Yorkshire Regiment's freedom march through Wakefield

LEADER: Commanding officer of the 4th Battalion Lt Col Greg Murphy, left, with his predecessor Lt Col Mark Yates in April 2018.

Men and women from the 4th Battalion will exercise their freedom of the city, which they were granted in 2009, with ‘bayonets fixed, flags flying and band playing’.

Members will march from Smyth Street to Wakefield Cathedral and be led by the Second in Command of the Battalion, Major Paul Hindmarch.

Several of the army reserve soldiers have recently served with distinction in Afghanistan alongside their regular 2nd Battalion counterparts. The whole battalion will deploy to Lithuania in November.

Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Greg Murphy, said: “It’s a great privilege to be here in one of our important freedom towns, to put on a good show and to say thank you to the communities we serve.”

The 4th Battalion will also be on parade at Leeds Minster on July 22 to commemorate the centenary of the achievement of the famous Leeds Rifles at Bligny in World War One. They were also a reserve unit.