News Naidheachdan

[Iain MacAonghais - Preseantair] Nise, tha an t-arm a’ feuchainn ri barrachd dhaoine a bhrosnachadh ri dhol nan reservist anns an TA anns na h-Eileanan Siar, is suas ri deich air fhichead obair ann. Bha àrd oifigearan ann an Leòdhas an-diugh airson innse mu na cothroman obrach a th’ann agus airson còmhraidhean air mar a thèid an fheadhainn a chailleadh ann an Tubaist an Iolaire an cuimhneachadh an ceann trì bliadhna eile. Ghabh iad cuideachd cothrom tadhal air taisbeanadh a tha a’ comharrachadh obair an t-saighdeir thar nan linntean. Tha an aithris seo aig Eilidh NicLeòid.

[Eilidh NicLeòid - Neach-aithris] Thàinig an t-arm a Bhail’ Ailein an-diugh a dh’fhaicinn taisbeanadh annasach de chulaidhean aodaich shaighdearan a’ dol air ais còrr agus ceud bliadhna. B’ e cuideigin anns an sgìre a chruinnich iad ach ‘s ann leis a’ choimhearsnachd a tha iad a-nise. Fhuair iad aon deug mìle not bho Riaghaltas Westminster a tha ag amas air taic a chumail ri saighdearan ann am beatha shìobhalta agus an dàimh eadar na feachdan armaichte agus coimhearsnachdan a neartachadh.

[Coinneach Ruairidh Macaoidh] Uill, tha an t-airgead, tha e airson grunn rudan a thaobh an airm. Chuir sinne a-steach airson seo airson gun cumar cuimhne air na chuir na sgìrean ann an Eilean Leòdhais a-steach. Cha b’ ann dìreach anns a’ Chiad Chogadh ach anns a h-uile cogadh a th’ air a bhith ann. Chaidh an taisbeanadh seo a chruinneachadh bhon chiad Zulu war gu Afghanistan agus tha fiosrachadh againn gun robh daoine anns na h-eileanan anns a’ chuid-mhòr dha na bha sin.

[Eilidh NicLeòid - Neach-aithris] Tha an Seachdamh Battalion de Regiment na h-Alba na dhachaigh do shaighdearan pàirt-ùine. Tha iad a’ fastadh dhaoine às na h-eileanan. Tha suas ri fichead obair ri fhaodainn ann an Steòrnabhagh agus tha iad am beachd buidheann a chur air chois ann an Beinn na Faoghla far am bi cothroman cosnaidh agus trèanaidh ann do mu dheichnear.

[Lieutenant Col Piers Strudwick] This is really for young men and women to be able to join the Army Reserves, Seven Scots in particular, but there are also opportunities as chefs, as drivers, as medics and these people are really being able to polish up thier personal development. They are able to look at ways of making themselves better people, of employability skills, of things that make them more attractive to an employer. There is lots of spin-off in terms of training activities that we do, both on the Island and in the Highlands in Inverness and of course throughout Scotland and some training done down on the south coast of England.

[Eilidh NicLeòid - Neach-aithris] Bha dàimh làidir riamh eadar an arm agus na h-eileanan agus bha na saighdearan an seo cuideachd airson còmhraidhean leis a’ chomhairle air mar a thèid ceud bliadhna bhon a thachair tubaist an Iolaire a chomharrachadh. Chailleadh naoi fichead eileanach agus a h-aon a thàinig beò às a’ Chogadh Mhòr nuair a bhuail an soitheach Biastan Thuilm latha na bliadhna ùir naoi ceud deug ‘s a naoi deug. Eilidh NicLeòid, BBC An Là.

[Iain MacInnes - Presenter] Now, the army are trying to encourage more people in the Western Isles to become a reservist for the TA, with up to 30 jobs available. The high-ranking ofiicers were in Lewis today to talk about work opportunities and to discuss how the men that were lost in the Iolaire tragedy will be remembered in three years’ time. They also took the opportunity to visit an exhibition that marks the work that soldiers did through the generations. This report is by Eilidh Macleod.

[Eilidh Macleod - Reporter] The army came to Balallan today to see the rare exhibition of soldier’s garments dating back more than a hundred years. They were collected by someone in the area and now they belong to the community. They received eleven thousand pounds from the Westminster Government which aims to support soldiers in civilian life and to strengthen the relationship between the army and the community.

[Ken Roddy Mackay] Well, the money is for many things to do with the army. We put in for it to keep the memory of the effort that were put in by the areas of the Isle of Lewis. Not only in the First World War but in all the wars. This exhibition gathers thing from the first Zulu War to Afghanistan and we have information that people from Lewis were in most of the wars that have been between these.

[Eilidh Macleod] The Seventh Battalion of the Scottish Regiment is a home for part-time soldiers. They are hiring people in the islands. There are up to twenty jobs available in Stornoway and they are planning to put together a group in Benbecula where there will be an opportunity for work and training for about ten people.

[Lieutenant Col Piers Strudwick] This is really for young men and women to be able to join the Army Reserves, Seven Scots in particular, but there are also opportunities as chefs, as drivers, as medics and these people are really being able to polish up their personal development. They are able to look at ways of making themselves better people, of employability skills, of things that make them more attractive to an employer. There is lots of spin-off in terms of training activities that we do, both on the Island and in the Highlands in Inverness and of course throughout Scotland and some training done down on the south coast of England.

[Eilidh Macleod] There was always a strong relationship between the army and the islands and the soldiers that were here also had talks with the council about how the one hundredth anniversary of the Iolaire disaster will be marked. One hundred and eighty one soldiers that came out of the great war alive were lost when the ship hit the Beasts of Holm on New Year’s day 1919. Eilidh Macleod, BBC an Là.