The Scottish Regiments

[ANNE]

Hi

Hope you dont mind me registering to your site. My name is Anne McMillan and I am working on the campaign Save the Scottish Regiments. We are getting a lot of support and response from the public and lots of press coverage. I just wondered what you thought of it and if you think we are doing the right thing. Any ideas or comments from anyone would be great.
We are holding a rally in Dundee on Oct 23rd which will be the first of many and are fundraising to support the campaign and keep it going.

If you are interested you can have a look at the site:

www.savethescottishregiments.

Thanks

Anne

 

[Scally]

Good on ya Anne! If its allowed to carry on we won't have an army left.

A good question is why are they cutting so many Scottish regiments back, when there is an English regiment at Edinburgh Castle. Seems a bit un- Scottish to me. And I am English!

 

[ANNE]

Good to hear you say that and god only knows why. Possibly a bit of spin from the government i would think.

Also should have said we are doing a poster campaign and my phone has not stopped ringing since the editorial in the local paper today. Posters for shops pubs, clubs houses, streets you name it.

The support around here is incredible and it is fantastic to get this response.

We have really got the bit between our teeth and are not going to let this go.

Anne

 

[SKJOLD]

Hi anne with all due respect maybe you could ask those people who are giving you so much support to actually join one of the regiments.

Best of luck with campaign though.

SK

 

[ANNE]

I agree and maybe that is something we should be getting across to folk when we are out there campaigning.

My Dad would be happy to rejoin the Black Watch but I think he is just a bit too old!!!!!!!!

Anne

 

[Pompey_Jock]

Good Luck with the campaign..... Would hate to see any of them go/or amalgamate. But alas I am right out of bright ideas that you could employ - short of getting shot of Bliar and Hoon.

Was once contemplating life in 1 RS and spent some time with them... and ended up later spending time with 1/51 (BW).

 

[dogmonkey]

Like the idea, but the fact remains that we should be saving all regiments, not just the Scottish ones. And if any are up for the chop, I'm afraid it has to be the ones which failed to meet the criteria set. If they happen to be Scottish, then they should go.

But good luck anyway.

 

[RCSignals]

perhaps the "criteria" being used needs to be closer examined

 

[Secret-Squirrel]

Criteria?

*Cough*

Recruiting freeze anyone? Problem with recruitment is nowhere near as bad as certain types would have you belive, I understand the BW are about 30 or so understrength, and the HLDRs are a similar number under.... even with the freeze.

 

[dogmonkey]

perhaps the "criteria" being used needs to be closer examined

Absolutely could not agree more. But if a criteria is used, then it must be applied equally, and without prejudice (Paras / Gds in this case).

 

[X-Inf]

Hi all,

These posts are going over old territory, however here is my tuppence worth.

Why just save Scottish Regts? Agree it should be to save all but I am sure that in England a very concerted effort is also going on. SOSR are doing a very good job keeping this in the political eye in Scotland and hopefully some Labour Mps with an eye to the next election may just start to speak up (I won't hold my breath waiting though)

Criteria. When a freeze on recruiting is imposed, and it was, then the only targets that can be met are downwards. If the Scottish Regts had had a free run at recruiting then I am sure the figures would not have been so bad.

English Regt at Edinburgh Castle. I have no problems with that, Scottish Regts serve all over England as well as other parts of UK and the world, why not the English Regts?

Poeple supporting SOSR should actually join one of the Regts. Again it would have been nice if they had been allowed - see above. Also many of the supporters are old and bold and don't have the opportunity to sign up. You would be surprised at the number who would jump at the chance of joining up again but we certainly don't need Dad's Army again!

In short yes Save the Scottish Regiments but also the other Regts under threat. The job the army has lined up for itself now and the foreseeable future needs men not computers to complete the job. You can deploy as much technology as you like but if that is not backed up by the British Soldier with their reknowned cheerful, common sense approach to soldiering in all forms then you have lost the war, even if you won the opening battle(s).

Rights, heads down - time for some work.

 

[JSPrest]

X-Inf, you are of course correct. We should save all that we can. However unlike some areas of Englandcestershire, which have a few regiments within driving distance and many corps close at hand (and lets not even mention the thing that is called London), I live 2 hours drive from my nearest regular garrison and several more hours drive to the next Regimental recruiting area.

Already the Highlanders cover the whole of Scotland north of Dundee/Oban. An area you could fit all of Londoninium and its shiny, atnding still regiments in.

 

[Plastic Yank]

Good to see SOSR back in action. Did sterling work with the Bydandies, but it was inevitable that we got the chop.

Recruitment was and remains the number one reason for amalgamating regiments and that is what seems to be on the cards for the Highland Brigade.

Therefore, whilst I remain an avid supporter of SOSR, until the Scottish press, those wasters at holyrood and the Treasury, get off their arrses and start to seriously support the regiments, the Army will continued to be seen as a dead end job.

