Veterans of the Royal Engineers, some of whom served in the Falklands War, will be in Ripon this weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
They are former members of 11 Field Squadron, which used to be part of the 38 Engineers Regiment based in the city.
On Sunday, between 10.45am and 11.15am a short wreath laying ceremony will take place at the War Memorial in Ripon Spa Gardens.
No Ripon-based Royal Engineers died in the war, but the event, open to anyone wishing to attend, will give the chance to reflect and remember Royal Engineers from other parts of the UK who lost their lives fighting Argentinian land sea and air forces.
Before then, an informal reunion will be held tomorrow between 2pm and 7pm at Ripon Bowling Club on Bondgate Green.
Those wishing to attend the reunion at the bowling club are asked to contact Stan Darbyshire for further details and to register their attendance. He can be contacted on email at [email protected] or by phone on 07878 980630.
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The Royal Engineers have had a long and distinguished presence in Ripon, recognised by the fact that the Regiment was awarded the Freedom of the City in 1949.
This gives them the right to hold an annual Freedom Parade through Ripon.
Last year’s parade was held in September, when more than 200 soldiers took part in the march with a band playing and bayonets fixed, before a service in their honour was held at the cathedral.
Medals parade at Claro barracks
Mayor Sid Hawke meets the medal recipients.
Over 150 individuals from 21 Engineer regiment were issued HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals for serving for over five years.
The medals were presented by Councillor Sid Hawke, the Mayor of Ripon with Major Daryl Murphy, the regimental second-in-command and Major Neil Chalmers, quartermaster, also handing out medals.
With most of the regiment deployed overseas in Poland and Cyprus, it was a greatly reduced medals parade. Those deployed had already received theirs last week.
