Two towns to receive troops in ceremony

RESIDENTS and shoppers in two South Yorkshire towns are being urged to support troops from the Yorkshire Regiment when they parade through the streets next week.

Soldiers from the regiment were presented with the Freedom of Rotherham last August and next Wednesday Lt Col Tom Vallings, the commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, the Duke of Wellington's, will lead about 130 men through the town.

The men, many of whom have just returned from Afghanistan, will be escorted by the military band of the King's Division, the Duke's Drummers, a colour party of nine men, and a six-man flanking escort.

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Escorted by mounted officers from South Yorkshire Police, the parade will begin at 10.45 am in Douglas Street and will march down into All Saints' Square to be inspected by the Mayor of Rotherham, Coun Rose McNeely, at 11am.

After speeches by the Mayor and the Deputy Colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment, Col Simon Newton, and a Victory Beating by the Duke's Drummers, the march will re-commence before returning to the square again, where the Mayor will take the salute before the contingent returns to Douglas Street.

On the previous day, Tuesday, June 22, the regiment will stage a march through Barnsley. The parade will form up on Churchfield and set off at approximately 10.45am.

It will make its way to the town hall where it will come to a halt and stand to attention for speeches, inspection and victory drum beating.

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The parade will then march down Market Hill, Cheapside, New Street, Wellington Street, Peel Square, May Day Green, Eldon Street and Market HiIl, then back to the town hall.

This will allow the civic party to take the salute. After being dismissed the troops will attend a reception hosted by the mayor.

The Yorkshire Regiment, which is based in Warminster, Wiltshire, will also have a recruiting team in Rotherham on Wednesday as well as a special display of two armoured vehicles.