1st Battalion Beverley Parade
1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment's homecoming parade through the streets of Beverley on Thursday 23 July 2009.
On a hot and sunny afternoon, soldiers of the 1st Battalion carried out their homecoming parade through the streets of Beverley. The 1st Battalion stepped off from New Walk at 1430 hours with the Band of the King's Division leading. The salute was taken by the chairman of the East Riding Council, Councillor Christopher Matthews, and the Mayor of Beverley, Councillor David Elvidge. They were joined on the steps of the Market Cross by the Regiment's senior representative Colonel Andrew Jackson, himself a former Commander of the Battalion. The Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding, Susan Cunliffe-Lister, accompanied by the Chairman of East Riding Council and the Mayor of Beverley, were invited to carry out an inspection by Major Aaron Townend.
During the parade each Guard was dressed in temperate or desert uniforms to reflect the Battalion's differing roles during the last ten months in Kosovo and Iraq. The soldiers displayed their recently awarded operational medals, presented at their
Medals Parade in Munster held on 17 July 2009. The Battalion's Regimental Pets -
Imphal and
Quebec - were also in attendance.
Battalion Headquarters, C Company and Support Company returned from southern Iraq in early May, where they carried out various training and security roles. They were amongst the last combat troops to withdraw from southern Iraq (Operation TELIC 13). Individuals were also present who recently served in Afghanistan and had received their campaign medals at last week's Medals Parade.
A Company were the very last unit from 20 Armoured Brigade to return from Iraq (Operation TELIC 13). They were based in Baghdad, well away from the Battalion, and carried out important security roles as Protection Force (PROFOR) Company. They handed over to Alma Company of the 3rd Battalion in late May.
B Company were the first to go on operation in September 2008 and first to return to Munster in March 2009. They spent 6 months as the UK Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Task Force (ISR TF)) monitoring and policing the peace in Kosovo (Operation OCULUS).