Page 5 - MERCIAN Eagle 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the past year and seen just how differently this year has been compared to the last.
The year was marked by the
sad news of the passing of our Commander in Chief Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her passing struck the hearts of the nation. She was our longest serving Commander-in-Chief and this country’s most dedicated servant. 1 MERCIAN had the honour and privilege of forming part of the street lining for the State Funeral as the cortege moved from London to Windsor Castle.
As the CGS Stated:
‘She was the Army’s mother
and commanded unique respect through her wisdom, compassion and unimpeachable example.’
The 1st and 2nd Battalions have
now merged to create a fully at-
strength 1 MERCIAN. While the
merger has meant that we have had to say goodbye to some members of the regimental family, each and every soldier will forever remain a Mercian no matter where they are serving now. We wish the soldiers who have moved onto other Regiments the very best with their future careers.
This year saw our Regiment’s focus drawn
toward UK engagement events compared
to last year’s overseas deployments. We
conducted six Freedom Parades throughout
our recruitment areas to mark both the merger
of the 2nd Battalion into the 1st, as well as to celebrate the newly formed 1st Battalion.
The public turned out in big numbers in Worcester, Derby, Nottingham, Tamworth, Chester, and Worksop to celebrate the achievements of the Regiment over the past 15 years. I have no doubt that we will continue to exercise the freedoms that have been granted to us in the years to come, as it’s important that we keep our links to our counties strong.
With the merger comes a new focus for engagement for the 1st Battalion. Each Company has now been formally assigned to one of our 5 recruitment counties. A Coy are now affiliated to Derbyshire, B Coy to Cheshire, C Coy to Nottinghamshire, Dragon Coy to Staffordshire, and HQ Coy to Worcestershire. Moving forward each company will be on- hand to support the engagement events within those areas. This will also include keeping close links to the museums within these areas.
This year also marked 15 years since the formation of
The Mercian Regiment in 2007, and in those 15 years our reputation has gone from strength to strength; becoming one of the most operationally deployed Infantry regiments in the
British Army. The Mercian Regiment name has forever been etched into the history books for the British Army.
The regiment has welcomed two royal visits in the second half of
the year. In July, Colonel in Chief (then HRH The Prince of Wales) visited the 2nd Battalion at Weeton Barracks prior to the merger where he presented Jubilee medals to four selected soldiers and promoted our regimental mascot, Derby XXXII, to Lance Corporal. In November the Cheshire Military Museum saw a visit from HRH The Duke of Gloucester, which marked 50 years since the creation of the museum at Chester Castle.
Engagement events have been a key focus for the Regiment this year, particularly following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The annual pilgrimage to the regimental memorial at Crich returned this year, which saw
record numbers in attendance. The event also marked the very last occasion that would see the Colour Parties of 1, 2 and 4 MERCIAN all in attendance. Next year’s pilgrimage will be just as special as we mark 100 years since the very first pilgrimage to the tower. I hope each and every one of you reading this will
be able to join us in marking this very special event.
Outside of engagement events our Battalions remained busy throughout the year. The 1st Battalion helped train Ukrainian
recruits in the UK following the commencement of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Following the completion of Ex IRON STORM, the Battalion took on the role of Lead Armoured Battlegroup and remains at High Readiness alongside supporting delivery of UK operations. A Coy were deployed on Ex TALLIN DAWN in Germany to act as the opposing force for The Royal Welsh Battlegroup for TASK FORCE HANNIBAL.
The 4th Battalion have deployed on a wide range of exercises this year, with some soldiers from the battalion mobilised on various operational deployments including Ops NEWECOMBE, FIRIC, SHADER, CABRIT, and UNITY.
The above activities will be covered in a greater detail
by the battalions as they tell the stories of events over this past year. This will be the last issue of The Mercian Eagle to contain content from the 2nd Battalion. I sincerely hope that you enjoy hearing from the perspective of the battalions as they talk about a year like no other. As I mentioned last year,
I remain immensely proud and grateful for the hard work and grit of all soldiers, and for the support they receive from family and friends.
Foreword
Lieutenant General Ian Cave CB Colonel of the Regiment
THE MERCIAN EAGLE 3