As an ex PR officer for my regiment I have nothing but contempt for the way the Scottish press view the army. if it's not a scandal, not interested. Admittedly I am mostly talking about the big ones, Scotsman and the Glasgow rags.

The solution is very simple. pay the jocks a decent wage and they'll stay. Once you have retention, you have high moral, jocks brag about how much they make when they go home and they are not ashamed to recommend the Army life to their mates.

If that miserable Fifer would spend just a pittance on the army that he throws away at the NHS and the Social Services, this would not be problem.

But I don't hold my breath. rant over

 

[X-Inf]

Already the Highlanders cover the whole of Scotland north of Dundee/Oban. An area you could fit all of Londoninium and its shiny, atnding still regiments in.

Maybe so - but would you want them

 

[ANNE]

It is really good to hear what you guys - the ones that know the truth and are really important have to say.
I am spending hours on this campaign and I am determined along with the others that we will keep this going no matter what.
Yes it is important for all regiments to be kept and the English regiments need to get out there as well with their supporters and keep on lobbying. Okay some days I feel I am banging my head off a brick wall but I believe in the army and not some super structure and high tech weaponry that Hoon seems to think is wonderful. Okay everything has its place but without you guys it wont and cant work.
I was brought up in a small village where loads of our guys joined up. I married one. My best man, ushers, pipers etc at my wedding were all Black Watch. I worked in a pub which was the squaddies pub for leave. My wedding was themed on the Black Watch. I could go on and on. (Sorry think I just did)!!!
With regard to the reference of SOSR supporters joining up most of us are too old or have already done their bit.
Today in Holyrood they are debating the Scottish Regiments and SOSR are outside campaigning. We are lucky in this area to have a lot of support from MPs.
As for the media I cannot agree more. The local press are brilliant and cant do enough. The internet sites are the same. But your broadsheets - forget it. They report the government debates and that is it. It is not for lack of trying believe me.

Some of you may think we are mad and fighting a losing battle. Well sorry but this comes from the heart and we are not going to stop. We want Hoon and the rest to see WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.

I admire you all and wish all English and Scottish regiments the future they deserve.

Anne

 

[RCSignals]

I have also heard that recruiting levels units are being held to are newly increased ones. Under previous levels most units are at or very close to strength. (I haven't confirmed this one way or the other) Throw in new recruiting levels and apply a recruiting freeze, then point fingers accusing of not reaching required strength, smacks of a plan of sorts.

It's interesting that between wars, in days gone by, and with less population, there were more Regiments often with two battalions each.
Now there are three separate Highland battalions reduced to and trying to survive as one, not to mention the other amalgamations. Yet proposals are made for further amalgamations/disbandments with increasing demand for deployments.

One difference between the Scottish Regiments (SOSR effort) and the English ones, is there is a great deal of world wide support for the Scottish ones. Just look at signatures on the on-line petition, not to mention all the petitions passed around at Highland Games all over NA.
I've seen no equivalent for the English Regiments, Guards or paras.

 

[dogmonkey]

There is no campaign to save either the Guards or Paras, as they were not put into the melting pot, which is an argument in itself, and has been done to death on another thread.

And the 'plan' to absolve the Army of those north and south of the border, whilst it has a lot to do with current levels (which frankly suck in the regiments earmarked) has been done a little more scientifically. Demographic trends and the likes have also been used in order to predict future recruiting pools.

Let's not forget:


We are:

'the least spectacular arm of the Army, yet without them you cannot win a battle. Indeed, without them, you can do nothing. Nothing at all, nothing'

Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery of Alemein. Not a mong.

'The infantry must ever be valued as the very foundation and nerve of the army'

Niccolo Machiavelli.

'My opinion is that the best troops we have, probably the best in the world, are the British infantry...This is what we ought to keep; and what I wish above all others retain.'

Duke of Wellington, advice to British ministers intent on reducing the Army after 1815.

ARE YOU LISTENING CGS / HOON-DOG????

 

[RCSignals]

There is no campaign to save either the Guards or Paras, as they were not put into the melting pot, which is an argument in itself, and has been done to death on another thread.

Understood.

The point being though, that no one gets as excited about the thought of ending an "english" unit. They just don't hold the same interest. As a small example, when British Army Bands tour, people go to see the Pipes and Drums, and wonder what the others are doing there.

Understand, I am not belittling English Regiments

Let's not forget:


We are:

'the least spectacular arm of the Army, yet without them you cannot win a battle. Indeed, without them, you can do nothing. Nothing at all, nothing'

Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery of Alemein. Not a mong.

'The infantry must ever be valued as the very foundation and nerve of the army'

Niccolo Machiavelli.

'My opinion is that the best troops we have, probably the best in the world, are the British infantry...This is what we ought to keep; and what I wish above all others retain.'

Duke of Wellington, advice to British ministers intent on reducing the Army after 1815.

ARE YOU LISTENING CGS / HOON-DOG????

So true. Infantry is the building block for the entire army, every Corps and every soldier. I wonder about the posts in some of the corps forums that ask such as 'why do we train as Infantry too?'