SCOTTISH REGIMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23930, 4 October 1939, Page 6

SCOTTISH REGIMENT

THE DUNEDIN COMPANY WILL NOT BE DISBANDED WRONG IMPRESSION CREATED (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, Oct. S. Advice has been received from Army headquarters by the Wellington, branch of the New Zealand Scottish Regimental Association that there is no foundation for the suggestion by Captain R. D. R. Paterson. of the Dunedin Company of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment, that the outbreak of war would cause the disintegration of the Dunedin Company and probably of the regiment. Far from that being the case, it is stated that the necessity for the regiment being kept at full strength and the training being carried out as usual is.greater than ever. This information was conveyed to-' night by Mr J. G. Mackenzie, president of the New Zealand Scottish Territorial Regiment Association, who said the men of the regiment were anxious to enlist as a separate unit, but as Army Headquarters had laid down that a special force was to be raised individually, permission could not be given for any territorial regiment to become a separate unit of the force. Because 100 men of the Dunedin Company had volunteered to serve as a Scottish company and the proposal had been rejected, Captain Paterson had evidently gained the impression that the regiment would be disbanded. Some men of. the regiment had enlisted in the special force and would be replaced immediately from the waiting list at each centre. The suggestion had been raised that one of the companies of the Machine-gun Battalion of the special force should be composed of nilen from the Scottish regiment, and that the casualties in it be replaced by men from the Scottish unit, but nothing had been stated officially, said Mr Mackenzie. Were that done it would form an important link between the men in the territorial regiment and those of the special force, and would be an incentive to keep the territorial regiment at the highest state of efficiency and maintain its esprit de corps. It was generally considered that had the Scottish regiment been issued with the kilt the recruiting in it would have been stimulated, and Mr Mackenzie said he hoped that though it was late in the day means would yet be found to keep faith with the men who had paid their uniform contribution months ago. and also with the Scottish community who had contributed generously to the equipment fund.