Monday 10 June 2013
1st Battalion Mercian Regiment awarded the Freedom of Tameside
The Mercians took to the streets of Stalybridge this morning, marching through the town and into Dukinfield to receive the honour.
A big thank you to Roy West from Dukinfield for filming and sharing this footage with us.
It's a Long Way to Tipperary couldn't be more appropriate for this location as it was of course in Stalybridge where Jack Judge famously penned this classic in 1912 reportedly for a five shilling bet.
Listening to the music and watching the troops marching brings tears to my eyes as I think 1914-18 generation who marched off to the slaughter of the Great War while singing that song and then I think of our current troops who are still dying as they are sent to fight in foreign wars by an uncaring political class who treat them as heroes while they are fighting and dying and then abandon them once they are no longer useful.
Three cheers for the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment - the best of British. Hip hip hooray hip hip hooray hip hip hooray
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2 comments:
Well put TC. Well put.
The Mercians were formed from a number of regiments including The Cheshire Regiment. (The old 22nd of Foot).
In 1842 the 22nd served under General Charles James Napier in the conquest of Sindh / Scinde in what is now Pakistan. Napier is said to have disapproved of the conquest and, when he had done so, sent the message "Peccavi" to his masters.
Peccavi, Latin for "I have Sinned" a pun on the name of the province and Napier's views on the war. One looks in vain for such wit and wisdom today!
I've dabbled with the idea of listing in the past, and though I had designs on joining the RAC (Royal Armoured Corps) as a Tankie, during the course of my abandoned application I did spend three days on a taster visit to the Mercians at Catterick with 1 Mercian (i.e the Cheshires) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The men and officers I met were sterling, as were most of the lads who were visiting. I have good faith in England's young man as my article The Thin Red line on EnglandReborn.wordpress.com spelled out.
I would love to see our old regiments restored, the Manchesters, the Cheshires, the Kings, The Lancashire Fusiliers etc.
Of course this would require an expanded army and an expanded army would be a threat to EU tyranny so it won't happen until we have overthrown the EU.
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