Hackles up over MoD ‘promises’

WHEN the call went out that all our Scottish regiments were to be amalgamated, I must say we were not too pleased. But we were assured that a golden thread would run through the regiments, ensuring they would not completely disappear. As soon as the announcement came out it, was discovered that the golden thread was a bit threadbare and since then the MoD has been chipping away at the regimental systems and the recent announcements have been made.

Regimental pipe bands will now not wear their regimental attire and will start to wear the uniform of the RRS.

Regimental names will now appear at the end of their ­titles and in brackets, and we are confidently told they will disappear altogether.

Hackles are to be standardised and the famous red hackle of the Black Watch is to reduced to the size of a plume.

The promises that we were a bit wary of have now come to nothing. The creditable regimental insignias once loved and revered by soldiers and the general public have almost evaporated and the only way of recognising a regiment will be the tiny plume of feathers in their headgear, which will I should imagine will disappear as well.

Thank God the regimental associations live on and the MoD can’t interfere with them.

Major Bob Ritchie, Livingston