Royal Blue

Disgraceful Marine Pay 'Blunder'

Marines furious at front-line 'pay cut'

The morale of Royal Marines serving on the front line in Afghanistan has plummeted after a £3,000 allowance was deducted from their wages following a "dreadful blunder" by Royal Navy administrators.

The revelation will come as an acute embarrassment for Tony Blair, who only last week was photographed among Royal Marines as he promoted Britain's strategy in the Taliban-ravaged country.

Politicians and Navy chiefs were so concerned over the impact of the wage cut that they sent extra human resources staff to Afghanistan to inform more than 1,000 commandos affected by the error.

The Marines had been told they could receive up to £17 extra a day as a special allowance for being on overseas operations during the six-month operation.

But they were misled and the Ministry of Defence has now refused to pay the extra £3,000 the men had been promised.

Some commandos in Afghanistan yesterday said they would consider resigning when they returned home because they were so disgusted with the MoD.

One troop commander said: "How is morale? It's absolutely dreadful out here. Some people, particularly senior NCOs, are going to lose out on a significant amount of money."

A senior NCO said: "This is another kick in the teeth just as we have deployed out here. We will do what we do job-wise, but this just shows the value the MoD places on our service."

The Daily Telegraph has obtained a letter from the Navy's second-in-command instructing senior officers on how to cope with the expected drop in morale.

Vice Admiral Adrian Johns, the Second Sea Lord, wrote that with 1,030 Marines in the lawless Helmand province being affected by the blunder, "this unfortunate error could not have materialised at a worse time".

He added: "The impact on our people will be acute and this issue has been considered at the highest level before deciding the way ahead."

"This issue will of course only affect those already serving in the front line units, but I have copied my letter to a wider audience in the knowledge that there will be some who are about to be drafted to sea and other operational areas and might already have an expectation of receiving more [money]."

"It is deeply regrettable that such an issue has arisen at a time when we have so many deployed on operations and careful management action will help to ensure that the inevitable disappointment for some is addressed in a considered manner."

Due to the complexity of new pay regulations and a "misinterpretation" of the rules, some personnel had been under an "erroneous expectation" they would receive extra daily allowances of between £1.04 and £16.74 a day depending on length of service.

The issue had been discussed with the Defence Secretary Des Browne and military chiefs but it was decided the Marines would not be given the promised money as a one-off payment.

This was "not what they may have been expecting" and commanders were instructed to tell their men "in as sensitive a manner as possible", the letter said.

"It is deeply regrettable that such an issue has arisen at a time when we have so many deployed on operations," the admiral concluded. "Careful management action will help to ensure that the inevitable disappointment for some is addressed in a considered manner."

Opposition politicians have accused the MoD of a "monumental cock-up" after it "effectively misled" more than 4,000 Marines and a smaller number of sailors.

Mark Harper, the shadow defence minister, said: "This will have a huge effect on morale for troops engaged in some of the most dangerous war-fighting for years, especially in the run up to Christmas. "The Defence Secretary really needs to get a grip and ensure it is the last time this type of thing happens. Our fighting troops deserve rather better than this."

The allowances were previously based on the number of days served in two areas called Qualifying Service and Paid Service. The troops were told these would both continue to be used to calculate the new Longer Separation Allowance.

This was incorrect as Qualifying Service days had never been counted under the new scheme. It was not until a few weeks ago that the Navy's Resources and Planning department noticed its mistake, but not before some marines had estimated their LSA bonuses at as much as 11 times beyond the level to which they were entitled.

The money is separate from the £2,240 tax free bonus being given to troops on operations announced by the Defence Secretary last month.

A senior Royal Navy officer said the error had been "absolutely devastating to morale".

"They are not being paid enough for what they do as it is so then to take £500 a month out of their pay is going to cause morale to plummet even further. Yes, they are incredibly dedicated people and love doing what they do out there, but this has made them incredibly unimpressed."

A Navy spokesman said it was "regrettable" that an error had been made when pay chiefs had incorrectly made briefings on pay allowances two years ago.

The new system was designed to simplify allowances and ensured Navy personnel were treated in the same way as RAF and Army.

Pay Screw Up!

Marines 'lose' payment in blunder

Royal Marines serving in Afghanistan have been left disappointed after being told they will not receive an expected increase in their allowance.

Because of a blunder by Royal Navy administrators the marines had been led to believe they would receive a bonus of up to £3,000.

The Ministry of Defence has since realised the error and said the marines will not be paid the money.

An MoD spokesman said the internal mistake had been "regrettable".

Under new pay regulations Royal Marines had been led to believe they would receive up to £17 extra a day over a six-month period overseas, it was reported.

Morale 'affected'

The error was included in an internal Royal Navy instruction outlining a new pay scheme.

Mark Harper, the shadow defence minister, told the Daily Telegraph: "This will have a huge effect on morale for troops engaged in some of the most dangerous fighting for years, especially in the run-up to Christmas."

