Scots soldiers honoured for Afghan bravery

From the BBC News website. Congratulations to all members of our armed forces honoured. You can see the full list of Honours and Awards on the MOD website here and read more about some of the awards here.

An army dog handler from Fife who died along with his record-breaking spaniel in Afghanistan has been given a posthumous award for his bravery.

L/Cpl Liam Tasker, from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, received a Mention In Despatches, the oldest recognition of gallantry in the Armed Forces.

He was shot by insurgents while on patrol with his specialist arms and explosives search dog, Theo.

He is one of 140 soldiers on the latest Operational Honours list.

The list includes awards for Scots who rescued injured soldiers while under fire, and charged enemy positions.

Ardrossan soldier Sgt Glen Gardiner, of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, received the Military Cross for running through enemy fire to try to save the life of an Afghan National Army soldier who had been critically wounded.

The 35-year-old said it was a normal part of life as a soldier in Afghanistan, and the day of the incident "wasn't different to any other day".

He said: "People say you must have the adrenalin going, however it was just a normal day."

The soldier, who was blown off his feet by enemy fire in a separate incident, added: "It's a job. There's set standards, there's set drills that you put in place, and those set drills and standards save lives."

Life-saving heroics

 

Skye Army Officer, Captain Iain Curren also received a Military Cross. The 29-year-old, of The Royal Highland Fusiliers, commanded an infantry platoon in an extremely dangerous area, and charged an enemy ambush twice to rescue an injured soldier.


A Mention In Despatches was awarded to Port Glasgow soldier Cpl Scott Cox, for his life-saving heroics charging a Taliban machine-gun post while serving in Afghanistan.

He said: "My team and I were conducting traditional dismounted infantry operations on a daily basis and that is exactly the reason that I joined the Army and specifically the Infantry."

Fife soldier, Warrant Officer Class 2 Iain Martin received a Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his work defusing Improvised Explosive Devices.

A Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service was awarded to officers including: Glasgow Army Officer Lt Col Dougald Graham, Fife Army Officer Maj Nick Wight-Boycott, and Edinburgh Army Officer Maj Piers Strudwick.

A Peebles soldier is also to receive a Mention in Despatches.

Lt James MacDonald of the third Battalion The Parachute Regiment put himself in the firing line to identify a Taliban sharpshooter earlier this year - before leading a team to neutralise the threat.

The awards are for actions approximately during the period from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011.

Who's Who in Scottish Military history - Major General Sir Hector MacDonald

Today’s Who’s Who is about someone you have probably heard of - Major General Sir Hector MacDonald aka Fighting Mac. At the height of his fame he was lauded throughout the Empire as one of its most famous sons for his actions across two continents. There are too many actions to recount on a blog post so I’ll just concentrate on the end of his life.

He was the crofter’s son from Easter Ross who’d fought across Afghanistan and Africa and risen from private to general. But the fame which MacDonald had earned though his bravery and hard work also had made him powerful enemies because he was ‘stealing’ their plaudits.

MacDonald had always been an outsider in the army. He was the educated man amongst the drunken ‘squaddies’; the ex-ranker in the officers mess; and the couthy Scottish general amongst the Eton-educated staff officers. There is also speculation that he was a homosexual which of course was still a crime in the nineteenth century. No wonder McDonald felt so comfortable as an officer in the Egyptian Army where his many years in the Sudanese desert would have kept him away from the social straightjacket of the Victorian British Army.

In 1903 things came to a head. Kitchener wanted to sideline MacDonald because he was jealous of MacDonald’s reputation as the man who saved the day (and Kitchener’s back) at the Battle of Omdurman. Instead of a command on the North West Frontier amongst the type of men he knew, he was packed off to Ceylon. Perhaps it was seen as a cushy posting for a general who was exhausted and needed a good rest but MacDonald was a fish out of water. All he knew was soldiering and fighting. Diplomacy and interaction with an insular colonial community led to tensions.

Eventually matters came to a head and unsubstantiated allegations of inappropriate behaviour by MacDonald escalated into a threat of a court martial in India.

