Final preparations for homecoming parade
FINAL preparations are being made for a huge homecoming parade for the city's Army commandos in Plymouth.
Hundreds of soldiers from the Royal Citadel's 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery are to begin returning home next week as 3 Commando Brigade hands over security duties in Afghanistan.
In a bid to celebrate the work of the regiment in the war-torn region, and to pay tribute to those who did not make it home, a homecoming parade, a memorial service and a medal service are to be held on Friday, April 17.
Up to 500 Army commandos are likely to be involved in the event, and thousands of people are expected to fill the streets to welcome them home.
Lt Col Neil Wilson, commanding 29 Commando Regiment, said the commando gunners were looking forward to the event.
"April will be a time of celebration, and we look forward to the kind reception the city of Plymouth has planned for us on the morning of Friday, April 17," Lt Col Wilson said.
"It's rare that we have the occasion to exercise the regiment's freedom of the city, and so to be invited to conduct our medals parade in the centre of Plymouth, seat of so much kind support throughout our deployment, is a privilege indeed.
"Just as the city can be proud of what its forces have achieved over the last six months, we are also very proud of the city's unswerving support for us."
Events on April 17 will begin early, with a dawn service for the regiment's attached Australian contingent.
At 9.30am the regiment will march from its Citadel base down to St Andrew's Church.
Here the soldiers, including 29 Cdo Regt, Territorial Army soldiers, troops from Germany and Australia and attached rocket and radar personnel, will attend a private service of remembrance. Bereaved families and injured personnel on day release are also likely to attend the event.
At 11.30am the soldiers will leave the church and form up in the Guildhall car park.
They will then march to the Piazza on Armada Way in the city centre where the Lord Mayor will present service medals for the Afghanistan deployment.
They will then march back towards St Andrew's Church where they will continue to march up Royal Parade, around the fountain and back down.
The march will continue along Princess Street, Notte Street and Hoe Approach.
The Herald will be publishing a special 16-page supplement commemorating the event on April 15, which will include a free Union flag for readers.
HELMAND HERALD: factfile
THE HERALD has just finished the fifth edition of the successful Helmand Herald.
All the copy and pictures included in the editions have been filed from city-based servicemen serving in Afghanistan.
The Helmand Herald has been sent to Afghanistan, as well as to the families of the deployed personnel, to keep them up to date with developments.
Major Paul Greene, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery's welfare officer, said: "The Helmand Herald has been simply out of this world.
"It has achieved exactly what we wanted, and that was to inform the hundreds of families what we were doing in Afghanistan.
"The whole project has worked out superbly and it has been the envy of a lot of units in Afghanistan."
Clare Jardine, deputy editor of The Herald, said: "It's been a pleasure to work with 29 Commando Regt to produce this special edition of The Herald.
"We're proud to be so closely involved with the unit."
It has been printed and published thanks to The Herald and its Derriford- based press.
PARKING: The arrangements
PLYMOUTH City Council's transport and highways department is making motorists aware that they will be prohibited from parking on numerous roads in Plymouth's city centre to allow the event to take place.
The no-parking zone is in force as a security measure.
Any vehicle found parking on any of the highlighted roads will be towed away.
The order will come into force at 12.01am on April 17 and continue in force until 2pm on that day.
Under the plans vehicles will be prohibited from driving on:
Royal Parade (eastbound and westbound carriageways) from its junction with Derrys Cross to its junction with St Andrew's Cross, and
St Andrew's Cross, for its entire length.
No vehicles will be allowed to wait at any time on either side of the following roads or lengths of road:
Hoe Road, from a point 70 metres west of its junction with Lambhay Hill, north-westwards to its junction with Hoe Approach
Hoe Approach, for its entire length
Notte Street, from its junction with Hoe Approach to its junction with Princess Street Ope
Princess Street Ope, for its entire length
Princess Street, from its junction with Catherine Street to its junction with Armada Way
Armada Way, from its junction with Princess Street to its junction with Guildhall Square
Catherine Street, for its entire length
St Andrew Street (northern section) for its entire length, and
Whimple Street, for its entire length.
