Save the Scottish Regiments Give it Five

[stsr]

Our campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments urgently requires funding to continue campaigning. We are conducting a peaceful protest near the Edinburgh Tattoo on Tuesday, August 23rd.

General Mike Jackson, the chief of staff of the British Army and responsible for driving these destructive changes and the demise of the six Scottish Regiments is coming to the Tattoo to take the salute from our brave Scottish soldiers.

This will be the last time anyone will see the six Scottish Regiments march together at the world famous Edinburgh Tattoo. They will be gone - and gone forever.

It is an insult to Scotland, the Scottish people and most importantly the serving and ex-serving soldiers and their families, to be forced to salute General Jackson.

In Scotland we take this as a personal attack on our heritage.

Our plan is to ensure that the media, visitors to the tattoo and not least General Jackson are aware of the anger that still surrounds the destruction of Scotland's proud military heritage and effective fighting units.

We cannot give too much detail here of what is planned but we do need funding to ensure our protest is effective and reaches as wide an audience as possible.

We only have a short space of time to raise this money before the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Please help us and visit the following link and  "Give it Five"!


http://www.savethescottishregiments.co.uk/five/

Thank you
Anne McMillan
Save the Scottish Regiments.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Interesting - I have been corresponding with a former Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders sergeant who did 25 years as a Regular soldier during the Cold War, and he is in favour of the changes.  I think the new amalgamation is far preferable to disbandment or reduction to nil strength, and the five battalions will be perpetuating the six regiments.  That being said, I don't see it as an assault on tradition or heritage, as they will still wear the kilt. 

The decision has been made, I don't see what good can come of any "peaceful protest."

The Canadian Army has shrunk since 1921 from approximately 100 regiments of Infantry to approximately 50.  Times change.

 

[thomastmcc]

I concur with michael i was A&SH TA and the feelings are the same with some of my friends also the royal scots are mostly from fiji etc and make up at least a company maybe more .

thomas

 

[jmacleod]

It is always an emotional situation when long established Regiments, particularly Infantry units
are declared redundant, and wend their way into history, but it appears to be an inevitable
situation. A case in point with a different perspective is that of the fate of one of the oldest
Rifle Regiments in North America, the Halifax Rifles. The unit dates back to the Militias of the
pre American revolutionary war. It was more or less terminated in World War II when the
requirement for more and more infantry for the Canadian Army in Europe, post D-Day caused
the officers and all other personnel to be classifed as "replacements" - many served in the 3rd
Division, many were KIA, several wounded. There has been a movement in recent years to
revive the Unit, most notably by LGen E.A.C. Amy DSO MC, but the unit will not be revived. I
have been following the decision by the British MOD and their plan is inevitable. A big surprise in
the UK is that the three aerodrome defence squadrons in the RAF Regiment have been disbanded
and their roles in aerodrome defence transferred to the Royal Artillery. MacLeod

 

[Dragoon19]

STSR

You will like this even less!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4157274.stm

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It's a good looking badge; I would hope the battalions would retain their tartans - with the Black Watch and the Argylls battalions wearing their distinctive pleat patterns and kilt panels.  The use of coloured hackles seems wrong; the red hackle is famous, but wouldn't the other battalions historically just wear white?  (It used to be that light companies/grenadier companies wore green hackles on the feather bonnet, wasn't it?) 

Tartan swatches on the tam o'shanter would also seem proper, with the senior battalion wearing the red hackle in lieu of the badge.  Perhaps battalion "flashes" on the sleeves also, as the current Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders have.

And would the ASH battalion retain red and white dicing on the glengarry?  Interesting questions.

 

[baboon6]

What do you mean by "flashes" Mike? The tactical recognition flashes worn on the right sleeve on combats? I think all regiments and corps of the British Army have them now. I found the whole lot on the www.army.mod.uk site once but can't seem to find that page again.

 

[IcEPiCk]

I cant believe they would do that.

That is quite upsetting to read!

:threat:

 

[Dragoon19]

If anyone is interested please follow the link to ARRSE the Brit version of Army.ca and see what they are saying about the badge/uniforms.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=21393#362205