Dispatches from the North of England: UK Allied Unit News
/County Proud. Combat Ready.
The Royal Yorkshire Regiment marked its 20th anniversary with a Freedom Parade in Halifax town centre on Saturday, June 6. The parade celebrated the regiment's deep historical ties to the region and its 2006 amalgamation of local historic units, including the Green Howards, the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. This parade was only one of a half dozen to mark the occasion with local communities.
In military terms, the "Freedom of the City" is the highest ceremonial honour a municipality can bestow. It grants a regiment the historic right to march through the streets "with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed". Celebrations around the honour and the regiment's anniversary were highly localised.
To quote the regimental Facebook page: “The Yorkshire weather kept us on our toes with a bit of everything, but true to form, our soldiers remained absolutely resolute, standing proud in front of a fantastic home crowd. Over the last few days, marching through Keighley, Halifax, Beverley, Bridlington, York, and Richmond has been an incredible privilege. To see thousands of you lining the streets, waving, cheering and showing such immense pride in our anniversary year is a moment our regulars, reserves, veterans, and cadets will cherish for the rest of their careers. Now the parade boots are packed away, it’s straight back to business. The soldiers of 2 R YORKS are heading back down to Warminster to continue stepping into their vital new role as part of 11 Brigade. To every single person who came out to cheer, support, and stand with us across the county: Thank you. You are the heartbeat of this Regiment. Fortune Favours the Brave.”
The QYRANG connection began in 1928 when the Green Howards and the Rangers were linked by Royal decree. In the 1970s this link expanded further when Green Howard officer Michael Stevenson retired from the British Army, moved to Canada and joined the Rangers, going on to serve as Commanding Officer during the period 1972 - 1976. In 1989 the Rangers sent a party of officers and NCOs to visit the Green Howards for their tercentenary parade marking 300 years of loyal service in the British Army. In more recent times parties of Rangers have paraded with the RYORKS in London for Remembrance Day commemorations and served on joint FTXs in the Baltic States as part of NATO duties.