Medical volunteers on the march

The regiment provides emergency medical care to soldiers on operations

Army medical volunteers were due to parade through Dundee in celebration of 100 years of friendship with the city.

The 225 (Scottish) General Support Medical Regiment, part of the Territorial Army, has been at every major battle since 1908.

It provides emergency care on the battlefield, evacuates casualties and helps keep soldiers fit and healthy when they are on operations.

Veterans, current members and potential cadets were planning to parade.

The event was due to finish with a demonstration of how they would provide care on the battlefield.

The regiment was formed in Dundee in 1908 and now has more than 500 volunteers at bases in the city, Glenrothes, Sunderland and Leicester.

Some have a medical background, others include lorry drivers, bus drivers, fishermen and teachers.

Col Nigel Partington said: "We've had a relationship since 1908 with the city.

I wanted, as a nurse, to be able to do my nursing job in a completely different, challenging environment Cpt Lorraine Henderson

"We've had support from employers who have allowed their personnel to come and train and given them time off to deploy on operations and the families of these people have supported us for about 100 years."

Volunteers have recently been on operations or exercises in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Georgia.

Col Partington said: "You need a motivated self-disciplined individual who likes a challenge.

"They've got to be robust in their nature and get on well with others."

Cpt Lorraine Henderson said: "I wanted, as a nurse, to be able to do my nursing job in a completely different, challenging environment.

"I wanted to be able to pass on the nursing skills that I have and obviously learn from other people who're coming from different environments."