A fanfare of trumpets from The Band of The Parachute Regiment is set to herald Armed Forces Day in Colchester at 10am on Monday, 20 June 2022.
Colchester Borough Council will join local authorities and community groups across the country by flying the Armed Forces Day flag in support of servicemen and women and for the wider Armed Forces community of families, veterans and cadets.
The raising of Armed Forces Day Flags across the country will herald a week of celebrations around the country culminating in a national event in Scarborough on Saturday, 25 June. Colchester will be raising its Armed Forces Day Flag alongside the Pegasus flag of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from the Town Hall.
The Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Tim Young, will lead the ceremony, accompanied by the Commander of Colchester Garrison Lieutenant Colonel Ed Rankin, Garrison Sergeant Major WO1 Andy Lamont, and members of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.
Other attendees include Nicholas Charrington DL and representatives from Essex Police. The public is also invited to attend the event, which takes place on the steps of the Town Hall.
The Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Tim Young, said: “The raising of the Armed Forces Day flag gives us the opportunity to thank the military community, who have devoted their lives to protecting our nation.
"This year's Armed Forces Day event is particularly poignant as it coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, which involved men of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions now based in Merville Barracks.
“We owe our serving military personnel, particularly the British Army’s airborne forces based here in Colchester, and veterans everywhere, a huge debt of gratitude. Their commitment and sacrifice, at home and abroad, continues to help ensure our liberty and security.”
Lieutenant Colonel Ed Rankin, Commander of Colchester Garrison, said: Armed Forces Day is a chance for the nation to thank the military community, which encompasses serving troops, both regular and reserve, their families, veterans and cadets. Colchester Garrison is hugely proud of the close and longstanding bond that exists between the military and civilian communities in Colchester – a relationship that other garrisons may envy.
“The raising of the Armed Forces Day flag and the Pegasus flag on Colchester Town Hall is a strong symbol of our mutually-supportive relationship.”
As part of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, the council is inviting Armed Forces personnel living in the borough to register their name and address so they can be kept informed about events and issues regarding the covenant, council help available and anything else that may be of interest.
Armed Forces Day will be marked in Colchester with the free 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and Colchester Garrison Show, taking place on Abbey Field on Saturday, 25 June. Building up to the dramatic finale of a combat demonstration, the event will showcase the skills and equipment of the town’s 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the British Army’s global response force.
For more information about Armed Forces Day, visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk
Page last reviewed: 15 June 2022