IT was a proud moment for soldiers of 21 Engineer Regiment this week as they received historic jubilee medals recognising their service to Queen and country.
Around 150 soldiers who have given a minimum of five years’ service to the military were presented their medals by the Mayor of Ripon Sid Hawke at a parade at the city’s Claro Barracks on Thursday.
It marked an historic moment as Queen Elizabeth’s reign is likely to be the longest of any UK monarch, making the medals a notable one-off and giving soldiers a rare chance to receive one.
Read more: Concerns grow as police search for teenage girl, 16, missing since Wednesday
And the 21 Regiment have certainly earned their recognition as they are currently the most deployed unit in the country, with personnel currently fulfilling UN peacekeeping responsibilities in Cyprus and on deployment in Poland among other locations.
Capt Eddie Thompson, who himself received a jubilee medal, said the Queen’s 70-years of service was ‘incredible’, and joked that she would have been awarded a lot of medals during that time if she was serving in the Army.
He added: “For some people this will be their first medal, and for others their 11th.
“There is unlikely to be another Platinum jubilee so it’s nice to be part of British history and wear a medal like this.”
Sapper John Trezise was among those to receive a medal for his nine-years’ service in the Army which included a five-month tour of the Falklands in 2015.
He said it was ‘a big thing’ to have received the medal because he missed out on an operations medal due to an injury before deployment.
Corporal Michael Charman, who has served in the Army for 16-and-a-half years, is adding the jubilee medal to his collection which includes recognition for a tour in Afghanistan in 2012 and for long service and good conduct.
He said: “I got the last jubilee medal as well and I like them because they show the times we live in and how long we have had the Queen as the boss.”
Cpl Charman said he was proud to be serving in the British Army and that his deployment to Afghanistan was something that ‘changed everything’ in his life.
He said: “It is something I was very pleased to have experienced, I learned a lot about myself and it’s something that’s very difficult to describe to someone who has not done it before.
“But those were seven months of my life that changed everything.”
For Captain Pete Donnelly, who worked his way up through the ranks after joining the Army at 16, the jubilee medal now brings his collection into double figures.
Reflecting on his 30-year’s service, Capt Donnelly said: “The best thing about the Army is the people and the friendships that you make over all those years.
“It’s really difficult to say what I’m the most proud of, but being presented with a meritorious service medal in the Queen's birthday honours is probably up there.”
Following the parade, Mayor Sid Hawke said the military was integral to Ripon and although the Claro Barracks is earmarked for closure in 2025, he said that he would continue to fight for its future in his role as councillor.
Read more: 4 Darlington people hauled before the courts for stealing meat from M&S and B&M
He said: “It was an absolute honour and pleasure to present the jubilee medals to these soldiers.
“The military means a lot to Ripon, we have always had close links with the Army right from the word go and it means such a lot; it would be a shame to lose them.”
A total of 500 soldiers of 21 Regiment received the jubilee medals, but many are currently on deployment so were unable to attend the medal parade at the barracks.
Major Daryl Murphy said the jubilee medals were an important way to recognise the soldiers' contribution to their country.
He said: "At this time the regiment is deployed in several locations and it is important that the part left on camp can celebrate the regiment with the parade."
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated North Yorkshire Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here