June 2009

30 June 2009 - SWORDS AND DRUMS [3 YORKS].  Corporal Anthony Oxley has been awarded The Cutlers' Sword.  This is awarded to the Drummer or Bugler who during the year has shown the most potential, both musically and militarily, to become a senior Drum Major of the future.
 
 
Corporal Oxley (picture - first from right) serves with the 3rd Battalion at Battlesbury Barracks, Warminster.  He will be presented with his Sword during the Lord Mayor of London's Show in November.
 
28 June 2009 - ALPINE CHALLENGE FOR BARNSLEY TEAM [4 YORKS].  A small team of hardened south Yorkshire Warriors joined twenty-seven other teams in this year's tri-service Exercise Alpine Challenge.  The Bavarian based challenge is recognised as the most arduous orienteering trial in the Army.  The D Company team of Corporals Dave Surgey, Philip 'Max' Wall and Lance Corporal Steve Tibble, are based at Fontenay Barracks Barnsley and Endcliffe Hall Sheffield TA Centres.  The team were assisted by a small but essential support group who drove and spent considerable time preparing for the exercise in southern Germany.
 
The two-day competition saw them traverse nearly 100km, scale mountains of 1,985 metres as well as complete a 10km bike ride and 500m canoe race.  The three-man team made up one of twenty-six Army teams in the competition and were the only Territorial Army representatives.  At the end of the competition they achieve 14th place and collect their participants medals.  Read more about the grueling competition here. 
 
24 June 2009 - BARNSLEY LADS SETTLING INTO BAGHDAD ROLE [3 YORKS].   South Yorkshire soldiers recently helped take over security duties from the 1st Battalion in Baghdad.  The soldiers of Alma Company deployed in mid-May as part of a protection force (PROFOR) for senior military representatives in Iraq.
 
 
3 YORKS, in their former guise of the 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, was one of the first units into Iraq during the invasion in 2003, deployed again in 2005 and now provide the last British Infantry unit in the country.
 
22 June 209 - REGIMENTAL ANNIVERSARY - IMPHAL DAY.  Today, the Regiment and in particular the 1st Battalion, celebrates a famous part of our recent past in the tide-turning Battle of Imphal.  During this hard fought engagement, which lasted over two months, the first and second battalions from the 14th Foot stood firm to repulse the Japanese and save India from invasion.
 
On the 22nd June 1944, Imphal was relieved and coincidentally marked the 259th birthday of the 14th Foot.  Consequently, we can also say that today is our 324th Birthday.
 
22 June 2009 - MOD RESPONSE TO SUNDAY TIMES STORY REFERRING TO 2 YORKS.  Army manpower levels The Sunday Times has published an article about military manpower being reduced to the lowest levels since the Crimean War.  It is pure speculation to suggest that the Army is cutting its manpower levels.  As part of its regular planning round the MOD is considering a range of options which will help to ensure that the Department's highest priorities continue to be funded appropriately.  The planning round is very much normal business, encompassing a range of savings and enhancements reflecting the Department's emphasis on support to operations and doing the best by our people, and also reprioritising in light of the day-to-day conduct of our business.
 
There has been no decision about reducing forces manpower, and certainly nothing about axing three infantry battalions.  Specifically General Richards (currently Commander-in-Chief Land Forces and the next Chief of the General Staff) has NOT offered to sacrifice 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) [2 YORKS].  2 YORKS is due to go to Afghanistan in September 2009 as part of 11 Light Brigade, whose deployment has already been announced.
 
18 June 2009 - REGIMENTAL ANNIVERSARY - WATERLOO DAY.  Today, the Regiment and in particular the 3rd Battalion, celebrates our antecedent history and our part in the monumental Battle of Waterloo.  Two of our antecedents regiment's fought at the battle - 14th Foot and 33rd Foot. 
 
Arthur Wellesley joined the 33rd and commanded it as Lieutenant Colonel (1793-1803) and then became Colonel (1807-1813).  The Yorkshire Regiment continues its association with the 1st Duke of Wellington and the famous victory, in our Deputy Colonel in Chief, Brigadier, His Grace The Duke of Wellington.
 
 
The 3rd Battalion started with a service and a reading by the Commanding Officer to remind the Battalion of the importance of the Battle of Waterloo.  Prayers were said for colleagues deployed in several theatres and promotions announced.  Thereafter, the Battalion moved to the sports fields to participate in a variety of events to celebrate the day.  The main attraction was the Inter-Company Football competition - won by Corunna Company - closely followed by other events such as the Drop Kick, Wellington Boot Throwing and the Strongest Man competitions.  Burma Company was awarded overall winner but a great day was had by all.
 
