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UK's first permanent memorial to WW2's Force K6

Highland Council Aerial view of memorial in KingussieHighland Council
A new memorial to soldiers who trained in the Highlands during World War Two has been unveiled in Kingussie
  • A memorial has been unveiled in Kingussie to World War Two's Force K6
  • The detachment of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps trained in the Cairngorms and other parts of Scotland during World War Two
  • Nine members of Force K6 died during time in the Cairngorms
  • They were buried at Kingussie

The UK's first permanent memorial to soldiers of World War Two's Force K6  has been unveiled in the Highlands.

The detachment of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps was a transport unit that used mules to deliver supplies to front lines.

During part of the war, Force K6 trained in winter and mountain warfare in the Cairngorms and had camps at various locations in Badenoch and Strathspey.

Nine of the men died during their time in the area and were buried at Kingussie.

Later re-named the Indian Contingent, the detachment was also briefly stationed around Golspie, Sutherland and Corgarff, Aberdeenshire.

Kingussie has the single largest graveyard in the UK where Force K6 soldiers are interred.  

There are also graves in England and Wales and on the continent in France and Germany.

Isobel Harling, 99, who has tended to the graves for more than 70 years attended the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday.

Highland Council K6 Force memorialHighland Council
The memorial was made using black granite imported from India and locally sourced granite
Highland Council K6 Force memorialHighland Council
The memorial has been installed in Kingussie's Gynack Gardens and represents six years of work
Highland Council Aerial image of new memorial and gardensHighland Council
Various individuals and organisations including Kingussie’s Am Fasgadh Regeneration Company, Highland Council and Heather Taylor, an army major, were involved in the project