AFTER reading the letter by Ken Pewsey on December 23 regarding the Wiltshire Regiment may I endorse the points that he made.

Yours truly stood in front of an Army captain as a 20-year-old, without any knowledge of the Army at all, suddenly to be told on March 5, 1940: "You are now 5573137 Pte. R Sparrow and you are in the 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment The Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment not any old regiment''.

Ken Pewsey talked in his letter about our two PMs, I wonder how much they know of the county regiment. To help them may I suggest they borrow a book from the library under the title The Maroon Square.

As far as I know past and present soldiers serve the same Queen in the same uniform, so how come some are regarded any different to the other. As for myself, I had to bond with all the other lads called up like myself and all of us with any others of other regiments we came in contact with.

Why the Wilts? After over six years in the Army, I'm left wondering "What was it all about".

BOB SPARROW

David Stoddart Gardens, Swindon