George Grubb: Soldiers who return need remembering too

Published on Friday 29 May 2009 09:57

IT SEEMS that the country is so consumed with the issue of MPs' expenses that the news of the death of another young soldier in Afghanistan almost comes as an afterthought.

As Lord Provost, two civic duties in the past few days brought home to me the cost of young lives to local communities and nations in time of war.

Last Saturday I attended a very moving memorial service and parade at Pilrig Cemetery to commemorate the 214 Royal Scots soldiers from Leith's own Seventh Battalion who were killed in the Gretna Rail Disaster of 22 May, 1915.

This horrific train crash, the worst in British history, stunned the regiment and shattered the lives of countless Leith families. Those young men were preparing to go to France to take their place alongside their comrades in the trenches. Every family in Leith mourned the loss of such young and vibrant lives.

On Monday I laid a wreath in Princes Street Gardens, alongside members of the Scottish Government and the armed services, to remember those who answered the call and returned to Scotland to sign on in 1914, so that they could fight in Europe. The American Memorial shows a young kilted Scottish-American holding his rifle and looking into the future.

Both services of commemoration were simple, poignant and emotional.

My own ten years in the armed services gave me an insight into the sacrifices made by our service personnel. As Squadron Leader Chaplain in the Royal Air Force, I witnessed at first hand the astonishing courage and dedication shown by the troops. And as Lord Provost, I have also visited many of our reserve forces units, meeting the brave men and women who serve alongside the regular armed forces in war zones.

Many die in battle and many of those who return come home with broken limbs and broken minds. Sending people to war is a huge responsibility but remembering them when they return is just as important. So while we lay wreaths and take part in ceremonial silences in memory of those who have died, we must also remember the needs of those who return.