Newsletter Title “A full report containing details of the Salamanca awards will be published in the 2009 edition of the RGJR Association Journal, Swift and Bold due out in February 2010”.
Prince Philip, Lt Gen Sir N Parker and Lt Col J PooleWarren. Photograph By Maj. J Pearson, Rifle RHQ.
The Rifles` Salamanca Day Awards Dinner 22 Jul 2009 The Rifles` Salamanca Day Awards Dinner was held in the TA Centre of F Company 7 RIFLES at Davies Street, London W1, on 22 July 2009. Two hundred people attended, who ranged from Rifleman to Field Marshal, representing the 4 Pillars of the Regiment (Regulars, TA, Cadets and our forming Regiments’ Associations). We were honoured by the presence of our Colonel-inChief, HRH Field Marshal The Duke of Edinburgh and six of our seven Royal Colonels of our Regular and TA Battalions. The evening concluded with the presentation of Regimental Awards for both 2008 and 2009.
On arrival the Royal Colonels were all greeted by a Bugle Guard and Fanfare under command of Colour Serjeant (Bugle Major) Steven Sullivan. The bugle echoes could be heard up most of Oxford Street and all the way down to Berkley Square creating a certain amount of interest and enquiries from the envious passing public. Unusually positive comments were heard from passing London Cabbies, one of whom actually got out of his taxi to applaud. At the conclusion of dinner the Colonel Commandant, Lieutenant General Sir Nick Parker, gave an update on the Regiment since formation in 2007. The commanding
officers of 1, 5 and 6 Rifles then presented the Operational Perspective of the Regiment from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and finished with an overview of the Rifles TA contribution to operations. The presentation of the Regimental Awards to individuals followed. A full report containing details of the Salamanca awards will be published in the 2009 edition of the RGJR Association Journal, Swift and Bold due out in February 2010.
The City of London Corporation Honours The Rifles 23 Jul 2009 th
On the occasion of the 150 Anniversary of the London Rifle Brigade
Band and Bugles of The Rifles Sounding Retreat as the rain falls in the Guild Hall yard. Photograph by Peter Holland Photographic Services.
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The gold crested, gold edged and copper plate engraved invitations from the City of London Corporation “requested the honour of the company” of some 450 London based Riflemen both regular and TA, ACF and CCF seniors, London area members of our forming and antecedent regiments’ associations including City Livery Companies with Rifles connections, TA employers, family members of Riflemen on operations, friends of The Rifles and a 70 strong contingent of veterans of The London Rifle Brigade to “an Early Evening Reception followed by a Sounding Retreat by the massed Bands and Bugles of The Rifles to coincide
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with the 150 Anniversary of the founding of the London Volunteer Rifle Brigade, rd Guildhall Thursday, 23 July 2009”. The magnificence of the Guildhall, the generosity of the champagne reception, the excellence of the food and the truly warm welcome of the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Aldermen, Sheriff, Chief Commoner and Officers of the City of London Corporation was a true testament to the support the City give to the Services and The Rifles in particular who are a “privileged” Regiment of The City of London. This th “privilege” the 150 anniversary of which coincided with the reception which originally was granted to the London Rifle Brigade in 1859 and carried forward
to The Rifles by the Royal Green Jackets and their various London antecedents. Even the torrential downpour which required Bugle Major Steve Flavin to take a command decision at the “double” and in front of at least two Field Marshals, to foreshorten a truly spectacular Sounding Retreat in Guildhall Yard by the combined bands of The Rifles from Winchester and the Salamanca Band of the Rifles from Exeter and Buglers from all seven battalions, could not dampen the spirit of camaraderie of all those present. Full details of the Dinner with additional photographs will be published in the next issue of the Association Journal, Swift and Bold in late February 2010.
