IAN BRUCE,
Defence Correspondent
Glasgow Herald
September 21 2005
THE army has admitted for the first time that the planned merger of Scotland's historic infantry units into a single "super-regiment" has been a major factor in a disastrous slump in recruitment.
A confidential briefing paper obtained by The Herald reveals that the six-battalion Scottish Division is 412 men short of its fighting strength and is now the worst-recruited of the nine infantry divisions in the army.
The document also reveals that the situation would be even worse if 223 Fijian volunteers had not been enlisted to plug gaps in the ranks.
The Royal Scots, Britain's oldest infantry regiment, has 102 Fijians out of 439 officers and soldiers and is still 88 men short of its designated strength of 527.
The briefing paper outlines what one officer described yesterday as "a dire forecast" on future manning levels north of the border, with only 175 recruits signed up for the financial year 2005-2006 out of a target of 579.
Under a heading of "anticipated difficulties", the document cites "the reaction of potential recruits, the general public and serving soldiers" to the creation of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland, scheduled for March 31.
This marks the first admission that the controversial decision to merge the Royal Scots, the Black Watch, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders into a single formation with a common uniform and cap-badge is having an impact on military manpower.
The Ministry of Defence had publicly insisted that fear of the loss of individual regimental identity and traditions had no bearing on enlistment.
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The paper also claims that public reaction to the unpopular war in Iraq and "fallout" from the Deepcut barracks scandal over bullying and the suicide of recruits, are contributory factors to the decline in numbers.
The army is now planning to launch a "national media plan" funded by an extra £11m marketing budget announced last month to advertise the new regiment in newspapers, television and radio between this month and March 31.
Major General Euan Loudon, the senior officer in Scotland, is also to stage "a high level tour of Scotland's seven cities" to try to explain the new regiment to a doubting public.
Jeff Duncan, the campaign manager for the Save the Scottish Regiments organisation, said yesterday: "We are well on the way to collecting one million signatures on a parliamentary petition opposing the formation of the super-regiment. The public already seems to know what the military's top brass is unwilling to admit."
Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Crawford, a former tank officer and defence consultant, added: "An unholy alliance of ignorant politicians and gutless senior officers has destroyed recruiting in Scotland."
No one at Scottish Command was available for comment yesterday.
The Costs of War - The toll since Iraq was invaded in March 2003
UK troops killed – 95
US troops killed – 1907
Iraqis killed – 32,000 (estimate)
UK troops in Iraq – 8500
US troops in Iraq – 138,000
UK cost – £3bn
US cost – £100bn
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