Two British Army soldiers are under investigation after they dressed up as SS officers just days before Armistice Day.
The soldiers are sergeants in the Queens Royal Hussars (QRH) and were attending a party in the Sergeants’ Mess at their Tidworth Barracks for Halloween.
After their attire was reported to military authorities, they were escorted out by the Royal Military Police (RMP) who is now investigating the matter.
The regiments most senior solider, the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), has also been suspended, according to the Daily Mail.
The Mail reports that it is understood the RSM approved the outfits in advance but pleaded innocence when questioned by the Commanding Officer (CO), therefore misleading his initial investigation.
The pair posed for pictures in which they can be seen giving Nazi salutes, with images subsequently shared online.
Despite their removal from the event, the pair might escape further punishment due to the fact that their outfits had been approved by the RSM, who outranks them and is responsible for matters such as conduct and dress of soldiers in barracks.
The Queen’s Royal Hussars are one of the oldest and most respected cavalry regiments in the British Army.
Their history dates back to the 18th century and the regiment earned dozens of battle honours throughout World War 2, fighting the Axis powers in North Africa, Crete, Italy, Burma, France and Germany.
Whilst the timing of the outfits was always guaranteed to cause offence, doing so in the days leading up to remembrance has caused fury amongst former and current officers.
One former QRH officer told the Express.co.uk: “People are absolutely raging about it and rightly so.
“What on earth was going through these idiots’ heads? I just don’t understand how anybody could think it was a good idea or even remotely funny.”
An Army spokesman said: “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.”
