By Chris Ferguson

BRITAIN’S TOP soldier yesterday took the extraordinary step of directly challenging campaigners fighting to save The Black Watch and Scotland’s other infantry regiments.

General Sir Mike Jackson demanded an apology from Save The Scottish Regiments organiser Jeff Duncan who had claimed the general had put Black Watch commanding officer James Cowan under pressure to support regimental reform.

General Jackson contacted The Courier to take issue with Mr Duncan’s comments, reported in Monday’s editions.

He said that Lieutenant Colonel Cowan was under no pressure over future infantry structure and added that the army does not work in such a “dishonourable manner”.

Bur Mr Duncan yesterday maintained his stance and quoted an unnamed officer who feared a long-term posting to Northern Ireland if he spoke out against regimental change.

He also pointed to the many comments on The Black Watch website which support his position.

General Jackson said, “First, let me make it clear that James Cowan is under no pressure—direct or indirect—whatsoever from me in the matter of the future infantry structure; what he and his battlegroup do have is my thanks and praise for a difficult job well done in Iraq.

“Secondly, it is insulting of Jeff Duncan to suggest that I would behave in such an underhand way or, more importantly, that a commanding officer would succumb to such improper behaviour by a general. Whatever Jeff Duncan’s opinions, he needs to understand that the British Army does not work in such a dishonourable manner.

“Perhaps he does understand but feels that he has to insult James Cowan’s integrity in order to protect his own position which puts emotion before the fighting capability of the whole British Army. I believe he owes James Cowan an apology,” added the general.

However, Mr Duncan said that at no time had he implied that James Cowan is anything other than an honourable commanding officer, who has always put his regiment’s needs and welfare before that of his own.

“During the first stages of the Iraq war James Cowan wrote back to point out the shortages of equipment that his men faced, and just this month he sent Emails from Iraq to point out that he felt the Government may not have fully appreciated the position it was placing The Black Watch in by moving it to Camp Dogwood,” said Mr Duncan yesterday.

“The rank and file soldiers of The Black Watch, as well as the five other Scottish regiments, do not support the plans General Jackson has drawn up for their future. Recent Press shows just exactly the depth of feeling from serving soldiers in The Black Watch—it is not supportive of the change proposed.”

Mr Duncan went on to claim that Save The Scottish Regiments has spoken to many serving officers from all the Scottish regiments and has detected a climate of fear if anyone spoke out.

“I quote one when I say he was worried about a 20-year posting to Shackleton Barracks in Northern Ireland. In my opinion, it does not take much thought to conclude that James Cowan has had pressure bought to bare on him—I personally find it hard to swallow that he could be so out of touch with his men—therefore I am forced to conclude he has indeed been pressured from his seniors.”

Mr Duncan is to give General Jackson a personal reply in which he will challenge the assertion that veterans and campaigners are driven by nostalgia.

SNP MP for Perth, Annabelle Ewing, and MP for North Tayside, Pete Wishart yesterday made an 11th hour plea to Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling to back the regiments in the Commons.

Ms Ewing said, “On this St Andrew’s Day, we made an appeal to the Secretary of State for Scotland to undertake a commitment to the House of Commons to intervene to save Scotland’s historic regiments. He refused.”

Mr Wishart said, “It is a disgrace that as our soldiers are in the line of fire in Iraq the Government is preparing to stab them in the back at home.”