Significant service

On Saturday, The Royal Scots held a wreath-laying service at Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh, to commemorate the significant service and sacrifice of the 1st and 2nd Battalions in the Far East from 1941 to 1945.

A total of 496 Royal Scots were killed or died when prisoners of war. A further 707 were wounded or were recorded missing, giving a total of 1,203 casualties.

The service was conducted by Regimental Association padre, the Rev Ian May. A memorial at the castle commemorates the service of the 1st Battalion The Royal Scots and, in particular, its Carrier Platoon, in Burma 1943-45.

There are 14 trees planted in the castle grounds as individual memorials to the 14 members of that platoon who were killed in Burma.

A wreath was laid by Louis Barnetson on behalf of his great uncle, Jack Barnetson, who lives in Edinburgh. He served in The Royal Scots, fought in Italy, was wounded, and taken prisoner.

Jack’s brother Alex, who was also a Royal Scot, was killed in Burma while commanding the Carrier Platoon.

Jack wrote a poem in memory of his brother that contains the lines: “There are many kinds of sorrow in this world of love and hate, but there is no sterner sorrow than a soldier’s for his mate.”

The high number of casualties resulted from the Japanese invasion, battle, and eventual surrender of Hong Kong in December 1941. During the battle, 107 were killed and every survivor of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots, became a POW.