‘Scot’ leads fight to save Highlanders

THE people of Moray are preparing to do battle for the area’s local army regiment and have fired a “Hands Off The Highlanders” warning to military top brass. The groundswell of public support for 1st Battalion The Highlanders comes in the wake of claims that the historic regiment could be amalgamated or axed. Now “The Northern Scot” – which recently visited troops carrying out peacekeeping duties in war-torn Bosnia – has set up a campaign to try to safeguard the unit’s future.

We have launched a petition calling on the Government to reject any proposal to disband or further amalgamate The Highlanders – the newest regiment in the British Army. The petition will be handed over next month, before the Ministry of Defence makes any final decision to underline the strength of feeling against such a move. Moray MP Mr Angus Robertson, who will present the petition to the cabinet, praised “The Scot” for taking the lead in the battle to safeguard the regiment’s future. He said: “It is sadly ironic that, after weeks of detailed coverage in ‘The Northern Scot’ about the good work of The Highlanders, this uncertainty has emerged about the regiment’s future. “The people of Moray have been very well informed through the newspaper about the excellent work being done by locally-recruited troops in Bosnia and elsewhere. “I am delighted to support the ‘Northern Scot’ campaign, which is an excellent way for people in Moray and elsewhere to show their support for The Highlanders. “Now is the time for as many people as possible to sign the petition to put pressure on the MoD before any final decisions are made about the future of historic Scottish regiments.”

According to a Government White Paper leaked to the Tory party this week, up to five Army regiments across the UK could be scrapped.  The Highlanders, formed in 1994 by the merger of the Gordons and Queen’s Own Highlanders, has been named as one of the Scottish infantry regiments under threat. The battalion is currently four months into a six-month peacekeeping tour of Bosnia and is set to move to Germany next year to fill the role of armoured infantry. Only seven battalions out of 42 are selected for this demanding post. It has also just been announced that, on their return to the UK in October, The Highlanders will take on the Army’s spearhead role, becoming the unit on immediate standby to deploy anywhere in the world. This is seen as a huge vote of confidence in the abilities of the regiment, which will be fully-manned by the time it moves to Germany in April.

 

The Highlanders are currently reinforced with a Gurkha company which will leave in November, and the latest batch of 90 recruits will form a new company after their departure. It has been claimed that Scottish regiments are under-manned, but The Highlanders is one of the few that is operating at full strength. It is thought that this may be a major factor in persuading the MoD not to target the regiment for amalgamation or scrapping. The uncertainty over The Highlanders – which holds more Victoria Cross honours than any other regiment – is causing widespread concern of a knock-on impact on recruitment figures.

Mr Robertson said he hoped that the Government would, in the wake of the public furore, make a statement on the regiment’s position.

If it failed to do this, he said, new recruits could  be forced to look at other regiments or areas of the military. As the defence spokesman of the Scottish National Party, he plans to make the future of the regiment a major issue when the House of Commons resumes next month, and has pledged to put the Government on the spot during a scheduled Westminster debate on September 11.

He said: “The Government needs to come clean about its plans. Uncertainty about the future of The Highlanders regiment is certain to undermine morale and have a negative impact on recruitment. “The SNP will be raising this issue at Westminster at the earliest opportunity when the parliamentary session resumes. “Sadly, I think it is unlikely that the Government will make an emergency statement during recess so we will press Ministers for answers. “The Armed Forces are currently overstretched at a time of global instability and an increasing need to provide peacekeeping troops. “It is nonsensical for the UK Government to target Scottish regiments for disbandment or amalgamation, and the MoD should concentrate on recruitment instead of axe wielding.”

Support for The Highlanders was also voiced in the chamber of Moray Council this week, when convener Eddie Aldridge described the threat as “a crass insult to a very important part of our heritage created by the regiment and its predecessors.” He added: “This regiment is the one most closely associated with this area in terms of recruitment and it has earned a reputation as the best in the world.”

 

Forres East councillor Iain Young added: “This council and the people of Moray should lend every support possible to maintain The Highlanders and the fine tradition we have of supporting our armed services.”

 

Elgin man Mr David Terron, a former Queen’s Own Highlander, is a member of the regimental association. He said that if The Highlanders were targeted, there would be a major fight to save them. He said: “Once we find out what is happening, we will then be in a position if required to save our soldiers.” Mr Terron was keen to point out that the apparent threat to The Highlanders was based on nothing more than rumour, adding that other Scottish regiments were just as much in the frame. “The Highlanders have the best retention rate in the British Army today. That is, more soldiers stay in after their initial four years than in other regiments. “The rumours being circulated about the possibility of a further reduction in numbers of Scottish infantry battalions are just that – rumours.”