Napoleonic "False Alarm" commemoration

THE 200th anniversary of one of the most bizarre events in Scottish military history - in which thousands of troops were mobilised to fight a non-existent invasion by Napoleon near Berwick-upon-Tweed - will be marked in a special ceremony tomorrow.

Volunteers aged between 16 and 60, and from settlements scattered across 2,000sqm of Scottish countryside, set off to repel Napoleon Bonaparte’s invading forces.

From the valleys of Liddesdale and Teviotdale, and across the hills of Berwickshire and Selkirkshire, any man fit enough to fight took part in a forced march across rough terrain after bidding an emotional farewell to their loved ones. . .

The extraordinary sequence of events that took place exactly 200 years ago this weekend - known simply as "the False Alarm" - will be marked at a special ceremony tomorrow evening.

Posted by David on January 31, 2004 6:59 PM