THE future of the historic Duke of Wellington's Regiment is still uncertain.
Army chiefs met yesterday to determine whether or not the Yorkshire-based regiment would be hit by cuts.
But the findings of the Army Board meeting in London have not yet been revealed.
It is believed military chiefs will brief Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon about their intentions and details will be unveiled in the Commons next week.
Supporters of the Dukes fear that the regiment - which recruits heavily in Huddersfield and Halifax - will be a victim of the planned cutbacks.
Infantry battalions are expected to bear the brunt of the cuts, with suggestions that the Dukes could merge with other Yorkshire regiments, the Prince of Wales Own and the Green Howards.
Campaigners have insisted the Dukes should retain their own identity, with a history stretching back more than 300 years.
Mr Hoon said today the decisions to scrap some regiments was not designed simply to cut costs.
He said the plan to restructure the Army was intended to increase the number of troops available for deployment.
He said the complicated system which saw regiments rotate between bases had to be scrapped.
The Army Board executive committee, chaired by Gen Sir Mike Jackson, spent several hours debating the proposed changes.
The Dukes' 1st Battalion are currently serving in Iraq.
Several hundred troops are based near Basra, in southern Iraq.