MacDonald rushed to London to see if his old friends could help him but he was cold shouldered and he quickly left to return to India. En-route he stopped off in Paris and rather improbably met up with Aliester Crowley for dinner. That fact is recorded in Crowley’s diary of the time. A fictionalised account of that meeting was turned into a novel by Jake Arnott called “The Devil’s Paintbrush”. In it Crowley is portrayed as a selfish buffoon but MacDonald comes across very sympathetically.

If it was pure fiction there may have been a happy ending with MacDonald running away to a South Sea island. But it was based on fact and so there is the unhappy ending of MacDonald killing himself in his Paris hotel room after the scandal is broken by an American newspaper.

It was a tragic end to a remarkable life but it never stopped him being remembered as a great man in his native land. His magnificent gravestone is in Edinburgh (tens of thousands of people passed his grave in the week after he was buried), and in Dingwall they built a tower. Not a monument to a man who shot himself rather than bring shame on his family; but a suitably grand tribute to one of our greatest soldiers.

Soldiers unveil rare war memento seized from Taliban in daring raid

From the Daily Record today:

Black Watch squaddies yesterday unveiled a rare battle flag captured from the Taliban during one of the biggest airborne assaults since World War II.

A soldier dodged a storm of machine gun and rocket fire to seize the war standard during a daring raid on an insurgent stronghold at the start of Operation Panther's Claw.

Military experts said the white flag was an "astonishing find" and a powerful symbol which Taliban fanatics would have fought to the death to defend.

The flag, which has religious script scribbled on it by hardened Taliban fighters, is now the centrepiece of the Black Watch's regimental museum in Perth.

Captain Ben Collis, of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, said the flag was taken when 430 troops swooped into the Luy Mandah bazaar in Babaji, central Helmand, on June 20 last year.

He said: "It was the opening move of Operation Panchai Palang - which translates as Panther's Claw - and marked the beginning of the Afghan and British armies' retaking of central Helmand from the Taliban.

"The operation was focused on providing security in the most populous area of Helmand, between the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and the town of Gereskh, before reconstruction and job creation schemes could begin.

"The battalion was to take part in three subsequent phases of the operation, which lasted for over a month in total. This Taliban flag was found flying in the bazaar.

"It was captured by Lieutenant Alex Phillips, commander of 5 Platoon, on the second day of that operation. Lieutenant Phillips was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in an earlier operation."

Other mementoes gifted to the museum from the battalion's recent tour of Afghanistan include blank mortar rounds fired at the repatriation ceremony of two fallen Black Watch soldiers, a pressure pad detonator from a deadly improvised explosive device and a personal mine extraction kit.

Afghanistan expert Dr Alex Marshall, of the Scottish Centre for War Studies at Glasgow University, said: "This flag is fascinating and a very unusual acquisition for the museum.

"The Taliban have a codex or book of strict rules on how to treat civilians and how to live. These are sometimes found but I have never heard of a flag being seized before.

"It would not be carried into battle but used as a marker to signify a Taliban stronghold or headquarters. Symbolically, it is very important and shows how the Taliban are trying to establish a shadow state.

"The flag would also be important religiously and to have it flying over an area would be a real two-fingered gesture towards the Kabul government.

"The Taliban would only have let this flag fall into British hands as a matter of last resort and if they were taken by surprise by overwhelming forces."

The Black Watch museum at Balhousie Castle features items from their formation in 1725 - when General Wade, leader of the King's Army in Scotland, set up six companies of the Highland "Watch" dressed in the unit's tartan - to modern-day wars.

Museum manager Emma Halford-Forbes said: "It was fantastic to get the Taliban flag, which is very rare, and other items from the battalion's recent deployment in Afghanistan.

"We are always very grateful for all items received from serving soldiers. They are mementoes from momentous times in people's lives and help bring to life the history of the battalion.

"They help to allow people to relate to what is happening in modern conflicts and the sacrifices of modern soldiers.

