1st Battalion Hull Parade
1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment's homecoming parade through Kingston upon Hull on Thursday 23 July 2009.
A homecoming parade took place through the packed streets of Kingston upon Hull on Thursday 23 July 2009. The
1st Battalion stepped off from Park Street at 1100 hours with the Band of the King's Division leading the parade. Marching down Prospect Street, the Battalion saluted the Lord Mayor of Hull, Councillor Karen Woods, who was accompanied the the Regiment's senior representative, Colonel Andrew Jackson.
The Battalion recently returned to its Oxford Barracks home, in Munster, having served in Iraq and Kosovo. During the parade each Guard of soldiers was dressed in either temperate or desert uniform to reflect the Battalion's roles during the last nine months in Kosovo and Iraq. The parading soldiers displayed their recently awarded campaign medals, presented at a
Medals Parade held in Munster on 17 July 2009. The Battalion's Regimental Pets -
Imphal and
Quebec - were also be in attendance.
Battalion Heaquarters, 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).
A Company were the very last unit from 20 Armoured Brigade to return from Iraq (Operation TELIC). 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).