Fusiliers Celebrate 50th Anniversary With Parade Through Warwick

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers have exercised their Freedom of the town of Warwick.

More than 300 serving and retired personnel paraded through the town as they marked the 50th anniversary of the formation of the regiment.

The Fusiliers were formed from an amalgamation of four regiments, including the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, and the current regiment has always maintained its historic links with the county town.

“It’s a big deal,” said Colonel Peter Stitt.

“It demonstrates how close the connection is between those that serve and the town that effectively provides for them whilst they are serving.

"We’re really very proud… Of the strength of our relationship with Warwick.”

The regiment is taking part in a series of events to mark the significant milestone and the parade was followed by a church service and a reception.

“Since 1968 hardly a year has gone by when the regiment wasn’t deployed somewhere,” Major General Paul Nanson told Forces News.

“Whether that be Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Balkans, Afghanistan or Iraq. So it’s been quite a full on busy 50 years.

"But the last couple of years, the pace hasn’t dropped off at all, despite the fact that we’re not in the public eye so much since the end of Afghanistan.”

Local cadets also took part in the parade and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Gale, Deputy Commandant of the Warwickshire Army Cadet Force, said those taking part feel a strong connection to the Fusiliers:

“They [the cadets] think it’s great. They really do associate themselves [with the Fusiliers], they’re not soldiers but they wear the same uniform and they do feel a part of the regiment.”