Heroics of Black Watch recognised

The extraordinary heroics of British forces in Afghanistan have been honoured with a series of citations and medals in recent days and it was the turn of one of Scotland’s most famous regiments, the Black Watch, to be applauded by the public yesterday.

These are terribly sombre occasions; in among the soldiers receiving their awards, we see a wife or mother battling to hold back their tears as they step forward to receive a medal for a man who did not come back. There are also men who survived to tell the tale, but carry scars which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In past times, the heroics sometimes overshadowed the sacrifice – until Remembrance Day came around each year. Now the public is reminded of the brutal reality virtually every day. It intensifies the sense of awe and respect for our soldiers; from the cool, calculating bravery of the bomb disposal teams to the split-second actions of soldiers in the heat of battle.

One such man was the late Sean Binnie, from Aberdeen, whose loved ones yesterday epitomised the dignity and bravery of bereaved service families.