"A lot of young children will be fascinated by the displays from Afghanistan. These items may seem commonplace to people using them on a day-to-day basis but they have a huge sentimental value and provenance.

"They also help the museum to preserve the history of the Black Watch for future generations.

"In recent years we have been very lucky to receive many interesting items from conflicts to add to our collection.

"These include an Iraqi AK47 and a box of rations from Iraq in 2003."

Other items in the museum's collection include a German Luger pistol from World War I, a book of pressed flowers from Jerusalem belonging to a Black Watch soldier wounded at Ypres in 1917 and German and Japanese flags from World War Two.

White Flag When Taliban warlords seized power in Kabul in 1996 and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the white flag became the national flag of the country. It symbolises the alleged purity of their Islamic faith and government.

After 1997, the Taliban added the Shahadah - the declaration that there is no god but Allah and the prophet Muhammad is his messenger - to the flag.

Pressure Pad This boobytrap was donated to the museum to show the deadly array of weapons they faced in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters made the pressure pad as part of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) designed to evade detection and kill British soldiers. The device has two metal sections that make an electric circuit when pressure is applied, triggering a nearby bomb.

Bunker Buster This rocket launcher was also gifted to the museum. The bazooka-style weapon was used by troops to destroy compounds and fortified positions.

The High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Warhead Launcher was fired from the shoulder. It was very effective against Taliban using thick compound walls to snipe at British soldiers.

Troops to cross paths

Scots troops will cross paths as they leave and arrive in Afghanistan in Spring.

Soldiers of 2 Scots, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, and 5 Scots, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, are due home in April.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Royal Marines from 45 Commando in Arbroath will go over to the Nad-e-Ali district at the same time.

They will join 4 Scots, the Highlanders, 100 soldiers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and TA troops from the 6th and 7th battalions to train Afghan forces.

Around 120 personnel from RAF Lossiemouth's 617 Squadron will also carry out patrols from a base at Kandahar Air Field.

Some 200 from RAF Leuchars will provide security for a main Nato air base.

Following a training period in Kenya this year, soldiers of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, are due to go to Afghanistan in around a year's time.

Troops from 1 Scots, the Royal Scots Borderers, arrived back from Afghanistan in October. They were deployed to shovel snow on the streets of Edinburgh in early December and were officially stood down for Christmas on December 17.

In October 400 troops from 1 Scots marched down Edinburgh's Royal Mile as part of their homecoming parade. Army chiefs are planning similar parades for soldiers coming back in 2011.

The SMRG Advent Calendar - Day 21

Today's item is another YouTube clip, this time a series of films entitled "A Soldier's Story - Argylls in Afghan" - soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland) videoed their experiences while on a 6 month tour of Helmand province.

Part One


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four


Part Five


Part Six


Part Seven

New Nimrod Afghan crash memorial to be unveiled

From the Forres Gazette:


A memorial to the airmen and observers killed when their Nimrod aircraft exploded over Afghanistan on September 2, 2006 will be dedicated in Forres on Saturday at 1.30pm.

The ceremony is open to everyone, although the families ask that people come in civilian dress rather than in uniform.

The 14-sided cairn, which sits on whinstone and Hopeman sandstone, each side inscribed with the name of one of those who died, has been built on landscaped ground near Forres war memorial at the west end of the town.

At the request of the families, the names have been inscribed without rank and in a random order. The cost of the memorial has been funded by money donated by the public at the time of the crash.

A memorial with ranks was unveiled by the families at RAF Kinloss on April 15.

Mrs Chris Davies, who lost her husband Ady in the crash, said: “It has been a long journey to get this memorial in place but I think all the families will be pleased when they see it. We feel it is a fitting tribute to 14 very fine men. Also we would like to thank the many people involved in making this project possible, most importantly the people of Forres, Britain and around the world who have donated in our loved ones’ memories.”