69 Comments
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by Ivan Jellical, Heaven on Earth
Monday, March 30 2009, 5:53PM
“Will the parade be policed by Muslim W.P.C.'s in burkahs now it's illegal to photograph a police officer?”
by very proud 29 cdo regt wife, plymouth
Monday, March 30 2009, 10:22AM
“For all you who have posted negative comments about this homecoming parade, i think you should all be ASHAMED of yourselfs. I think it is about time Plymouth recognised the efforts of our Soldiers and this is will be a great way of doing it. To the comment about having to get a bus to work for 1 day. What a hardship!!!!”
by For the Troops, but Against the War., Plymouth
Monday, March 30 2009, 10:07AM
“When death rained from the skies over Plymouth, Coventry and London; America bleed this country white with arms repayments under the ¿Lend Lease¿ scheme, which America canceled on V.J. Day plunging this country into economic crises.
Why are British troops being put in harms way fighting Americas' war at the expense of U.K. taxpayers, many of whom are Muslims?
Will America fund treatment for the injured or compensate the bereaved to the same standard as THEIR troops?”
by Proud Forces Girlfriend,, Devon
Monday, March 30 2009, 8:29AM
“I am appalled and actually fuming at most of these comments, in fact I don't think those words quite convey how disgusted I am with the lack of enthusiasm and the general denegration and misunderstanding of this Homecoming Parade. A Homecoming Parade is to celebrate the very welcome safe return from war of our brave men and women. It is NOT a celebration of war. It is to say a 'thank you'for putting your lives on the line (and yes we know you get paid to do that) to fight mass terrorism, and to express our appreciation that most have arrived back safely. I am all for freedom of speech, but I can't believe that certain individuals are even discussing anti-war placards etc on this particular day. If you want to make a point, travel to London and stand outside Westminster. Leave the Homecoming Parade to those individuals who wish to support their brave Heroes.
And the thousands? Well, hopefully it will be the people of Plymouth and surrounding Devon, who will pull their fingers out, take an early lunch and give our boys and girls rousing cheers and the support they totally deserve, as well as friends and family.
I am absolutely fuming by some of the political diatribe expressed in these comments, fair enough you have opinions but go post somewhere else please!”
by Leeanne, Stonehouse
Sunday, March 29 2009, 8:18PM
“Its not foolish. Those people are terrorists and it seems that only we and the Americans seem prepared to do anything about them!”
by colin, mount gould
Sunday, March 29 2009, 6:33PM
“Barbara, how can we admire and respect what they do if we think that their activities are wrong counter-productive, possibly illegal and foolishly throwing away hundreds of young lives on both sides?”
by Barbara Kindon, Barbican
Sunday, March 29 2009, 5:35PM
“I shall be there on the day to show our brave troops my support. They are after all doing their duty and following orders. In my opinion this parade has nothing to do with whether or not we support the decision to fight terrorism in Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world. This parade is to give us the opportunity to show the men and women of our armed forces that we admire and respect what they are doing . Only history will tell if the move into Iraq and Afghanistan by foreign armies was, and is, the correct way to go about ridding the world of terrorism. God Bless all.”
by Richard, Mutley
Sunday, March 29 2009, 5:08PM
“Will the Herald's supplement of 15 April attempt to explain the logic, purpose and progress or not, of the involvement in Afghanistan?”
by Richard, Mutley
Sunday, March 29 2009, 5:05PM
“These guys need a welcome from their families friends and units but I would hesitate to have them mark through public streets where the feelings are partway between uninformed indifference and the down side of mixed. It might be optimistic to guess that a traditional garrison and naval city would lean instinctively towards demonstrable support. A lot of people don't want them to feel ignored but wouldn't want to show approval or endorsement of their activity in Afghanistan.”
by Nick, Camels Head
Sunday, March 29 2009, 2:11PM
“Perhaps we should ignore the issues and just treat it as an excuse for a ripping good party at public expense? Most Janners won't understand any of that stuff anyway.”