Royal Anglian Regiment parade as Uppingham commemorates 80th anniversary of D-Day

An Army regiment marched through the streets and a D-Day veteran added his voice as a town marked the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on Thursday.

The Royal Anglian Regiment, based at Kendrew Barracks in Cottesmore, came to Uppingham to pay their respects to those who fought in the Normandy Campaign.

Uppingham’s Dennis Wright was among the second wave to land on the Normandy beaches on D-Day with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Dennis, 101, was too poorly to attend, but sent a personal message to be read out at the ceremony which his family attended on his behalf.

It was the first time the regiment had marched through the town since they were granted the Freedom of Entry into Uppingham in 2016.

“We gave them the Freedom of Entry back in 2016 to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, so the 80th anniversary of D-Day just seemed exactly the right time to ask them to come along and exercise that freedom,” said the High Sheriff of Rutland, Richard Cole, who served with the regiment in the Territorial Army.

“They have very much been our county regiment since they moved back from Germany to Kendrew.

“To have the opportunity to do this, given how many military families we now have in the county, and how many veteran retired families we have here, it just seemed the right thing to do to mark D-Day.”

They were greeted by good crowds around the town, including flag-waving children from local schools.

The soldiers paraded in Uppingham market place before marching along the high street and taking the salute from the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr Sarah Furness as they passed the town hall.

There, medals were presented in the council chamber for long service and to soldiers who took part in the King’s Coronation in London.

“We started the day with four bagpipers playing in the market place, including some of the tunes played when the commando brigade came onshore on D-Day, so it was a perfect reflection back to the day itself,” Richard added.

“From the town and county’s perspective, I think we marked the event in the right way.

“It was very moving and an honour and a privilege to be there.”