Yorkshire Regiment marks anniversary at D-Day ceremony

Soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment have helped run Covid test centres

The British army's only remaining "county regiment" is celebrating its 15th birthday.

The Yorkshire Regiment was formed in 2006 by merging three other Yorkshire-based regiments.

It is the only unit that recruits the majority of its soldiers from a single area.

The occasion was marked by the regimental band playing at the D-Day commemoration held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

In recent months, soldiers have helped with floods across the north of England and have run Covid test centres.

The regiment represented the Army at the funeral of Captain Sir Tom Moore, acting as coffin bearers and providing a guard of honour.

'Proud'

It also marked the changing over of its commanding officer with Brigadier Zac Stenning OBE becoming Colonel of the Regiment.

Brigadier Stenning said: "I am proud to be taking over as Colonel of The Regiment, a position that has become increasingly important, especially during a period of significant change across both the Army and also for the regiment that I have served with for the last 26 years."

The Yorkshire Regiment was formed by a merger of The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment and The Green Howards.

Its founding regiments have a history stretching back more than 300 years, including fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and being amongst the first troops to land on the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944.