Letter: No faith in leader

When we donate through the poppy appeal for our armed forces, we are never sure where our donation finishes up. The legion in Scotland is completely divorced from the British Legion, which is the English version and the legion in Scotland is only a branch of the British Legion.

We veterans are also angered by the chairman of the Scottish branch of the legion, Alistair Irwin. He was General Officer Scotland and was instrumental in pushing through with great haste the mergers and amalgamations of our Scottish regiments, including his own regiment, the Black Watch, who were at war at the time in Iraq.

Regiments were reduced to a number, lost their identity, lost their regimental recruiting area and are now only recognisable by a coloured hackle, which can only be worn in working dress. All thanks to Mr Irwin.

We veterans still donate with great pride to the soldiers who took over from us, but at the same time with a grimace because of the man who takes the plaudits and heads the legion. We veterans have no faith in him and will be more than glad when he is made to stand down, giving us complete faith in the legion again.

MAJOR BOB RITCHIE MBE

Bloom Court

Livingston, West Lothian