The loss of The Black Watch in Scotland would be keenly felt across the world, according to visitors to its spiritual home.
A party of The Black Watch of Canada Association visited Perth on Wednesday amid renewed fears over the future of the historic regiment.
Speculation has again surfaced that what is now the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland could be lost in a new round of cost-cutting.
The army has dismissed any such move as “complete speculation” but, if The Black Watch is one of the eight battalions due for extinction, Canada would become one of the few places the Red Hackle could still be seen.
It has similarly seen its three battalions reduced to one territorial unit bearing the name and Canadian association president Gordon Ritchie said it would be a tragedy if the name were to live on in his country but not in Scotland.
He said: “There is a big worry and we feel that because we trace our roots back to here this is where it all started. We’ve got to fight to keep it going despite the Government cutbacks, which we went through in Canada as well.
“It’s very sad to see tradition cut like that. We had two regimental battalions and they were cut in the 1970s and that was a black day, although we kept the regiment going as a territorial unit. Because of what happened here a few years ago, we’re the only ones who can now wear the full Black Watch regimental uniform.Traditions”We can’t do anything other than provide all the support we can to the organisation. Luckily the association here has the museum and they have big plans to preserve the traditions. This is home to us and we want to ensure the links remain.”
The Canada Association has been on a week-long tour round Scotland which has included trips to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Fort George, where the regiment is currently based. Members heard about multi-million-pound plans to extend and preserve Balhousie Castle and made a second donation of over £500 to the appeal and visited Aberfeldy, where the regiment was raised in the 18th century.
The Canadian regiment was formed during the American Civil War to protect against American forces and has since served proudly with other Commonwealth forces. After some soldiers served with their British counterparts in the Boer War, a formal alliance came in 1905 and the regiments served with distinction in two world wars.
Of almost 12,000 officers and enlisted men who fought in the three Canadian battalions during the First World War, over 2000 were killed, 6000 wounded and 821 decorated, six with the Victoria Cross.
Members fought across Europe in the Second World War and in conflicts since, including the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Major Ronnie Proctor, secretary of the Black Watch Association, said: “They are our sister regiment and there has always been a close, close bond between the Canadians and ourselves.”
The army is to cut 12,000 of its 102,000 posts by 2015 and it has been reported up to eight battalions could go.
A shortfall in recruitment has placed Scottish regiments in the firing line, although an army spokeswoman said, “Although the chief of general staff did say battalions would have to be cut, nobody has said it would be one particular battalion.”