Post by Taxigirl on Nov 6, 2004 9:16:44 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3987837.stm
Pictured left to right Sgt Stuart Gray, Pte Paul Lowe and Pte Scott McArdle
Prince Charles is to meet the families of Black Watch soldiers serving in Iraq, two days after three of their colleagues died in a suicide attack.
The prince, Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland) regiment, will attend an "informal reception" at the Battlesbury Barracks, in Wiltshire.
It is not known which families will meet him at the Warminster base.
The visit was arranged before Thursday's attack, which also killed an Iraqi interpreter.
Click to see the sequence of events
The Prince will miss the society wedding of Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem in Chester to visit the barracks on Saturday.
A spokesman for the Prince said: "He spoke to the commanding officer of Black Watch after they were redeployed to Baghdad.
"He's very keen to meet the families and Saturday was the earliest opportunity to do so."
The suicide attack came days after the Black Watch had been controversially sent from Basra following a request from the US.
Sgt Stuart Gray, 31, Pte Paul Lowe, 19, and Pte Scott McArdle, 22, were killed east of the River Euphrates, near Falluja.
Prime minister Tony Blair, speaking from Brussels on Friday, hailed the bravery of the dead men but said securing peace in Iraq was "absolutely crucial".
BLACK WATCH VICTIMS
Sgt Stuart Gray, 31, married, mortar platoon
Pte Paul Lowe, 19, single, 'pipes and drums'
Pte Scott McArdle, 22, single, elite reconnaissance platoon
"I would like to express my deep sympathy and condolences to the families of those soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq yesterday," he said.
Mary Gray hailed her son, Sgt Stuart Gray, as "an experienced and professional soldier".
She said she was "deeply shocked" by the news of his death but that her sadness was tinged with pride.
However relatives of the other two men expressed their anger at the deaths, saying the battle group should never have been in the area in the first place.
The 850-strong force has been attacked repeatedly since it arrived at Camp Dogwood, 20 miles (32km) from Baghdad, eight days ago.
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said the deployment was "a political one" aimed at helping President George Bush in the US election.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon criticised Mr Salmond for taking "political advantage of the death of three brave men".
The latest attack brings to 73 the number of UK military personnel killed in Iraq - 31 of those as a result of enemy attacks.
The Black Watch battle group comprises 500 men and 50 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles.
ATTACK ON THE BLACK WATCH
1 Warrior armoured fighting vehicle damaged by roadside bomb.
2 Second Warrior arrives to assist and comes under attack from rocket-propelled grenade. No-one hurt.
3 Black Watch troops return to recover vehicles and set up a cordon.
4 A car approaches one of the mobile checkpoints and occupant detonates bomb. Three soldiers and a civilian interpreter are killed.
5 Remaining troops come under mortar fire. Eight are wounded, but MoD says none seriously. All are rescued by helicopter.
Pictured left to right Sgt Stuart Gray, Pte Paul Lowe and Pte Scott McArdle
Prince Charles is to meet the families of Black Watch soldiers serving in Iraq, two days after three of their colleagues died in a suicide attack.
The prince, Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland) regiment, will attend an "informal reception" at the Battlesbury Barracks, in Wiltshire.
It is not known which families will meet him at the Warminster base.
The visit was arranged before Thursday's attack, which also killed an Iraqi interpreter.
Click to see the sequence of events
The Prince will miss the society wedding of Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem in Chester to visit the barracks on Saturday.
A spokesman for the Prince said: "He spoke to the commanding officer of Black Watch after they were redeployed to Baghdad.
"He's very keen to meet the families and Saturday was the earliest opportunity to do so."
The suicide attack came days after the Black Watch had been controversially sent from Basra following a request from the US.
Sgt Stuart Gray, 31, Pte Paul Lowe, 19, and Pte Scott McArdle, 22, were killed east of the River Euphrates, near Falluja.
Prime minister Tony Blair, speaking from Brussels on Friday, hailed the bravery of the dead men but said securing peace in Iraq was "absolutely crucial".
BLACK WATCH VICTIMS
Sgt Stuart Gray, 31, married, mortar platoon
Pte Paul Lowe, 19, single, 'pipes and drums'
Pte Scott McArdle, 22, single, elite reconnaissance platoon
"I would like to express my deep sympathy and condolences to the families of those soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq yesterday," he said.
Mary Gray hailed her son, Sgt Stuart Gray, as "an experienced and professional soldier".
She said she was "deeply shocked" by the news of his death but that her sadness was tinged with pride.
However relatives of the other two men expressed their anger at the deaths, saying the battle group should never have been in the area in the first place.
The 850-strong force has been attacked repeatedly since it arrived at Camp Dogwood, 20 miles (32km) from Baghdad, eight days ago.
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said the deployment was "a political one" aimed at helping President George Bush in the US election.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon criticised Mr Salmond for taking "political advantage of the death of three brave men".
The latest attack brings to 73 the number of UK military personnel killed in Iraq - 31 of those as a result of enemy attacks.
The Black Watch battle group comprises 500 men and 50 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles.
ATTACK ON THE BLACK WATCH
1 Warrior armoured fighting vehicle damaged by roadside bomb.
2 Second Warrior arrives to assist and comes under attack from rocket-propelled grenade. No-one hurt.
3 Black Watch troops return to recover vehicles and set up a cordon.
4 A car approaches one of the mobile checkpoints and occupant detonates bomb. Three soldiers and a civilian interpreter are killed.
5 Remaining troops come under mortar fire. Eight are wounded, but MoD says none seriously. All are rescued by helicopter.