As the curtain falls on a tremendous success in the northern seaside town, the personnel of the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS) describe their thoughts on the occasion.
Based a short distance away in Catterick Garrison, many of the soldiers felt a personal connection to the celebrations in North Yorkshire.
For one senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO) on parade, Sergeant Broxham, the links were all the more prominent given that he has lived in Scarborough since he was six years old.
He said: “It made me feel very proud. I actually did the Armed Forces Day here a few years ago, so it’s a similar sketch to that. We were very busy with rehearsals, a lot of things go on behind closed doors.
“Anytime the military does anything in the public eye, it makes you feel good about yourself.”
Echoing his thoughts was Lieutenant Colonel Exton, Commanding Officer (CO) of 1 YORKS, who took the parade’s salute on a raised viewing platform with Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.
The CO said: “Being part of the national event is fantastic. To have this in Yorkshire in a summer month, in front of so many dignitaries and the public, is superb and an opportunity for us to connect with people.”
Backed by the Band of The Yorkshire Regiment, around 100 members of 1 YORKS marched past the South Bay before falling out near Scarborough Spa.
Leading them out was Major Hammond, himself a Yorkshire lad, who said: “It is a really proud moment to parade through one of our county towns. Preparations were long and warm! We have lots of soldiers preparing to deploy all over the world, so we tried to fit it all in around that.
“This was the first opportunity for my three children to see me on parade. I was really proud to be at the front of the Army contingent.”
1 YORKS have personnel involved in numerous overseas exercises, operations, and routine tasks including deployments to Nigeria and the Falkland Islands, while a portion of the unit participated in the NATO Winter Camp in Estonia earlier this year.
