Together we marched into History…

Cpl Mark Jenkinson

Saturday 6 May, King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in an event that made history and almost a thousand serving members of the Royal Air Force, from across the Service, played a significant role in that occasion.

I am immensely proud to have been selected as one of those representing the RAF on the Coronation parade, as was every person there I spoke with and we were all acutely aware that there were many thousands of other service personnel not present who would have taken our place in a heartbeat. As we marched up The Mall on that day ahead of the Royal coach, however, it was the culmination of 10 days of preparation that had been anything but a walk in the park.

There were 19 of us from RAF Benson, chosen to be part of the RAF ‘marching contingent’ and we duly reported to RAF Halton at 09:00 on Thursday 27 April as instructed. The recruits who are usually resident at the camp had all been sent home for the duration in order to free up the accommodation for us and the initial arrivals procedure was slick and well organised. We were quickly and efficiently processed through the required document checks, supplemental kit issue of white belt, bayonet scabbard, white gloves, belt brasses (which is why we were told to pack Brasso) and within an hour we had dropped personal bags in our respective bed space and were sitting in the briefing room for the Reception, Staging, Onward Movement & Integration (RSOI). It was here that we were to discover the magnitude of what we were to be a part of, 6000 persons from the RAF, Army and Navy, collectively the largest single mustering and deployment of the armed forces in the UK for 40 years, all to be seamlessly co-ordinated into a single, magnificent parade.

Every element of the ceremony had been planned down to the last detail, routes, schedules, assembly points, transport, security, support services, there was a lot of information to assimilate. The biggest surprise however, was that our first full rehearsal of the parade was to be at RAF Odiham (chosen because the runway is apparently the same length as The Mall) in just two days’ time! Not only that, but the marching contingents from the other services had already been practicing for the last few weeks so we had a lot of catching up to do.

The hard work really started the following day. We paraded at 07:30 in front of the Tornado and formed up into five different contingents, RAF regulars, Reserves, RAF Regiment, RAF Halton and RAF Cranwell Officer Cadets. There were also the Colour Parties who had their own drills to master and we would all be joined by the RAF Band the following day. Each contingent was assigned two Drill Instructors (DI) who would be responsible for bringing us up to the required standard, a task that these dedicated volunteers quickly realised would need a lot more work than simply adding a bit of polish, given that many of those mustered on the parade square that morning were less than fully proficient in either foot or weapons drill.

What was lacking in initial skills however, was more than made up for in the enthusiasm and determination of every individual. It was a privilege to be part of this event and we all intended to be on parade for the King when the day arrived. Our DI started us with the basics and then quickly moved on to the parade routines, which we would be practicing again and again during the days ahead until we could do it in our sleep.

The limitation of the available estate meant that marching practice needed a little imagination. For those who remember their time at Halton, fondly or otherwise, you may recall there are two sites, Henderson at the top of the hill and Maitland at the bottom of it. There is a long and winding road between the two and, for our purposes, this would represent The Mall and like the ‘Grand old Duke of York’, we marched up and down the hill many, many times practicing our ‘change arms’ as we went. There were other aspects to learn and practice, including merging 12 ranks into 6 on the move and then dressing off, so that we could march through the gates of Buckingham palace without hitting the gate posts!

Marching in No.2 shoes is not the most comfortable experience, even for relatively short periods and it would be fair to say that there were a good many sore feet by the time we arrived at Odiham on the Sunday for our first full rehearsal. We did two full practices of the parade that day and the RAF more than held our own against the other services, despite their extra practice time. A mention must go to the support teams at RAF Odiham, who had everything organised and ensured that we were well fed and watered during our visit.

Despite our credible performance at Odiham and a pat on the back from our Wing Commander, there was still a lot of work for us to do in polishing up our act. Back to Halton then and another two and half days of marching and drill practice before a full dress rehearsal in London on the Wednesday night.

This would be our only opportunity to fully experience how the operation would be on the actual day so it really was an important element in the run-up process. Everything was to take place to the planned parade schedule, only at night, right down to the specially chartered troop trains that had been laid on to bring all the military personnel into London. As we waited at Tring station that evening, I wondered with some amusement, what the regular commuters returning home must be thinking as they stepped onto the platform from their train, to be met by hundreds of uniformed RAF personnel, all carrying weapons!

If New York is the city that never sleeps, then London must be a close second and even in the early hours, the streets were lined with onlookers, many of whom clapped and cheered as we marched by. Some of these were already camping out at the roadside in order to secure their place for the parade four days later, there’s dedication. After the successful dress rehearsal, it was back to Halton for the final polish then, before we knew it, Saturday morning was upon us. Breakfast at 03:00, collect weapons from the armoury and then onto the waiting coaches for travel to Tring and our trains to Waterloo. On arrival in London, we formed up outside the station and waited. As the order, “Quick March” was called by the Parade commander, the loud beat of the bass drum echoed along the streets and our feet hit the ground in perfect time with its percussion, left, right, left, right, left...

The band struck up the first march and we were on our way to Westminster. it was just 08:30 but the streets were already full with eager spectators enjoying the morning sunshine and as we, the RAF contingent of almost 800 strong, stepped onto Westminster Bridge the Colours were unfurled and they billowed in the breeze as we crossed. For just a moment, I wanted to be standing at the roadside so that I could see this amazing spectacle for myself and I was filled with such an immense sense of pride in my Service, my comrades and my country. The band played the Battle of Britain march which, it seemed, stirred the watching crowds to cheer even more loudly and I felt myself stand taller and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

At midday, having spent an hour or two in relative comfort at our rest area, we were formed up again, this time in Trafalgar Square where we waited for the coronation service to be concluded and the Royal coach with the newly crowned King and Queen to make its way from the Abbey to join the procession. Sadly, the morning sun we had enjoyed just a few hours earlier had since given way to heavy rain and our uniforms were sodden as we stood there but our spirits were not dampened.

As the hour approached, the orders came and once again we stepped off to the accompaniment of the RAF Band, making our way proudly along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, escorting our King to his London residence where we he would shortly stand before us to take the Royal salute in the relative privacy of the Palace gardens.

For most of us taking part, this day was undoubtedly a once in a lifetime experience and the sore feet, blisters, late nights and even earlier mornings were a very small price for the privilege of being there and I suspect, now long forgotten. The memories of that day, and those spent getting ready for it, the old acquaintances we renewed and the new friends we made will all live long. For me, I shall always remember that feeling of bursting with pride as we marched up The Mall on that Saturday morning. It was after all, the day our King rode into the history books and we marched there with him.