Staffordshire Regiment to march through city
Released: 12 June 2007
Soldiers from The First Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, are to exercise their Freedom by marching through Wolverhampton city centre tomorrow, Wednesday 13 June.
The parade will start at 12.30pm and will march through the city centre from Red Lion Street, Mitre Fold, North Street, Queen Square, Lichfield Street, Princes Square to Wulfruna Street.
The salute will be taken in Lichfield Street by the Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier Jim Tanner OBE and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Trudy Bowen.
Brigadier Tanner is a Gulf War veteran and has also completed two tours of duty in Iraq.
After the parade, Wolverhampton City Council will be hosting a reception for invited members of the Regiment in the Mayor’s Parlour, including Brigadier Tanner and the Commanding Officer First Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel T A Sandiford.
The Staffords have recently returned from a very difficult peace keeping tour in Basra, Iraq.
The city of Wolverhampton has been a Staffords’ stronghold for years. In the First World War, Wolverhampton raised three battalions and contributed manpower to many of the other battalions.
In the Second World War both the 6th South Staffords and 7th South Staffords were predominantly manned by soldiers from Wolverhampton and the surrounding Black Country towns.
Famous Staffordshire Regiment connections with Wolverhampton include:
Eric Butler, who served in the Chindits Campaign in Burma, where the 1st South Staffords fought the Japanese behind their lines – was part owner of M & B Breweries.
J. Beattie, who served in Normandy – was a member of the family who own Beatties Department Store.
C. E. Winridge who was Adjutant of the 1st/6th South Staffords and was wounded at Dunkirk – was a member of the family who owned Winridge Prams.
Colonel Leonard Vale – later wrote an excellent history of the South Staffordshire Regiment, copies of which are eagerly snapped up on the internet to this day.
Walter James who served throughout WW2 and was revered by veterans throughout his life – was a member of the family which owned the Wolverhampton Metal Company.
For more information on the Staffordshire Regiment or about the Freedom March on Wednesday, please contact Jim Massey, Regimental Secretary, on 01543 43392 or Major David Hamilton, Media Operations, Shrewsbury, on 01743 262252.
Issued by the press office.