Homecoming Parade for 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh

The 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh will march through Wrexham town centre on 29th November to mark their return from Afghanistan where they served in Helmand province.

They will parade from Yale College accompanied by the Battalion Goat, Billy, and the Band of the Prince of Wales’s Division to St Giles Parish Church. The parade will start at 11.15 am.

From Yale college they will march through Rhosddu Road, Argyle Street, Hope Street, High Street and Church Street. The Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Ian Roberts and the Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier Philip Napier will take the salute outside the Halifax bank on Hope Street.

At 12 noon a church service will be held to mark the Battalion’s homecoming and remember two soldiers, Capt Stephen Healey and Cpl Michael Thacker, who sadly lost their lives during the tour of duty.

The Council will hold a small reception for representatives of The Royal Welsh at the Guildhall and Yale College Principal Jasbir Dhesi has kindly agreed to hold a reception for the remaining members of the Battalion.

Yale College have also agreed to stop lessons for the march to allow the College’s 3,000 students to line the route in the front of the College.

The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Ian Roberts, said “Whilst we are all grateful for the Battalion’s safe return to their friends and families we must not forget the families of the two soldiers who did not return and our thoughts will be with them during the Parade. Wrexham has long and well respected links with the Royal Welsh and we will once again be proud to stand and welcome them to the streets of Wrexham. I know many people will go to great lengths to attend and we are particularly thankful to Yale College who are showing tremendous support for the Battalion.”

(Image from our Rememberance Day article – read more here)