The British Army has apologised after two soldiers from one of their most prestigious units were pictured wearing SS uniforms for a Halloween party.
An investigation has been launched after pictures emerged of the two Queen’s Royal Hussars performing a Nazi salute in the outfits complete with medals and swastikas.
The pair were reportedly marched from the Halloween mess event in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
The two unnamed soldiers’ careers in the military may be saved after they were granted permission to attend dressed as members of Adolf Hitler’s elite guard by their commanding officer, according to a source to the The Daily Mail.
The Regimental Sergeant Major is reported to have also been suspended pending an inquiry.
One senior military source told The Daily Mail: “They may not have had any intention to offend anyone but, for heaven’s sake, what were they thinking?
“The CO [commanding officer] went ballistic when he saw the pictures of them making Nazi salutes. It is 2024. Everyone in the Army knows this is completely unacceptable.
“Hundreds of the regiment’s officers and troopers lost their lives to the Nazis. It isn’t funny to dress up as an SS officer and wear a swastika.”
An Army spokesman told The Independent: “We apologise unreservedly for the unacceptable behaviour of these two individuals and the offence that it will undoubtedly cause.
“Their actions demonstrated serious and significant shortfalls in judgement and conduct and were totally incompatible with the values and standards the Army demands and the public expects.
“As soon as they became aware of the incident, the unit’s chain of command acted immediately to inform the Royal Military Police and a formal investigation is now underway. We won’t comment further while that investigation is ongoing.”
