Page 7 - Journal Compilation

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS 9 Amalgamation Preparation and Parade
On Saturday 2nd May 2015, over 400 Of cers and Soldiers marched through the streets of Richmond and into the heart of Richmond Castle to conduct the nal parade of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) and The Queens’ Royal Lanc- ers. Resplendent in ‘blues’, uni ed by lance and pennon and led by mounted of cers and soldiers in the uniforms of our forbear regiments, the Lancers, accompanied by the band of the Royal Armoured Corps paraded in front of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of York to mark the birth of a new regiment. As well as royal visitors, an array of high-ranking military and civilian dignitaries from across the country and the rest of the world attended along with over 2,800 members of the wider regimental family. In addition to the amalgamation, the day also saw a y-past conducted by 100 Squadron the Royal Air Force, beating of the retreat and mounted displays, all in ad- dition to the regimental stands that are part and parcel of such an event. The day culminated in a spectacular reworks display and festivities well into the night. It was one of the most impres- sive days I have seen in my military career.
I assumed the position of Projects Of cer in Jan 2014, joining WO2 Gavin Laver and Captain Ed Stewart-Lockhart and was immediately given riding instructions by two Commanding Of- cers. First task; nd a venue. We considered a wide range of options for parade locations includ- ing Chatsworth House, a football stadium, Belvoir Castle, and Horse Guards in London. The Joint Amalgamation Commit- tee agreed that The Royal Lancers’ amalgamation parade would take place at Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire on Sat- urday 2nd May 2015 and
would ful l the the four ‘Ps’: Parade, Pageant, Party and most importantly, People: the serving regiment and the extended reg- imental family. We then had to create the format for a memora- ble event, tting for the occasion and maximising the ‘wow’ fac- tor through the use of the latest multimedia technology. This, combined with the prestigious location would be key to making an impressive statement and achieving the maxim impact pos- sible. The aim throughout was to set the highest standards im- aginable, honouring our predecessors and setting a benchmark of excellence for the future Regiment.
This initial estimate was only the beginning of the process. The planning team were now absorbed by the task of contingency planning for the spectrum of problems that could arise when planning a bespoke military event with over 3500 people all in a complex mediaeval English Heritage site. One of the major headaches was to provide covered grandstand seating for over three thousand people: a challenging project on its own because of a steep slope, limited access and English Heritage restrictions.
The solution arrived in eleven 40ft HGVs delivering concrete ballast to prepare the site. This was but one of many issues to deal with as we moved closer to the parade. I will spare you a list of problems heroically overcome by the planning team but will stress that the parade involved multiple national level agencies; the Royal Household, civil police, military support agencies, as well as a myriad of contractors – along with lashings and lashings of military and civilian
health and safety policy.
The planning team grew with the ad- dition of Lt Giles Moon and Sgt Fos- ter; both gratefully received as, in addition to planning the Parade, the team was also tasked to plan, design and procure the new Royal Lancer branded items. The list included the Regimental Badge, “Motto” in multiple guises, collar dogs, shoul-