T H E C O V E N A N T E R
Trustees Matters
Collection will pass to South Lanarkshire
Council, the Trustees will still be represented
For some years now the Trustees have
on the Museum Advisory Group, which
been taking action to preserve the heritage
continues to advise on policy and displays
and traditions of the Regiment against the
within the museum.
times when there will no longer be any
Cameronians in a position to play an active
Lt Col I.K. McBain Chairman, Regimental
role.
Trustees
The Douglas Monument and grounds
are now cared for by the National Trust for
1976/77 Pension Trough
Scotland and the Cairn commemorating
the disbandment of the 1st Battalion has
Group
been restored and, we anticipate, that this
Over 250 ex-servicemen and their widows
will be looked after locally.
have formed a group to campaign against
A substantial sum has been paid out in
the injustice of what is commonly referred
benevolence to former Cameronians in
to as the ‘Pension Trough’.
financial need. These payments are managed
Those who retired in the period from 1st
by Regimental Headquarters, The King’s
April 1976 to 31st March 1978 (Pension
Own Scottish Borderers and will continue
Code Years 1976 and 1977) were affected.
to be paid out, with the actual funds being
At that time the government imposed pay
provided by the Army Benevolent Fund to
restraint for two consecutive years when
which the Trustees made a large donation
inflation was extremely high and this
in 1998.
caused a permanent reduction in service
Arrangements have been made to
pensions. The reductions affected all ranks
continue to commemorate the Raising of
and varied between 18% to 30% compared
the Regiment in St. Bride’s Church in
to contemporaries who retired in earlier
Douglas on the appropriate Sunday in
and later years. What is more disturbing is
May.
the effect that the reduced pension has had
In 1989 the Trustees began negotiations
on their widows who in many cases only
with Hamilton District Council to merge
receive a 1/3rd of their deceased husband’s
and develop the Regimental Museum and
pension which, despite index-linked
the Hamilton Museum. These negotiations
increases, still leaves them permanently
resulted in 1995 in an agreement between
and severely disadvantaged.
the Trustees and the Council whereby
This injustice, that has resulted from
the two museums would merge and the
the unforeseen permanent consequence
Regimental Collection, whilst remaining
of temporary pay restraint, has for many
under the ownership of the Regiment
years been refused redress by government
through the Trustees, would be managed by
on the grounds that there can be no
the professional museum staff. Considerable
retrospection. However, retrospective action
sums of money were raised including a
has been employed by MP’s to enhance
Lottery Grant of over £2 million and the
their own pension benefits on more that
merged and developed Low Parks Museum
one occasion, most notably in 1996 when
officially opened in May 2000.
they voted themselves a backdated increase
The Trustees had, from an early date, been
worth 26% to those who retired at the
considering how best to ensure the integrity
subsequent election. Moreover, with the
of the Regimental Collection housed and
recent revision of the Armed Forces Pension
displayed in the Low Parks Museum when,
Scheme retrospective attributable benefits
in the not too distant future there would
will be available to unmarried partners.
be no Cameronians available to act as
The government claims that any moral
Trustees. It was decided that ownership
justification for a remedy to this legacy
of the Collection should pass to South
issue cannot override financial constraints.
Lanarkshire Council (the successor local
If you are one of those affected by this
authority to Hamilton District Council)
situation and would like to support the
and for a petition to be presented to the
Pension Trough Group in their pursuit
Court of Session in Edinburgh for this to
of a resolution to this longstanding
be authorised. As I write these notes (Nov
2003) the petition is pending.
discrimination please contact:
Hopefully, the petition will be approved
and, although the ownership of the
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