On parade: 9 Regiment leads Remembrance Day tributes in Malmesbury

For the first time, members of 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps have led a parade through Malmesbury to mark Remembrance Sunday.

For the first time, members of 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps led a parade through Malmesbury to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Thirty soldiers from Buckley Barracks, headed by Major Carys Hardwick, marched from Cross Hayes and up the High Street to Malmesbury Abbey. Falling in behind them were the warden and freemen of Malmesbury, town councillors, representatives of the emergency services, local dignitaries and guests of Malmesbury Mayor Cllr Gavin Grant.

They joined representatives of the Royal British Legion, Malmesbury Air Cadets, Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Brownies alongside veterans, their families and townspeople in a packed Malmesbury Abbey, where the annual service of remembrance was led by the Reverend Oliver Ross.

Also parading and attending the service were Malmesbury’s first two Mayoral Cadets, Jess Evans and Matthias Fung. Their appointments were announced by Cllr Grant at a recent meeting of Malmesbury Town Council. The Cadets will accompany the Mayor at civic events in the coming months.
 

Jess and Matthias were joined in the parade by George Smith, Cadet for the High Sheriff of Wiltshire Pradeep Bhardwaj. Matthias and George are pupils at Malmesbury School and Jess is a former Malmesbury pupil.
 

Cllr Grant said: “We are grateful to the men and women of 9 Regiment RLC for lending their support to this very important occasion.
 

"It is the first time in many years we have joined in parading to the Abbey with those in active service of our country. As Mayor, I think it is very important we recognise, honour and remember the sacrifice made by so many in two World Wars and the years since, to keep our country safe and protect our freedom and democracy. 
 

"I was delighted to be joined by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Piers Dibben, High Sheriff of Wiltshire Pradeep Bhardwaj, the Officer Commanding 9 Regiment Lt Colonel Amar Bhundia and his Regimental Sergeant Major Carl Blackburn, Inspector Gareth Edwards of Wiltshire Police, our local Member of Parliament James Gray and the local Prospective Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Roz Savage MBE, among others."