But Who’ll Defend Us Now?

Despite millions spent on television recruitment “Only 13 of the 49 places allocated to Scottish units for basic training at the army's main recruiting depot at Catterick in Yorkshire could be filled in the latest intake.” Full story here.

Seems like the arse has fallen out of the old Soldier Boy racket. A spokeswoman for the army in Scotland said "things could be better", but denied there was a crisis.

Whycome?

Is it because 14 soldiers British are facing War Crime Tribunals – the well publicised case of Gordon Gentle – or the callous way the Scottish regiments have been used in Iraq then disbanded, scrapped or amalgamated? Or could it be that after the whitewash of the inquiry into abuse and suicide at Deepcut Barracks - which described recruits being “This dossier … suggests there is a culture of bullying and sexual assault, there's over 100 allegations in here. This is a catalogue of misery where young children have joined the army and have been subjected to sexual and physical harrassment.”

- Geoff Gray, father of Deepcut soldier

Hmm. Could be.

There are 173 allegations in an annexe of a Surrey Police report on the deaths of four recruits at the Deepcut Barracks. It was sent confidentially to the Commons Defence Select Committee - but someone wanted the families to see the document. And the list of complaints make horrific reading:

- recruits made to stand outside in their boxer shorts while an Non Commissioned Officer threw darts at them

- a trainee forced to swim in a cesspool

- a recruit assaulted by a gang wearing respirator masks

- an alleged rape - reported but ignored

- a trainee urinated on by an NCO while asleep : incident reported but no action taken

- one soldier struck with a locker door and hung by the ankles out of a window 40 feet off the ground

and in Annexe B of the report:

“..is aware...of a racist group called the Black Card Club who would place a card with a cross on it on the bed or locker of a recruit who was due a beating”

Either way it’s got to be a good thing that Scotland begins to shed its soldierly image. Though no doubt the British State will be trawling housing schemes bribing desperate young men and ploughing more millions into ridiculous TV commercials exhorting us to ‘be the best’.

Anyway, never mind war crimes, Deepcut or Gordon Gentle: “Aged between 13 and 17? Want to discover more about the British Army? You'll find it right here at Camouflage.”