Those who died were (in alphabetical order): Flight Sergeant (FS) Gary Andrews,(48); FS Steve Beattie (42); FS Gez Bell, (48); FS Ady Davies, (49); Corporal Oliver Dicketts, Parachute Regiment (27); Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Steve Johnson, (38); Sgt Ben Knight (25); Sgt John Langton (29); Flt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore (28); Flt Lt Gareth Nicholas (40); Sergeant Gary Quilliam (42); Flt Lt Al Squires (39); Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick (28); Marine Joe Windall, Royal Marines (22).

On this day in Scottish military history #11: 1960 - The farewell parade of the Seaforth Highlanders

The Seaforth Highlanders (Duke of Albany’s, Ross-shire Buffs) held their final parade fifty years ago today. General Sir James Cassels, the Colonel of the regiment, took the salute in Munster, Germany. On the same day the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders paraded at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh for the last time. Both regiments would merge in early 1961 to become the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons). The Queen’s Own would disappear only 33 years later when they merged with the Gordons to become The Highlanders in 1994. Only 12 years later in 2006 they became 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. At every stage the regimental tradition has been that little bit diluted.

On a happier note on the other side of the world the Seaforth name and uniform still survives in Vancouver, Canada. In fact this Saturday sees the Seaforths of Canada celebrate the 100th anniversary of their raising as the 72nd Militia Regiment on the Canadian establishment.

The 72nd Militia was formed in November 1910 from the Scottish community in Vancouver and in 1912 took the uniform and name of the British 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders which prior to 1881 had been the 72nd Highlanders.

The Seaforths of Canada provided a large contingent to the 16th Canadian Scottish battalion when it was raised in 1914, including the Scots-born Piper Richardson V.C.
Later the 72nd Bn CEF was composed of Canadian Seaforths and a large number of them were Scots born too.

In the Second World War the Seaforths of Canada served in Sicily, Italy and North-West Europe.

Recently they have proudly worn their stag’s head badges in Afghanistan whilst serving with Canadian Forces on ISAF duties.

In two days time the regiment will receive new colours and have invited former members and fellow Vancouverites to help celebrate their birthday with a party.

Whilst the regiment they took their name and uniform from has long gone at least they are still going strong across the Atlantic. I’ll end with an old Mackenzie motto which was used by the original Seaforths:

Cabar fèidh gu bràth – The stag’s horns for ever.

(Text by Adam Brown)

Poppyscotland 2010 advert

Poppyscotland today posted a "sneak preview" of their 2010 advert.

It features a young veteran, Paul Lambert, who lost his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in November 2009. The advert explains that Paul used to wear a poppy to remember his Granfather, with your help the poppy can help rebuild his life.

To find out how or to make a donation visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk.

White Hackle wristband appeal

The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (RHF, 2 SCOTS) will be deploying to Afghanistan in September, and in order to support the Jocks and their families both during and after the tour, a wristband appeal has been set up.

You can find more information, and purchase a wristband by visiting the site www.whitehackle.com

Wristbands can also be purchased at the RHF Museum shop in Sauchiehall Street in glasgow.

Welcome home parade in Stonehouse for injured soldier

Story from the BBC News website. Stonehouse is very near to where I live, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make the parade.

A village in Lanarkshire has held a welcome home parade for a soldier who was badly injured in Afghanistan.

Sgt Gary Jamieson, 30, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, lost his legs and left arm after being caught in an explosion in April.

About 200 residents in the village and a pipe band greeted him as he returned to Stonehouse.

He said the difference that troops were making for the local population made the mission in Afghanistan worthwhile.

Sgt Jamieson was only four days into his first tour of Afghanistan when he was injured by an improvised explosive device while on patrol.

He was left close to death but survived thanks to the swift actions of his fellow soldiers.

He has returned home to his wife and children for a couple of weeks, following a series of operations at Selly Oak in Birmingham and a month of rehabilitation at a military hospital in Surrey.

He said: "I was told there was a barbecue and I was trying to surprise them by walking in but obviously I got surprised first by a pipe band round the corner."

He said it was good to be home and to be getting back to the normality of his own house.

