The Yorkshire Regiment will hold a homecoming parade in Beverley on Thursday, 23 July from 2.30pm in the presence of the Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, the High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire, the Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Town Mayor of Beverley.
Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor Christopher Matthews said: “I am pleased to welcome the Yorkshire Regiment to the East Riding of Yorkshire and to the town of Beverley.
“This event will reinforce the historic links between the Yorkshire Regiment and the council and will give the people of the East Riding the opportunity to thank the regiment for their courageous service overseas.
“Their much appreciated work contributes hugely to making the world a safer place and preserving the peace and democracy that we sometimes take for granted.
“The parade will be a wonderful spectacle in the town centre and I hope many will turn out to show the regiment their appreciation.”
Programme of Events
HOMECOMING PARADE BY THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT
BEVERLEY THURSDAY, 23RD JULY 2009 14:30HRS.
In the presence of
- Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire
- High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire
- Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Town Mayor of Beverley
THE 1ST BATTALION THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT OPERATION TELIC
In October 2006, the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment deployed for the first time as a Battalion to Iraq. The Battalion was employed as the Rural Battle Group (South) under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (now Colonel) Andrew Jackson, today’s Senior Officer, Its mission was to interdict and deter insurgent activity South of Basra city.
C Company, detached under 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, became the Brigade’s dedicated Light Role Strike Company tasked with arrest and detention operations throughout the Area of Operations, involving frequent, regular high risk moves into violent and unfamiliar territory to arrest and detain suspected insurgents.
Tragically, the 1st Battalion suffered the loss in battle of Private Luke Simpson to an Improvised Explosive Device. The reaction to this incident led to the award of the Military Cross to Patrol Commander, Captain Ibrar Ali, who remained with the Battalion for its second tour of Iraq in 2008, in spite of severe injuries. A second Military Cross was awarded to Major Ian Crowley for outstanding operational leadership, often in unfamiliar and extremely violent areas.
Basra was in the hands of the insurgents and the Yorkshire Regiment was at the forefront of the battle to regain control of the streets. Despite the challenges and the difficulties, the Battalion performed in an exemplary fashion, living up to their nickname – The Yorkshire Warriors.
In November 2008, The 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment returned to Basra, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Price, OBE. This time, circumstances had improved markedly, and the Battalion was employed alongside the Iraqi Army, mentoring and training them to be a capable and self-sufficient counter insurgency force. The Battalion was part of the Military Training Team, or MiTT Group, along with other Battle Groups of 20th Armoured Brigade.
This role saw small teams of mentors deploying into isolated out-stations, often within Iraqi Army barracks, providing support, advice and liaison to the Iraqi Army. As well as this, the Battalion’s role was to provide civic support to the area, directing funds towards the renovation of schools, hospitals, health centres, water, electricity and sewerage, the regeneration of the marshes and the encouraging and fostering of employment and prosperity of Basra.
It was during this second tour that Operation TELIC drew to a close, with the extraction of all UK forces from Basra. Although US forces remain in the province, the 14th Iraqi Army Division is now a respectable and well motivated force capable of providing security within this recently lawless area. As such the UK mission is now complete. The 1st Battalion is proud to have played its part in this historic success, and can honestly say that the Basra of 2009 is unrecognisable from the Basra of 2006. Gone are the days of daily mortar and rocket attacks, the car bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices at the side of the roads. The streets are bustling, the markets are open and the economy is booming. Schools and hospitals are open and the utilities, once almost non existent, are now increasingly dependable and regular.
PROGRAMME
14:30hrs. Yorkshire Regiment steps off from Longcroft School and marches along Burton Road, Molescroft Road, New Walk, North Bar Without.
14:45hrs. The Parade halts outside the closed North Bar Gates and the Parade Commander bangs on the gates.
Town Crier: ‘Who goes there, friend or foe?’
Parade Commander: ‘Friend!’
Town Crier: ‘Open the North Bar Gates’.
Gates open
Town Crier: ‘Identify yourself’
Parade Commander: ‘I am Major Townend of the Yorkshire Regiment’.
Town Crier: ‘State your purpose here today in the town of Beverley’.
Parade Commander: ‘The Yorkshire Regiment wish celebrate their homecoming from operations abroad and to exercise their freedom rights and march through the town of Beverley with bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying’.
Town Crier: ‘On behalf of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Beverley Town Council, I welcome you home from operations and I grant you permission to pass through these gates to exercise your freedom rights’.
The Parade marches through the gates along North Bar Within and Saturday Market.
14:55hrs. Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire takes the salute at the Market Cross.
The Parade marches around Saturday Market, Ladygate, Sow Hill Road and back into Saturday Market.
15:00hrs. The Parade halts in front of the Market Cross.
Lord-Lieutenant accompanied by Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Town Mayor of Beverley and Senior Officers inspect the troops.
Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Town Mayor of Beverley extend civic welcomes after which the Senior Officer responds.
15:30hrs. The Parade moves off along Saturday Market, Toll Gavel, Butcher Row, Wednesday Market, Lord Roberts Road, Champney Road into Lairgate and halts outside the Memorial Hall where the Parade dismisses.
Invited guests and members of the Yorkshire Regiment join the Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Town Mayor of Beverley for refreshments in the Memorial Hall.
17:00hrs. Guests depart.
The Yorkshire Regiment was formed on 6th June 2006 and is a new model Regiment from the historic County of Yorkshire founded on three hundred years of Yorkshire warrior tradition and united by common values, history and home. It represents all that is best in the Army, in professionalism, in role, on operations, for career, for sport and for family. It is the best because its soldiers are the best.
Ethos
The ethos of The Yorkshire Regiment reflects a sense of belonging to Yorkshire and the common Yorkshire values of honesty, fairness, grit and pride. The Regiment is a strong, inclusive and meritocratic family that draws from the best military traditions of the forebear regiments.
Battle Honours and Victoria Crosses Awarded
280 battle honours: the 1st in Namur 1695 and the most recent in Iraq 2003 and 38 Victoria Crosses.
Colours
The Yorkshire Regiment will continue to carry a unique stand of Honorary Colours presented to the 76th Regiment (The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment).
Cap Badge
A combination of parts of the antecedent Regiment’s cap badges. The white rose of York from The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, Lion Rampant (part of the Duke of Wellington’s crest) from The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and the Brunswick green backing from The Green Howards.
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