18 June 2009 - ONE YEAR COUNTDOWN TO COLOURS PARADE.  On this auspicious anniversary the Regimental Headquarters announces the one year mark to our Regimental Colours Parade.  During the parade at Imphal Barracks, seven stands of antecedent Colours will be replaced by four stands of Yorkshire Regiment Colours. 
 
Details of the parade and administration will appear here in due course.
 
16 June 2009 - 2ND BATTALION OPERATION HERRICK BRIEFING EVENINGS [2 YORKS].  The Welfare Team from the 2nd Battalion will conduct a series of briefings in the north east for the families of those soldiers deploying to Afghanistan.  The briefings will start at 1830 hours (2 hours duration) and will take place on the following dates:
  • Tuesday 7 July - Stockton Road TA Centre, Middlesbrough.  
  • Wednesday 8 July - Coldyhill Lane TA Centre, Scarborough.
  • Thursday 9 July - Weeton Barracks, Blackpool.
For more information contact the Welfare Office at Weeton Barracks.
 
14 June 2009 - QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS FOR YORKSHIRE SOLDIERS.  The following officers have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen in her Birthday Honours list.  Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Price, Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, has been promoted to OBE.  Major Mark Bower QGM, formerly Second in Command of the 1st Battalion, has been appointed MBE.  Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Rynn, Staff Officer One - Appeals in the Office for Standards of Casework, has been appointed MBE.  Congratulations from the Regiment to each recipient for the recognition of their hard work and dedication.  The full Honours List can be viewed on the Defence News site.
 
12 June 2009 - 3RD BATTALION CHEFS ON EXERCISE TIGERCAT [3 YORKS].  Army-style 'Ready, Steady, Cook' field catering competition, Exercise Tigercat, saw 24 military teams of Army cooks battling against each other to prepare a three-course meal using field cookery skills, fresh food and ration packs.  Working in 24 identical field kitchens, the four-person teams created a ten-portion meal in two hours.
 
 
Pictured are members of the 3rd Battalion team, Lance Corporals Kerry Nash and Scott Simpson, Corporal Jun Budha and Private Ashley McCoid, with the results of their labours.  This story was taken from Defence News Blog - Image of the Day.
 
11 June 2009 - REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION MINUTES.  The minutes from this year's Association annual general meeting can now be viewed within the Association page's documents list.  The new Constitution and Rules can also be found in the same location.
 
10 June 2009 - YPRES BATTLEFIELD TOUR [1 YORKS].  C Company soldiers from the 1st Battalion got up early to carry out a series of battlefield visits and glean an insight into scale of conflict ninety years ago.  They visited the West Riding Division memorial and many of the troops were surprised to find their surnames inscribed on graves bringing home the reality of the Somme Offensive. 
 
 
At Ypres they swapped their clothes for combats and stepped off along the cobbled streets to the Menin Gate.  Watched by hundreds of tourists and locals they stood to attention as the Last Post was played (as it is every night) by a lone bugler.  Major Mark Marshall then laid a wreath in memory of all those Yorkshire soldiers who fell between 1914-1918 and also those lost in more recent conflicts.
 
6 June 2009 - REGIMENTAL WEEKEND AND FORMATION DAY.  The Regiment celebrated the third anniversary of our formation with a series of events during this year's Regimental Weekend.
 
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with the annual dinner, held this year at the Merchant Taylors' Hall in York.  Colonel of the Regiment, newly promoted General Sir Nicholas Houghton, hosted the event at the mediaeval hall. 
 
 
On Saturday morning a Regimental Service was held at York Minster presided over by Canon Richard Cooper.  The newly formed Yorkshire Regiment Band provided musical accompaniment in their first Regimental appearance.  Standards from five association branches were carried into the service, representing The Yorkshire Regiment, Prince of Wales's Own, Green Howards, Duke of Wellington's and Yorkshire Volunteers. 
 
Immediately after the service attendees retired to Worsley Barracks for the Regimental Association's Annual General Meeting.  The key item on the agenda was the acceptance of a new set of rules and regulations which will allow for free membership of the Association to all eligible parties.  To see a copy of the new regulations visit the Regimental Association page.  Thereafter, a curry lunch was served in the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess for young and old to catch up on this year's events.
 
As if to emphasise the important of the formation day, senior serving Yorkshire Soldier Regiment soldier General Richard Dannatt, reminded the BBC D-Day programme viewers of the significance of 6th June and of the only Victoria Cross awarded for action on that momentous day in 1944.