Recalling the incident in which he was injured, Sgt Jamieson said it had been a normal day on patrol until he was suddenly "on the deck".

"There was an explosion and the boys on the ground, and my friend, it was his quick actions that got the tourniquets on that saved my life," he said.

"It is the first five minutes that's keeping the boys alive, everybody's getting trained well enough for it."

He added: "You know the Taliban's not going to stand and fight any more because they know they're just getting shot.

"So it's quite easy to dig a hole in the ground and stick a bomb in it and kill a soldier that way, so it's a cowards way of doing it."

Medical praise

Sgt Jamieson praised the medical staff in Afghanistan and the UK for his treatment in surgery, intensive care and the wards.

He still has to be fitted with prosthetic limbs and faces having to learn to walk again.

But he said the difference that troops were making for the local population made the mission in Afghanistan worthwhile and that he hoped to stay in the Army if a position can be found for him.

"I've got 10 years left on my contract and I want to serve it, hopefully with the Scots Guards," he added.

Remembering Scotland at War

Another interesting post from Chris Paton, about a new online venture:

Remembering Scotland At War, a pioneering online museum with a social networking area particularly aimed at ‘capturing memories’, has been launched today by Museums Galleries Scotland.

The culmination of a three year project led by Museums Galleries Scotland, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by the Imperial War Museum, Remembering Scotland At War features over 200 exhibitions, interviews, photographs and footage spanning from the Second World War to more recent conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan. Accounts include personal stories of individuals, families and local communities.

To view the site visit at www.rememberingscotlandatwar.org.uk

RAF Kinloss Nimrod memorial for 14 servicemen approved

From the BBC News website. This will be welcome news to Scottish War Memorials Project member "Roxy", who has taken an interest in these men and successfully worked to get the name of one added to a local war memorial.

A memorial in honour of the servicemen who were killed when a Nimrod from RAF Kinloss exploded in Afghanistan is to be erected in Moray.

Fourteen men died when the aircraft blew-up in mid-air in 2006.

Moray councillors have now approved a 14-sided cairn, standing 6ft high, to be located on a landscaped area close to the war memorial in Forres.

The cost of the memorial will come from donations received by families in the wake of the tragedy.

Army tea marches onto High Street

From the BBC News website. As someone who loves a good cup of tea, I'll be looking out for this. If you see it on sale, please let me know.

The tea served to Britain's servicemen and women for nearly 90 years is to go on sale to help raise money for troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Naafi Break, created by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (Naafi), will be available in 80 branches of Spar.

It is the first time the UK-made tea has been sold on the High Street.

Naafi, which supplies tea to troops in Afghanistan, said it would donate 50p from every box sold to the charity, Help the Heroes.

Naafi chief executive Reg Curtis said: "Our famous Naafi tea has been the beverage of choice for the British armed forces since 1921 and we are delighted to work with Spar to ensure it is widely available for everyone to enjoy for the first time in history."

The Naafi organisation was created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the armed forces and sell goods to servicemen and women and their families.

It runs clubs, bars, shops, supermarkets, launderettes, restaurants and cafes at most British military bases and also canteens on board Royal Navy ships.

Bravery honours for Black Watch

From the BBC News website:

Twenty soldiers of the Black Watch have been recognised for their bravery during a tour of duty in Afghanistan last year.

Four have been awarded the Military Cross, which will be presented at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace at a later date.

Acting Sgt Sean Binnie, 22, from Belfast, has been mentioned in dispatches posthumously.

He was shot dead as he threw a grenade while fighting insurgents last May.

Relatives had travelled from Aberdeen to Trowbridge in Wiltshire to attend the inquest into his death last month, and heard he was killed by a single enemy gunshot.

'Very proud'

Acting Sgt Binnie had married just a few months before his death. He had joined the Army in 2003.

Four other members of the Black Watch, the 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 Scots), died during the tour.

Details of the honours were announced at the battalion's Fort George base, near Inverness.

The battalion's commanding officer, Lt Colonel Stephen Cartwright, will become an OBE.

