For Argyll

Five out of six of Scotland’s infantrymen and 100% of its cavalry troopers are now in action or about to go into action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only Scottish-recruited unit not currently in the deployment cycle - 19 ‘Highland Gunners’ Regiment, Royal Artillery - has already completed tours in both theatres of war in the last two years. Four of our five infantry battalions are in or about to go to Iraq and Afghanistan and the fifth has been put on standby. It is now Britain’s last available reserve for deployment in sudden crisis situations. The Scots Dragoon Guards, Scotland’s only tank regiment, has a squadron in Afghanistan and the rest of the unit is off to Iraq. The Scots Guards are in Basra. The Argylls, with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, have just joined the forces in Afghanistan. They will provide two of Air Assault Brigade’s five infantry battalions and will be supported by a Highlanders’ Warrior armoured infantry company and one tank squadron frm the Scots Dragoon Guards. Next month will see the arrival in Iraq of the rest of the Highlanders and of the Scots Dragoon Guards’ armoured squadrons.

Almost one in six of service fatalities in Iraq have been Scots. The Herald has obtained figures from the Ministry of Defence showing that Scots, with 8% of the UK population, make up 10% of the Army’s overall manpower and have sustained over 16% of combat fatalities. This says something about the circumstances in which the Scots have been deployed. The units making up what is now the Royal Regiment of Scotland have suffered more deaths than any other UK regiment. The Black Watch have taken the highest count.