A retired major general is backing the campaign to save York's army headquarters.

Maj Gen Murray Naylor, who was General Officer Commanding of the York-based North East District and 2nd Infantry Division between 1987 and 1989, is the most senior army man so far to support calls for a merged divisional headquarters to be based in York.

The Ministry of Defence is considering merging the 2nd Division, based at Imphal Barracks, with the Edinburgh-based Scottish Division, with the merged division to go in the Scottish capital.

The move would cost York more than 200 jobs and end the city's long military tradition, and York MP Hugh Bayley is leading a campaign for Imphal to be chosen as the HQ instead.

General Naylor said he supported York for both emotional and practical reasons. "York has been a garrison town for many, many years," he said.

"When I was GOC, I always felt there was an enormous pride taken by local people and by the county of North Yorkshire in the fact that York was a garrison city. York without a two-star general would not be the place it was."

He said he could understand the arguments both for York and Edinburgh but felt there was a case for the command structure to be based in York because of the large numbers of soldiers based in the region.

"There is still a large military infrastructure in North Yorkshire. Catterick is now the largest garrison in the UK.

"Obviously, it makes sense to have those who are responsible relatively close."

The general's comments came as the number of coupons signed by Evening Press readers in support of the campaign rose to more than 400.

Supporters include retired Major K O'Sullivan of Woodthorpe, retired Lieutenant Colonel Ken Dalby, of Poppleton Road, and former 2nd Division Burma Veteran William Stewart, who was de-mobbed at Imphal Barracks in 1946.

The coupons will all be handed to the Government later this month.

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