Army reservists granted freedom of Shrewsbury

The Royal Yeomanry paraded through Shrewsbury after being granted the freedom of the town

The Army's largest light cavalry reserve has been granted the freedom of Shrewsbury.

The Royal Yeomanry in Shropshire held a military parade filled with pomp and pageantry to mark the honour.

The regiment has recently been deployed on a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali and also supported the Army's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The commanding officer, Lt Col Charlie Field, said the regiment was "thrilled" to take part.

Lt Col Charlie Field said the parade was "really special" for the reservists

"Today means a great deal to the Royal Yeomanry," he said.

"We've been associated with the town of Shrewsbury and Shropshire for several hundred years so the opportunity to march through the town with our swords drawn, our bayonets fixed, our drums beating and our ceremonial flag flying is really special."

Some members of the Royal Yeomanry recently returned from a UN operation in Mali

In its recent deployment to Mali, the Army said the unit had acted as "the eyes and ears of the UN", patrolling hard-to-reach villages and engaging with the local population.

Working alongside its paired regiment, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, the Army said the reservists had helped the UN "better understand how it can help the people of Mali".

The reserve unit recruits mainly from Shrewsbury and Telford.

"It means a huge amount to our team," said Col Field.

"Our soldiers are drawn from the community, they are from around Shrewsbury, so being able to parade in front of friends, family and others means a huge amount.

"You can physically see our men and women growing with pride."