Old soldiers meet new as 222 Signals Regiment takes up palace guard duties
Royal Signal veterans, now Chelsea Pensioners, had the best view of the historic moment a Royal Signals unit took up duties at Buckingham Palace.
For the first time in its history, 222 Signal Squadron has stepped away from its usual Nato communications role to take up ceremonial duties of guarding the Royal palaces in London.
To mark the moment, nine Chelsea Pensioners, former Royal Signals themselves, watched the "emotional" moment.
"As far as the moment is concerned, it was emotional and a sense of pride," said Chelsea Pensioner Brian Rolfe.
"It made me wish it had been something I had the opportunity to do when I was serving. We didn't get the chance, so being there to experience it was something I'll never forget.
"The Signallers on the guard mount will have that memory until the day they die, something very few except for the Household Division are ever trusted to do."
He added: "Being on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt watching the soldiers of today's Royal Signals mounting the King's Guard was a visible demonstration of the unbreakable bond that there is between the Regular, Reserve and retired soldiers in the Royal Corps of Signals family. "
The 120-strong 222 Signal Squadron will conduct the ceremonial work for the next 12 weeks, guarding the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, St James's Palace and Buckingham Palace – the King's official residence.
The prestigious honour does not come without some challenges for the soldiers.
Talking to BFBS Forces News after their Fit for Role inspection, 222 Signal Squadron Troop Commander Lieutenant Cordelia Lampard said: "You're sort of in the forefront of the public eye, the Changing of The Guard is a big tourism attraction.
"So every time we step off, every time we are in this kit, I mean, even today we saw at Wellington Barracks, the people sort of swarm towards us when they saw the band and they saw us there.
"Everything we do is being watched, so if you make mistakes it will be online, or when we don't make mistakes we are still going to be all over, so it's just quite a lot of attention on you all the time, it's pretty bizarre."
However, Lt Lampard was quick to praise the 222 Signal Squadron, which primarily works in communications and technical elements.
"For the soldiers, this is the other end of the spectrum," she said.
"Some of them have taken to it like a duck to water, others have found it more challenging, but it's challenged everyone in different ways.
"It's been outside of the norm, which is why people join the Army. It's not your day-to-day, something very different."
She added: "It has been a big challenge for the soldiers but all of them have taken it in their stride and have all done incredibly well."
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