THE Royal Marines will be honoured with the Freedom of the City of Glasgow.

Next Thursday, a meeting of the council is expected to agree to award the regiment the city's top accolade.

It will be given to mark the Marines' 350th anniversary next year.

Govan Labour councillor James Adams has drawn up a motion asking councillors to back the move.

It reads: "Council congratulates the Royal Marine Corps on its upcoming 350th anniversary in 2014.

"Since its formation, the Royal Marines have enjoyed strong links with Glasgow and continue to have a permanent presence in the city, through the Glasgow detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve Scotland, which was raised in Glasgow in 1948.

"Council wishes to demonstrate its highest respect for the proud history of the Royal Marine Corps and the dedication and sacrifices it continues to make to protect the interests of the United Kingdom.

"Therefore, council requests that the Lord Provost award the Freedom of the City of Glasgow to the Royal Marines to publicly acknowledge the regard in which the unit is held and highlight the strong relationship that continues between the Royal Marines and Glasgow."

Mr Adams decided to push for the Freedom of the City for the regiment as his Govan ward is the base for the oldest Royal Marine reserve unit in the UK.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty said: "I would be delighted to award the Royal Marine Corps with the Freedom of the City.

"It would mark a wonderful 2014 for Glasgow – the year we host the Commonwealth Games and the year this proud service celebrates its 350th anniversary."

The Royal Marines can trace its roots back to 1664, when it was formed as marine infantry for the Royal Navy and are a highly specialised, amphibious, light infantry force of commandos.

Throughout its history, the Royal Marines have seen action in major wars.

Conflicts they have seen action in include the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars.

In recent times the Corps has been deployed in the Falklands, the Gulf, the Bosnian and Kosovan conflicts as well as the Sierra Leone civil war, the Iraq war and the war in Afghanistan.

Previous recipients of the Freedom of the City include Sir Alex Ferguson, Billy Connolly, Kenny Dalglish, Nelson Mandela, Jim Watt, Prince Philip, Sir William Burrell, Marie Curie, David Livingstone and Prime Ministers Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald.

vivienne.nicoll@ eveningtimes.co.uk