Pte Robert McLaren, 20, from Mull, and Cpl Sean Binnie, 22, from Belfast, were also killed in action during the tour of duty.

BBC: Crowds turn out for Black Watch march

"The regime may be getting desperate, " Mr. Binnie said.

WSJ: Syrian Pilot Defects to Jordan With Plane

You have to fast-forward all the way to October 4th, 2004, the moment that pilot Brian Binnie crested at an altitude of 112km in SpaceShipOne, to find a similarly important moment in the history of private space flight.

ENGADGET

Jeremy Binnie, Middle East and Africa editor at IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, said the significance of the defection was still unclear but that based on patterns of past defections by Syrian military personnel many of whom said they wanted to avoid killing their own people the pilot might have been motivated by possible Syrian plans to start using jets against the opposition.

WSJ: Syrian Pilot Defects to Jordan With Plane