadness that I have to advise you that Colonel Ian McCausland, universally known as Black Mac, died in the night 15/16 Aug in his cottage in Stockbridge, Hampshire.

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Obituary

COLONEL IH McCAUSLAND

The Kings Royal Rifle Corps and The Royal Green Jackets

Much to the consternation of his many friends, Ian McCausland, known widely and affectionately as Black Mac, died suddenly in his sleep at his home in Stockbridge on 16 August 2011, aged 78. A Thanksgiving Service took place in Winchester College Chapel on 26 October and his ashes scattered by the River Test at Leckford.

Ians death marked the end of a remarkable 56 years unbroken service with the Regiment from 1955 as an officer in The Kings Royal Rifle Corps and The Royal Green Jackets, as Regimental Secretary RGJ, and as Secretary of The Celer et Audax Club, the KRRC officers club, to the day he died. He had an unrivalled, encyclopaedic knowledge of the Regiment and a sometimes unflattering opinion of those who served in it. There were very few people in the Regiment whom he did not know or who did not know him. His knowledge was especially useful as a founding Trustee of the RGJ Museum and as a Museum archivist and researcher.

Ian Hamilton McCausland was born in Folkestone on 4 June 1933, the only son of Dr Charles and Maud (Molly) McCausland. He had a sister, Pauline, who predeceased him in 2011. He was a model schoolboy: Head of School and Captain of cricket, soccer and rugby at his prep school, Amesbury, and a School Prefect and in the Cricket XI for three years at Winchester, securing a place at New College, Oxford, for entry in October 1954.

Leaving Winchester in 1952, he was called up for National Service. After completing officer training at Eaton Hall in May 1953, he decided to forgo his place at New College and become a Regular officer. He went to Sandhurst, became a Senior Under Officer and was commissioned in The Kings Royal Rifle Corps on 4 February 1955. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion at Münster as a platoon commander and in 1957 was Weapon Training Officer when the Battalion, now stationed at Tidworth, won the major units shooting championship (KRRC Trophy) at Bisley. After attending a Regimental Signal Officers course at Hythe, passing out top, he was posted to the 1st Battalion in Tripoli and then Ballykinler, where he took up golf, a game which he grew to love.

In May 1960 Ian became Adjutant of The Queens Westminsters, followed by 15 months as Adjutant of 2nd Green Jackets (KRRC) at Colchester and 18 months as 2i/c D Company, including in British Guiana. He attended the Staff College, Camberley, in 1965, followed by two years in MOD in the Army Staff Duties directorate where his talents as a staff officer became increasingly evident.

In 1968 he was posted to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets, as OC C Company in Münster where a tendency to be outspoken and occasionally tactless marred his relationship with the commanding officer. As a result, and despite his competence as a company commander, and maybe more through coincidence than design, he did not serve again at regimental duty in the Regiment. Instead, a spell as an instructor at the Sudanese Army Staff College in Khartoum and six months as a student at the US Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, followed. He then spent two years on the directing staff at the Junior Division of The Staff College, Warminster before being promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and becoming Military Assistant to the Vice Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Sir David Fraser, with whom he enjoyed an excellent relationship.

In April 1975 Ian was appointed Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion, The Ulster Defence Regiment, stationed at Ballykinler. Although The Troubles in Northern Ireland were at their height, this did not prevent him from finding time to play golf at Newcastle, Co Down, and to enjoy the hospitality of friends. He was also much loved by the members of his Battalion who appreciated his paternalistic style of command.

Ian was appointed Colonel General Staff at HQ School of Infantry, Warminster in 1977 and then moved to Brunssum in the Netherlands as Chief Personal Staff Officer to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe. His final appointment as Head of the Joint Warfare Staff at Wilton and Poole marked the end of his career in the Army. By then he realised that his promotion prospects were diminishing. Much tempted by the offer of the post of Regimental Secretary RGJ and more frequent golf and fishing, he left the Army on 2 April 1984 to assume the appointment.

Ian was an able Regimental Secretary especially good at doing what he enjoyed most. His staff work was usually impeccable and he attended with great commitment to dispensing Regimental benevolent funds to those in need. Every now and again his irritation with others would overflow and, full of subsequent remorse, fences had to be rebuilt.

Physically Ian was a large man who, despite his size, excelled on the sports field, had an eye for a ball and as a young officer regularly played cricket, football, hockey, tennis and squash for battalion and regimental sides. He was a member of numerous cricket and golf clubs and societies. In later years golf predominated. In 1976 he achieved a handicap of 3 and was especially proud of his six holes in one. He was, too, a fine fisherman who would often invite his friends to share his beat on the Test and enjoy one of his very special gourmet picnic lunches.

Ian was a man whose heart was always known to be in the right place, whose bark far exceeded his bite, and whose generosity was unbounded. His absolute loves were his dogs, his golf, his fishing, good food and the Regiment. He unquestionably made a huge contribution to the Regiment during the 56 years in which he was associated with it. His sudden death came as a great shock and his absence continues to be keenly felt.

Christopher Wallace