The other honours comprised four military crosses, eight mentioned in dispatches and seven joint commanders' commendations.

Lt Cartwright said he was "very proud" of the courage his soldiers had shown against a "very determined" enemy in a difficult campaign and climate.

In January, soldiers from the Black Watch were presented with campaign medals from the Duke of Rothesay.

Families of three soldiers, killed on active service, received the Elizabeth Cross from Prince Charles in recognition of their loss.

The cross, which was presented for the first time last year, is awarded to next of kin of armed forces personnel killed on active service.

One of the three crosses presented in private by the prince was for a soldier killed in Iraq.

First time

The final group of Black Watch soldiers posted to Afghanistan returned to Scotland in November.

Their homecoming came just days after the funeral of Cpl Thomas Mason, 27, from Fife.

He died in hospital from wounds suffered in an explosion in Kandahar Province on 15 September.

He was flown back to the UK but died at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham on 25 October.

The funeral for Sgt Stuart "Gus" Millar, another Black Watch soldier killed during the deployment, was held at Fort George in September.

The 40-year-old's wedding to wife Gillian - mother of his young daughter - was held at the same venue.

Sgt Millar, from Inverness, died alongside Pte Kevin Elliott, 24, from Dundee, in Helmand on 31 August.

The soldiers were caught in an explosion when insurgents used rocket-propelled grenades to mount an ambush.

Pte Robert McLaren, 20, from Mull, was also killed in action during the tour of duty.

It was the first time the battalion had been posted to Afghanistan. The soldiers had previously seen action in Iraq.

The battalion moved back to Fort George in 2007 after eight years, during which time they were stationed in Northern Ireland and Germany.

Soldiers look to cook up garden funds

From The Scotsman:

A MEMORIAL garden to honour Edinburgh-based soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan is set to be created at a city barracks.
The remembrance garden, which will cost around £30,000, will commemorate troops from 3rd Battalion The Rifles (3 Rifles) who have lost their lives during the battalion's tour in Helmand.

The garden will be located outside the officers' mess at Redford Barracks, where the battalion is based, and will officially open on 7 May ahead of the Homecoming Parade along the Royal Mile the following day.

Work is currently being carried out at the garden, which will feature a memorial stone with an inscription to the fallen soldiers on a paved area in the centre. The paved area will have five benches and will be surrounded by grass.

The garden will also honour any other members of 3 Rifles who have given their lives in service since the battalion was formed in February 2007, as well as any soldiers who are killed in future.

Donations from a number of businesses, including paving slabs, benches and a memorial stone worth £15,000, have made the garden possible.

A cooking fundraiser, organised by the catering department of 3 Rifles, will also be held at Tesco in Colinton on Friday to raise money for the remaining work.

The event is the brainchild of Sergeant Danny Kay, of the battalion's catering department.

Sgt Kay, rear operations master chef, said: "We approached our local Tesco store to see if they were interested in supporting a cooking fundraiser, and they were delighted to help.

"Tesco will provide the raw ingredients for free, and throughout the day army chefs will cook breakfasts, lunches and dinners in an army field kitchen outside the store.

"We are looking to feed as many people as possible during the day and their donations will go towards the garden fund."

A range of food, including breakfast baps, soup, steak sandwiches, haggis and hot pancakes, will be served just outside the store, with customers asked to donate between £1 and £2.50.

Scotland's youngest Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kitchin, will provide his support on the day by helping to prepare the sausage and bacon rolls in the morning.

Around 800 members of the 3 Rifles Battlegroup is currently on operations in Helmand, and to date 20 soldiers have been killed in action during the six-month tour, which ends in April.

Officer commanding rear operations, Major Chris Willis, said: "Funds raised will help us to create a lasting memorial to our fallen comrades, who were prepared to sacrifice their lives as part of the global struggle against the terrorism which seeks to threaten the daily lives of us all."

The fundraiser will take place at Tesco on Colinton Mains Drive between 8am and 7pm, with the battalion hoping to raise around £2,500.

