History warns against women in the infantry
SIR – I agree with Colonel Tim Collins (News Review, July 10), who describes the infantry as “no place for a woman”.
I understand that the Israeli Army put women in the front line in some of their units during the Six-Day War, but that the losses among their men in those units were larger than expected because the men were taking greater risks in order to protect the women.
We need to base this experiment, if such it is, on the real experiences, in battle situations, of forces that have tried putting women in the front line.
Edward Prince Edinburgh
SIR – Colonel Collins makes a number of cogent observations on the consequences of introducing women into the infantry.
He fails, however, to mention the likely effect on sub-unit cohesion. At the forward edge of battle, the resolve and determination of the small teams that comprise infantry sections and tank and support weapon crews are critical.
Yet for the most part soldiers are young men. Introducing women into the sub-unit would result in different relationships developing, affecting camaraderie and team cohesion. Those who have never experienced the realities of close combat, yet seem ready to pander to small special-interest lobbies, have no comprehension of the potentially adverse consequences.
That women don’t lack for courage or stamina is beyond question, but the issue of mixing goes much deeper than this. If enough women want to commit to the hazards of combat, perhaps the answer is to form all-women infantry and armoured units. Lt Col G PG Robinson (retd) Andover, Hampshire