Scottish infantry spared as English regiments axed

[dutchman]

All five Scottish infantry regiments are to be spared the axe as English troops take the brunt of defence cuts today.



The move has caused outrage among MPs and serving officers south of the border with three English and one Welsh battalion chopped.

Anger is likely to intensify when it is disclosed that the English battalions will now lose their historic titles such as the Green Howards, Staffords and Duke of Wellingtons.

It can also be disclosed that the Scots Dragoon Guards that had been considered for merger with another cavalry regiment will survive unscathed.

One serving officer called the move “deeply unfair, bordering on the outrageous”

The first four battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland will now reduce by about 100 to 450 men each and the fifth battalion, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders will shrink to a company of about 120 men performing ceremonial duties outside Edinburgh Castle and elsewhere.

However, English battalions will remain at up to 600 troops each.

Patrick Mercer, a Tory MP and former commanding officer of an English infantry battalion, said: “If this is the case why, yet again, do the Scottish unit get preferential treatment?

“They have been allowed to keep their regimental titles and now they are going to be reduced to nothing larger than a major’s command and yet English battalions now just have to lump it.”

The cuts in Army 2020 will be the biggest reforms to the Service since 1904 reducing it to 82,000 men, its smallest size since the Napoleonic Wars.

The Government has argued that the shortfall in numbers will be made up by boosting the Territorial Army to 30,000 troops. However it can barely field half that number with officers deeply skeptical of its future role.

“On which planet do they seriously believe that we will sustain TA force of 30,000,” one office said. “It’s just laughable. I have yet to meet a single individual at senior level who believes this feasible.”

In last minute deals struck by Downing Street it is understood that the deal with the Scottish regiments was made to undermine the pro-independence lobby.

The wrangling over cuts to famous names has been going on for months with the Army 2020 package originally meant to be announced in April.

The English battalions to go will be the 3rd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment (the Duke of Wellington's) and the 3rd Bn The Mercians, who gained renown as the Staffordshire Regiment.

As disclosed in The Daily Telegraph earlier this week the 2nd Bn The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, one of the best recruited in the Army, will also be cut.

It will be joined the 2nd Bn The Royal Welsh, who can trace their roots back to Rorke’s Drift.

Two English cavalry regiments will disappear when the Queen’s Royal Lancers amalgamates with the 9th/12th Lancers and there is a merger of the 1st and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

However the biggest cuts will come with what are known as “combat support” arms vital to servicing an army in the field. The Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers all face losing a third of their strength.

It is understood that the cuts, which Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary will announce in Parliament at midday, were delayed by a week to avoid embarrassment to the Prime Minister during Armed Forces Day ceremonies last Saturday.

A MoD spokesman said: “By 2020 the Army will be restructured to become an integrated Regular and Reserve force of 120,000 personnel. We are investing £1.8 billion over 10 years to enhance the capability and strength of the Reserves and better integrate them with the Regular component.

[dutchman]

Patrick Mercer, a Tory MP and former commanding officer of an English infantry battalion, said: “If this is the case why, yet again, do the Scottish unit get preferential treatment?

That's pretty obvious I would have thought. Cameron is willing to bribe Scots to stay within the Union. The Scots are only too aware of this and will take the English for every penny they can.

[dutchman]

Anger over scrapping of historic Coventry and Warwickshire regiment



SCRAPPING an army battalion with historic ties to Coventry and Warwickshire has been labelled a “disgrace” by former soldiers.

Defence secretary Philip Hammond announced in the House of Commons yesterday the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers would be axed.

The Coventry Telegraph had revealed the bombshell was set to be dropped on yesterday’s front page.

Around 600 soldiers face redeployment or redundancy in the 2nd Battalion, which is currently based in Celle, northern Germany, preparing for deployment in Afghanistan.

John Osborne is president of the Royal Warwickshire Ex-servicemen’s Club in Coventry city centre.

Many of its hundreds of members served in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – or its predecessor the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers.

He said: “It’s disgusting. The Royal Warwickshires have done us all proud. Even after everything they’ve gone through, especially in the first and second world wars, it means nothing.

“The people alive today who served in that regiment are very proud.

“This is a kick in the teeth for them – it’s a disgrace.”

One of Britain’s most decorated regiments, the Fusiliers have recruited in Coventry and Warwickshire for more than 300 years.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers includes the 500-strong 1st Battalion armoured tank division and the 2nd Battalion light infantry. It also has one territorial unit.

There is anger that the best manned battalion in the army – it has 523 battle-ready soldiers out of a maximum strength of 532 – is to go.

The MOD previously indicated battalions to go would be those struggling to recruit.

There had been suspicions Scottish troops had been spared because of the upcoming independence referendum.

John Rice was serving in the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers when they amalgamated with the three other English fusiliers to become the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1968.

He went on to serve in the 2nd Battalion and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel during 25 years in the armed forces.

“This removes the link to old Warwickshire and we now no longer have an infantry regiment,” said the 69-year-old, who now lives near Warwick.

“I served from the very first day in that battalion and feel very strongly it should not go. It’s very sad.

“We need to have cuts, that’s true, but the way this has been interfered with by politicians is unforgiveable.

“The regiments that can’t recruit because there is no interest in their area – they should be the first to go.

“And that points you to Scotland.”

Lt Colonel Rice called on people to write to their MP and object to the battalion being disbanded.