Sgt Kay, 36, added: "It's fantastic that Tom Kitchin can take time out of his really busy schedule to help such a good cause.

"It will be a place for remembrance – to remember the supreme sacrifice that the fallen soldiers have shown to the whole community and Britain itself."

Theft from soldier memorial

This news item from the BBC saddens me. I hope the culprit is caught soon.

Theft from dead soldier memorial

A thief has stolen items from a war memorial in Falkirk after they were left there in memory of a dead soldier.

A junior Rangers football top, saltire badge and poppy were taken from the cenotaph on Camelon Road, a spokeswoman for Central Scotland Police said.

The items were left by a friend of Pte Sean McDonald, who died in Afghanistan on 7 February.

The theft took place between 1230 GMT last Tuesday and 1500 GMT the following day.

Pte McDonald, 26, and Cpl John Moore, 22, were killed by a roadside bomb while on foot patrol near Sangin in Helmand province.

They were both from the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Pte McDonald, who was born in Toronto but came to Edinburgh to go to school, left a wife Jennifer, mother Jacqueline, brother Darryle and sister Ceilidh.

Following his death, his mother said the tragedy had left a "hole in our lives and a hole in our heart".

Neil Griffiths, spokesman for the Royal British Legion Scotland, said the theft of the tribute to the fallen solider was "absolutely appalling".

He said: "People stealing from a war memorial is unheard of. Any theft is bad, but this makes your blood boil - it defies words."

He added: "Anyone hearing this news couldn't fail to be appalled.

"It goes beyond normal criminal events - it's insulting to all soldiers."

Police said they wanted to speak to anyone who had information about the theft or who saw something suspicious.

New STV series: Scots At War

I spotted a trailer for this upcoming series last night. It looks very intersting, and I'll certainly be tuning in.

Here's the blurb from the STV website:

On the front line with Scots at War

Offering a fascinating day-to-day window into the life of today’s modern troops in Afghanistan, STV’s new documentary Scots at War combines the present with the past as it looks at how Scotland forged itself in the fire of previous conflicts.

Scotland has a proud military history which is still closely interlinked to the experiences of today’s modern soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

In STV’s new series, Scots at War, presenter Ken Hames travels to Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, following their journey as they prepare to take their place on the front line to fight against the Taliban.

The former SAS Major, who comes from five generations of British soldiers, will follow the experiences of the modern soldiers in Afghanistan, listening to eyewitness testimonies from soldiers and commanders of present and past and looking at how the great reputation of the fighting Scot has been forged in the fire of many conflicts over the centuries.

Starting on Tuesday, January 26 at 9pm, the first of the three hour-long programmes will begin by looking back nearly 400 years and drawing parallels between today’s current operations and historic battle’s.

Over his journey, Ken will look at how Scottish regiments tackle insurgents today and reflect on regiments of the 18th Century who had similar problems within their own borders and had to fight against fellow Scots at the Battle of Culloden.

Ken will also join the troops to discuss the hazards of transporting troops through remote hostile environments in Afghanistan and use this as a stepping stone to look back on the Birkenhead Disaster of 1852 when the troop ship HMS Birkenhead hit rocks off the coast of South Africa.

World War One and World War Two were particular dark periods in the Scottish Regiments history and played such a huge part in the shaping of our nation and Army. As part of the series, Ken will visit some of the great battlefields where Scottish soldiers fought and died and find out how these army landmarks shaped the Scottish Regiments of today.

Don’t miss this exciting new series, filled with unique archive footage and eyewitness testimonies. Tune in to STV on Tuesday, January 26 at 9pm or catch up on the STV Player.

Happy Red Nose Day!

Today is Red Nose Day. For those of you who aren't aware of what it's all about, please visit the following link and have a think about donating.

Comic Relief website

And for those of you who are wondering what this has to do with Scottish Military history, I present the following picture which is the best photo I've seen all day:

Members of the The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, wearing Comic Relief Red Noses at their base in Fort George Invernesshire before they deploy for a tour of Afghanistan.