Freedom Parade Wellington
On Saturday the 17th June 2023 The Rifles reaffirmed their Freedom of Exeter and took part in Exeter’s Armed Forces Day. This was followed by a parade to receive the Freedom of Wellington.
The award of the Freedom of Wellington has been a great privilege for us. It reflects the strong links that exist today between this town and our Regiment (three officers on parade were former pupils of Wellington School, and a member of the Salamanca Band lives in the town.) It also reflects a connection that runs through the centuries, forged in the time of the Duke of Wellington, who took his name from this town.
The Regulars were represented by Fire Support Company and Buglers from 5th Battalion The Rifles, based in Bulford, Wiltshire and the Reservists were represented by HQ Company 6th Battalion The Rifles, based in Wyvern Bks, Exeter. They marched together as a single guard, commanded by Major Chris Groves, since this is how they operate overseas – shoulder to shoulder, Regular & Reserve.
The Cadets are a vital part of the regimental family and it was tremendous to see so many of them on parade, drawn from across Somerset. The Somerset ACF Band and Bugles will be leading the Armed Forces Day National Event next weekend in Falmouth, and later this summer we will have over 400 Cadets from Somerset on their annual camp on Dartmoor, developing the life skills and resilience that hold such value today.
The Rifles were honoured and particularly delighted to have been offered the Freedom of Wellington, which means a huge amount to the Regiment because it helps cement our already strong relationship with the area and community. Our history with the area goes back many years through our forming and antecedent forebearers and it is critical that we continue to nurture one another’s support.
The Rifles enjoyed celebrating the close bond between the 5 Pillars of our regiment (Regulars, Reserves, Cadets, Veterans and Communities) as they paraded through Wellington. A Freedom Parade of a Town or City is the perfect way to see those pillars at their best, as we reminded ourselves of the importance of each pillar to one another. We all felt very proud to be part of this parade and see the true spirit of our great regiment represented in one place, at one time.
Building relationships with our Freedom towns and cities is a vital part of The Rifles’ ethos, not least because many of our soldiers derive from the local community and continue to work and live in the area once they leave the Army. Being able to march through a town is a rare privilege and our Riflemen felt incredibly proud representing their cap badge and the Regiment.