A World War II veteran says a vote for independence would be a betrayal of his fallen comrades.
Jock Moffat, 95, who is believed to have fired the torpedo that hit the rudder of the German warship Bismarck which was sunk in 1941, said he has already cast his postal vote for No.
The former Royal Navy fleet air arm pilot from Dunkeld in Perthshire, said: “Pals of mine didn’t make it, I have a feeling that if I had gone to a Yes vote I would have betrayed them.”
Mr Moffat was in Perth yesterday to hear a speech by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson who claimed that the world was a better place due to the British armed forces.
She claimed the military bonds of history and geography across the UK “go very, very, deep”.
Ms Davidson said: “Those bonds will weaken if we don’t keep the United Kingdom in two weeks’ time.
“And the strength and the moral might of our armed forces will weaken too.
“I for one cannot and will not stand silent while the reputation of our armed forces, built up for generations, across our national borders, is subject to this kind of nationalist vandalism.”
But Jimmy Sinclair, of Kirkcaldy, one of the last surviving member of the Desert Rats, said “no” campaigners “must stop playing politics with Scotland’s fallen war heroes”.
He added: “This is really offensive stuff, sacrifices made on the battlefield of the past wars are respected by everyone.
“I will be voting Yes in the referendum because I am a patriot and I believe in Scotland’s future.”
The SNP has plans to operate a £2.5billion a year defence and security budget, and want to build a total of 15,000 regular and 5,000 reserve personnel over the next 10 years.
But a statement signed by sixty former members – mostly high ranking ex-officers – of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force claimed independence would result in current arrangements for defending the British Isles being “irresponsibly weakened” and jobs would be lost.
The statement, released by pro-UK group Better Together, read: “We passionately believe that the people of Scotland will be stronger and more secure if we remain part of the UK.”