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Freedom of the Borough
Posted on 20/06/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk
On Tuesday the 19th June 2007 the Royal Anglian Regiment represented by the 2nd Batallion received the Freedom of the Borough. "The Freedom" is the highest tribute that a Borough can bestow, and although in modern times it is an honour only and confers no legal rights, Honorary Freemen are invariably invited to take part in all important ceremonial occasions in the Borough.
The Royal Anglian Regiment started in just before 1pm in Ashby Square and proceeded down Swan Street and then up into Market Place, and stopped in front of the Town Hall where local dignitaries were waiting. Commanding was Lieutenant Colonel Simon John Ravenscroft Browne, M.B.E . and the illuminated scroll giving the Regiment the Freedom of the Borough was presented by the Mayor, Joe Tormey to Lieutenant General John McColl, C.B.E., D.S.O.. Both the Lieutenant Colonel and the Mayor spoke of the pride and honour with the event and the association. The Regiment then proceeded to march down Granby Street then returned via the Market Place to Devonshire Square where the Regiment marched giving a salute to Her Majestys Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Lady Jennifer Gretton.
Also present at the ceremony were ex Royal Anglians, represented by the Royal Tigers Association, including Mr Foran who served in Borneo.
The Royal Anglian Regiment is the Infantry Regiment for the ten counties of East Anglia and the East Midlands. It was the first of the Large Regiments to form in the British Army, when, on 1st September 1964 the mergers of the old county Regiments took place. Included in the merger was the Royal Leicestershire Regiment (17th Foot) that was formed in 1688. In 1777 it was awarded the unbroken Laurel Wreath emblem for its bravery at the Battle of Princetown in the American War of Independence. In 1825 the Regiment was awarded the Honour of wearing the insignia of the Royal Tiger superimposed with the word HINDOOSTAN, in recognition of its exemplary service and conduct during its campaigning and long tour in India from 1804-1823. Today the soldiers still wear the insignia.
Today the Regiment is comprised of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, known as the Vikings and Poachers respectively.
The second Battalion have recently returned from Basra and have received 10 gallantry awards, including the Military Cross for Major Mark Nooney. They have been mentioned in dispatches and also received the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service. The Battalion have served in Northern Island, Sierra Lionne, Afghanistan, Cosovo and Bosnia. In the future they will be going to Germany, will tour with the 7th armoured Brigade (Desert Rats) and will be returning to Iraq next year. Regrettably during the Basra tour the Battalion suffered two fatalities.
The 1st Battalion is currently in Afghanistan where there have been three casualties during the fighting, including Private Christopher Gray from Groby. They are currently seeing a lot of action and have fired more rounds in the first 2 months than the Paras did in their 6 month tour.
The Royal Anglian Regiment recruits many of its soldiers from the Leicestershire area and has a couple of Sergeants who come from Loughborough. For more information on the Royal Anglian Regiment you can visit their website at http://www.army.mod.uk/royalanglian/index.htm
Our photographer captured about 70 pictures of the event and these can be viewed in the Loughborough Photograph Albums
Time Line for the Poachers:
1688
Colonel Solomon Richards Regiment
1713
17th Regiment of Foot
1782
17th Leicestershire Regiment
1881
The Leicestershire Regiment
1946
The Royal Leicestershire Regiment
1964
4th (Leicestershire) Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment.
1968
4th Bn The Royal Anglican Regiment
1970
Tiger Company
1992
2nd Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment The Poachers