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel will be paid under joint personnel agency arrangements from this month.

"Regrettably the internal Royal Navy instruction was wrong and some personnel are disappointed that they will not receive this substantial uplift.

"However, it is important to note that they are not taking a cut."

Guy from Oasis even more of a moron than I thought

Oasis star branded 'ignorant'

Oasis star Noel Gallagher has been branded "ignorant" after he told soldiers wounded in Iraq to stop moaning.

The Britpop frontman said in an interview with a tabloid that he was against the Iraq war and also said about the troops who had been injured in action: "If you're bothered about getting shot - here's a thing - don't join the Army."

Veterans' representative Ray Bristow said the guitarist only had the freedom to make such comments thanks to the sacrifice of the thousands who gave their lives.

Former soldier, Mr Bristow, said that Gallagher was only able to make such comments "on the back of thousands of soldiers' lives" laid down for their country.

He said: "He is in a privileged position in society where he is able to have free speech and make comments like he has made."

Gallagher has since come out to say he was misquoted but that he maintains his stance against the war in Iraq.

Private Lionel O'Connor, 22, of 2 Royal Anglian, who had his leg amputated after being caught up in a roadside bomb attack in Basra, suggested Gallagher should go to Iraq to see what conditions are like for soldiers.

Pte O'Connor, who is recovering at a military rehabilitation centre in Surrey following the attack in May, said: "If he has got a comment like that, send him out there."

Noel Gallagher ridicules British soldiers, Blair

London -- Noel Gallagher of the British rock band Oasis yesterday told soldiers fighting in Iraq to stop complaining when they get wounded.

In a wide-ranging rant, the fired-up 39-year-old also turned his guns on British Prime Minister Tony Blair, environmentalists, Elton John and his brother Liam -- the lead singer in the band.

"Blair made an almighty cock-up going to war in Iraq," Gallagher told The Sun newspaper.

"You get a million people walking through Hyde Park -- 'don't send the troops' and all that. The troops want to go, all they want to do is fight! They're soldiers. They're loving it, until they get shot -- then they're claiming compensation.

"If you're bothered about getting shot -- here's a thing -- don't join the army."

I cannot believe that someone can be so idiotic and have such an obvious lack of intelligence as is the case here. The fact that this guy would even make these comments in public is ridiculous! saying that injured troops should shut up moaning and "If you're bothered about getting shot - here's a thing - don't join the Army." is unbelievable and so misinformed I just want to drop this idiot into a firefight and see how long he lasts before crying like a baby and wetting himself. These men and women go out there knowing full well that they may get hurt or even killed but it's their job and they feel like they are doing something worthwhile and I have never heard of any injured troops who have come back and 'moaned' about the fact that they have been hurt!

The only thing I have EVER heard being complained about is the inadequate care and support given to them after they have been  injured - inadequate, disgraceful treatment such as being placed in beds next to elderly or mentally ill people and in open wards where they are attacked by ignorant people like this who don't understand the fact they are out in these dangerous places fighting for their country so that cowards like these do not have to. Moaning about being mistreated and abandoned after being injured in the line of duty is a valid point and is not the same as moaning about the fact they have been injured in the first place. They accept this as one of the risks of their job but these injured soldiers deserve so much better after all they have given for their country! More than 600 soldiers have been flown back to Britain after being injured on operations abroad since March 2003 and the majority have been put in normal civillian wards rather than dedicated military specialist ones.

"One soldier recovering from a gunshot wound has described how he spent three weeks in a bed next to a mentally handicapped man who was unable to care for or clean himself."

"Another soldier at the hospital recalled one of his comrades who had lost a leg screaming in agony because the morphine had worn off. The pain was so intense that the soldier fainted twice during the 45 minutes he had to wait before a doctor could be found to administer more morphine."

These people who have been injured should be treated with the utmost respect, care and support and shouldn't be dismissed and left to get on with their lives as they are deemed no longer useful to the British military. If this gallagher fool had any sense he would be out there using his 'celebrity' status campaigning to help these forgotten soldiers to get better care, better support and ensuring that such disgraceful circumstances such as these are not repeated for future troops wounded in action.

If idiotic people like Gallagher haven't got the intelligence to differentiate or understand the difference between politicians who decide where and when are troops will get involved in conflict and the actual troops themselves who do as they are told to the best of their ability - putting their faith in their leaders as to the validity and worthiness of whatever particular cause they are fighting for at the time, then he should at least have the respect and deference towards these people who are on a whole different level to him and are making a difference in this world to shut his mouth about things he knows nothing about.

He should be so ashamed of himself right now that he should use the money and status he has been lucky enough to earn that he really does not deserve to make up to the soldiers who will have a fraction of his wealth and recognition in their whole lives. He should publicly recognise the service that they are doing to ensure that he will always have the freedom to shout his mouth about like the idiot he so obviously is.