RAF 90th Anniversary Parade
It may have rained on their parade, but that didn't stop the Royal Air Force from marching through Uxbridge yesterday.
More that 70 personnel from RAF Uxbridge, which is to close in 2009, participated in the display.
Christmas shoppers lined up to watch the procession, which went without a hitch, depsite the dismal weather. Echoing throughout the high street were the melodious tones of the RAF central Band as they and the Queen's Colour Squadron paraded to the culminating salute, taken by Wing Commander Lindsay and the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Catherine Dann.
The heel-clickingly precise parade occurs not annually, but when the mayor invites the force to exercise the Freedom of the Boro. This year it also had the added ceremonial bonus of commemorating the 90th anniversary of RAF Uxbridge, established in 1917 as an armament school.
The Freedom of the Boro, granted in 1960, is decreed in the Freedom Scroll, carried yesterday by Flight Lieutenant Andi Reid. He said: "The parade went well. It's always nice to take part in ceremonial occasions, especially if it's for the public".
The last march took place in 2001. Prior to that, the parades occured in 1985 and 1980 to commemorate the 25th and 20th anniversary of the Freedom, respectively.
Cllr Dann said: "I was very pleased to participate in this ceremonial occasion when RAF Uxbridge exercised its right to march through the town centre".
The Queen's Colour Squadron recently returned from a tour of duty in Basra on Operation Telic, which lasted from November 2006 to April 2007.
The march through Uxbridge.
Apologies for the wonkiness.
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