News

Town prepares for celebration of army

By Pete Castle
September 16, 2011

ALDERSHOT town centre will reverberate to the sound of boots and bands tomorrow (Saturday) as one of the garrison’s longest-serving corps celebrates its new royal title.

The Royal Army Physical Training Corps will make use of its Freedom of the Borough to parade through Aldershot town centre to mark its promotion by Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by the sound of an army marching band.

Aldershot town centre managers are now asking the people from the civilian half of the town to come out and show their support for their military neighbours by cheering on the soldiers whose headquarters is at Fox Lines, Aldershot.

The parade will begin at noon as 250 members of the corps will march through the town, including retired personnel, led by the Band of the Royal Logistic Corps.

After stepping off from the top of Hospital Hill, beside the Aldershot Centre for Health, the parade will march down the hill before forming up in front of the Princes Hall.

There, at around 12.05pm, the soldiers will be inspected by the corps’ Colonel Commandant, General Sir Jeremy MacKenzie, accompanied by the corps Commandant, Brigadier B J Bathurst OBE, before the Mayor of Rushmoor, Cllr Alex Crawford, presents the Freedom of the Borough of Rushmoor scroll to Sir Jeremy.

At 12.20pm the band will strike up once again and the parade will march off through the streets of Aldershot.

Lieutenant Colonel Billings, the Senior Master at Arms, said the announcement was a ‘tremendous honour’ which recognised not only the dedication of today’s members of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, but also the corps’ predecessors the Army Gymnastic Staff, Army Physical Training Staff, and the Army Physical Training Corps.

“The professionalism, dedication to duty and strong leadership in the areas of physical training, adventurous training, sport and rehabilitation, has ensured that the army has remained ‘fit to fight’ during the many conflicts and operational deployments the corps has been part of,” he said.

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It was great to see our British Soldiers, we should see more of this after all we are suppose to be the Home of the British Army.

Aldershot Born
23/09/2011 at 11:15

Yes it was a surprise that with the princess gardens a popular area each day for the nepalese community that there seemed all most no nepalese watching the march Saturday. I would have thought they would have joined everyone to watch.

Amanda 2011
21/09/2011 at 17:29

It was indeed an excellent turn out by some residents of Aldershot.

Delighted that RAPTC have now the freedom of the borough - though what that means in practice I know not.

Given the many residents who have recently arrived in the town and claim military connections, it was dissapointing to see so few in the crowd other than outside their offices in Grosvenor Road where a few had gathered.

We were about thirty yards from the steps Princes Hall but could not hear the speeches at all. A poor show by the organisers in skimping on the quality of the public address system.

Retired of Aldershot, Aldershot
20/09/2011 at 09:59

Very good turn out, got some cracking images.

nobody, Aldershot Hampshire
18/09/2011 at 12:25

Nice to see the military activity in the town again. Shame the march did not go up high street like the VIctoria day route. There was support on the high Street waiting to see them march up but can only guess when they reached the bottom of town that they went up hospital hill?. Hope they enjoyed the day and that next time the route will include all the town centre.