A band of Black Watch veterans are on a mission to refurbish the Powrie Brae soldier.
The Black Watch memorial just off the A90 north of Dundee commemorates the sacrifice of 440 soldiers of the regiment’s Fourth and Fifth Battalions, who were killed in the Second World War.
First unveiled by the Queen Mother in October 1959, the memorial has been in its current location since the mid-1980s.
But after near 40 years, the memorial site has begun to see some wear and tear.
Colin Gray, president of the Dundee branch of the Black Watch Association, said: “It came to our attention around April that there was a lot of work needing done here, it was looking in a poor state.
“It was so overgrown all around the monument and we decided we had to do something.
“We put it to the members of the Dundee branch and it was suggested we get a party of volunteers up to tidy the area.
“But it then became very apparent that it was a bigger job that we can do.”
The refurbishment work is now being carried out by Peter Fotheringham and Barry Mason – both Black Watch veterans who run their own gardening companies.
Among the work planned for the site is the relaying of all paving slabs on the memorial, as well as adjacent paths. The grassed areas will also be cut and maintained.
Peter, who runs Operation Garden Force, said: “I recently became a member of the Black Watch association at Arthurstone Terrace and I went on the veterans parade through Dundee a few weeks ago.
“And this was when Colin said to me that he and Barry had been up here tidying the place up.
“This is called Operation Powrie Brae and our mission is to get it up and running for Remembrance Sunday.
“We are going to create a horseshoe memorial garden around it where we can put plaques and wreaths around the outside of the podium.”
Peter, who during his 20 year military career served in Iraq and was posted in Balmoral at the time of Princess Diana’s death, said the renovation project was a dream come true.
“Even before this project was in the picture, I used to come up here with my dog and think ‘I’d love to clean this place up’,” he said.
“So I’ve dreamed about this and being a veteran has encouraged me to come with my tools and spend the time here.”
It’s hoped the full refurbishment of the Powrie Brae site, as well as a new memorial being planned for Black Watch Parade, will be party funded by donations.
Colin added: “We are probably looking at £80,000 we have to raise for the two of them.
“So we’ve got a bit of fundraising to do and we will be doing that through a Just Giving page.”
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