Homecoming Parade for RAF Regiment

13 January 2011, 09:29 | Updated: 13 January 2011, 09:34

Bury St Edmunds will be welcoming home members of No 1 Squadron RAF Regiment at 11am this Saturday with a parade on Angel Hill.

The parade will celebrate the squadron's return from a six month deployment protecting Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. The 130 gunners of No 1 Squadron RAF Regiment came back to the UK on 4th November last year.

Officer Commanding No 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, Squadron Leader Dave Crook said:

"The men of No 1 Squadron RAF Regiment are honoured to be given the privilege of parading through Bury St Edmunds, our 'Home Town', following our return from operations. We have had a challenging six months in Afghanistan and are looking forward to a memorable day when we can show our appreciation to the local community for the support they have given us."

The Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Councillor Ian Houlder, is inviting everyone who lives in the town to join him in greeting the troops. Councillor Houlder said:

"The town enjoys a close relationship with our armed services and its residents have always demonstrated their support for the hard job they do by turning out in strength for happy events like this. I look forward to sharing the occasion with as many of them as possible."

The Mayor's party will assemble by the dais outside the Tourist Information Centre at 10.30 am to welcome the Regiment as they begin their parade at 11am.

The parade will be led by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. It will exit the Abbey Gardens through the Abbey Gate. There will be a salute and march past near the war memorial on Angel Hill which will be taken by the Mayor and the Station Commander of RAF Honington.

The parade route will then take them via Abbeygate Street, Cornhill, Woolhall Street, St Andrews Street South, to the Arc shopping centre via Gosnold Street and Charter Square. They will then dismiss in Charter Square and join their families for a reception in the Apex. The reception is for the Regiment only.

The Central Band of the Royal Air Force will play in Charter Square for a short time at the end of the parade.