Soldiers, tanks and cavalry from the Royal Yeomanry will parade through Hammersmith’s town centre on Sunday 11th March.
Soldiers, tanks and cavalry from the Royal Yeomanry, Hammersmith and Fulham’s Territorial Army regiment, will parade through the town centre on Sunday 11th March to mark their freedom of the borough.
The colourful parade, led by Councillor Frances Stainton, the Mayor of Hammersmith, will start at 3pm from Sussex Place, following a route under the Hammersmith Flyover.
The parade will continue onto Queen Caroline Street, then into King Street to finish with a salute at the Town Hall.
The freedom of the borough, which allows a military unit to march though the borough’s streets, is the highest honour a council can bestow on a person or group and is traditionally a way the town acknowledges the contribution of the local armed forces.
Councillor Stainton said: “Soldiers from the Royal Yeomanry are amongst the borough’s unsung heroes and it is only fitting that they exercise their right to parade through our streets in this way.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for the borough’s residents to honour their military service and the selfless contribution they make on our behalf.”
The Royal Yeomanry is the most senior of the Territorial Army’s Yeomanry Regiments and hundreds of its soldiers have served in Iraq and Afganistan on front-line and peace-keeping missions over the last few years.
The commanding officer of the Royal Yeomanry, Lieutenant Colonel Newton Astbury, described gaining the freedom of the borough as both an honour and a privilege.
He said: “We have always appreciated and valued the support that the borough gives to us; this honour cements our relationship.”
A church service for the soldiers and their families will be held at St Paul’s Church prior to the parade, which will be followed by a medal ceremony and a civic reception at the Town Hall.
To ensure safety at the parade, Nigel Playfair Avenue will be closed to traffic and parking on King Street between the Hammersmith Gyratory and Nigel Playfair Avenue will be suspended, with limited parking in Sussex Place.
