Lee Rigby’s battalion is scrapped in Army cuts

Date published: 17 June 2013


It comes as the Ministry of Defence announces details of the latest round of redundancies, which could affect as many as 5,300 troops.

Ironically, the 25-year-old private, who was butchered on the streets of Woolwich last month, worked as a recruiter for his regiment and faced a “high risk” of having a redundancy letter landing on his doormat, insiders said.

Last night sources stressed the move would “shave a slice” off more than 260 outfits across the entire British Army. Many infantry battalions will vanish altogether, including 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which consists of around 550 soldiers and where Lee had served for seven years. Critics said the plans to rid the British Army of its most experienced infantry units was an insult to Lee’s memory.

Also to disappear will be the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, known as the Green Howards, the 3rd Battalion Mercian Regiment and the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh.

In Scotland the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, known as the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, will be reduced to a single company to carry out ceremonial duties. The cuts will see the British Army eventually reduced to just 82,000 regular troops, plus 30,000 reservists

Andy Smith, of the UK National Defence Association, said: “Disbanding the Second Fusiliers is a false economy for the MoD. The battalion has consistently met its recruitment targets and kept itself up to strength. It is a success story for the MoD yet it is now being treated as a failure.

“Although only 25 when he was ­brutally killed, Fusilier Rigby was an experienced soldier who had served in Helmand Province in Afghanistan as well as Cyprus and Germany and was highly respected across the regiment. Is the MoD really justified in axing Lee Rigby’s battalion and making so many of his comrades redundant?”

One of Britain’s most respected military commanders said yesterday the extent of cuts would make operations in future unworkable and virtually extinguish Britain’s global influence.

Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said: “We are cutting the armed services so far that it is going to be extremely difficult for us to take part in any military operations overseas.”

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