Dismay as regiments lose their historic badges

[Batgirl]

By Auslan Cramb and Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 26/11/2005)

One of the Army's most senior officers expressed "great dismay" yesterday after learning that restrictions are to be imposed on wearing historic caps and badges after the merger of Scotland's regiments.

Lt Gen Sir Alistair Irwin, Colonel of the Black Watch, who is regarded by many critics as the architect of the Scottish "super-regiment" merger, said the decision would undermine the "painful process of amalgamation".


The new cap badge of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

He also said it would make the task of building a new single regiment, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, from Scotland's six regiments much harder.

"It overturns the agreement that we thought we had, which would have allowed the regiments to retain their traditional head-dress," said Sir Alistair.

"That in our case means the red hackle, which is a cherished icon, a visible symbol recognised throughout the world and respected, not just by the regiment, but by the whole Army."

He has written to Gen Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of the General Staff, to ask for the decision to be overturned.

But the Scottish regiments have been told to "fall in line" with infantry reforms and that they should be grateful that they are still over-represented in the British Army, senior defence sources said yesterday.

As the Army starts to absorb the biggest changes to the infantry structure in the past century, it now appears that the names of more than half the infantry will disappear.

Such renowned units as the Cheshires will become known as the Mercian Regiment, the Green Howards will be renamed The Yorkshire Regiment and the Royal Green Jackets will become The Rifles.

The name changes have been agonised over by regimental associations for the past year but have now been finally agreed.

The Army will be streamlined by having 23 regiments absorbed into six super-regiments of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Rifles, The Duke of Lancaster Regiment, The Mercian Regiment, The Royal Welsh and The Yorkshire Regiment.

Other regiments, such as the Guards, Parachute Regiment and Gurkhas will remain unchanged with the exception of the Paras who will have the 1 Bn used to support the SAS.

The reforms have been implemented to allow soldiers' greater career choice and family stability by giving them a permanent fixed base.

It will also allegedly provide the Army, at a time when it is increasingly becoming an expeditionary force, with a greater number of battalions ready for operations despite axing the numbers from 40 to 36.

The massive opposition in Scotland to the changes has meant that the Royal Regiment of Scotland will have the old regiment's names preserved. For example the Black Watch will become, 3 Bn The Royal Regiment of Scotland (The Black Watch) or 3 Scots.

The Scots will be able to keep their distinctive headdress in some orders of dress but will have to wear the new regiment's cap badge in ceremonial dress.

Whitehall sources said that Scotland, with its large representation of politicians in the Government, had done "extremely well out of the changes" to lose just one regiment - an amalgamation of The Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers - rather than two.

The battalions have suffered serious recruiting problems with many being bolstered by troops from Commonwealth countries such as Fiji.

The Light Division has taken a "bolder step" and opted just to be known as The Rifles with its resonance to the Wellington era Rifle Brigade.

The regiment will retain many of the traditions of its predecessors including the Gloucestershire Regiment's back badge of the Sphinx, which was won after back-to-back fighting in the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.

The Rifles will also retain on their insignia the Croix de Guerre, the silver bugle, black buttons and cross belts.

The changes, known as Future Army Structure, are designed to end the "arms plot" - the Cold War system in which infantry regiments moved base every three years, changing roles from highly mobile infantry to mechanised and armoured.

Moving from one role to another, with transfers to new bases, takes up to six months of training. This means that of the 40 infantry battalions, only 33 are available for operations.

In future battalions will stay in one role, making all 36 available at all times when the changes comes into effect next year and in 2007. Critics of the reforms say that they will disengage units from their traditional recruiting grounds.

The new system, which aims for flexibility and efficiency, will see at least one battalion of each regiment based in its home area, with others in Germany or on operations abroad.

Telegraph