17 June 2009

To support the first ever Armed Forces Day, Guildford Borough Council will join the public, schools, businesses and other councils and organisations throughout the UK in raising a special flag on Monday 22 June at the Guildhall.

The Mayor of Guildford, Cllr Pauline Searle, will join the Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Sarah Goad JP and the Council’s Chief Executive David Hill on the Guildhall balcony in Guildford High Street at 10.30am for the flag-raising to honour Britain’s Armed Forces - past present and future.  Also at the ceremony will be  local veterans, and cadets from the Royal Grammar School Combined Cadet Force.

The Mayor comments: “Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation for the contribution made by all those who serve, or have served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.  We have joined many others in giving our local community the opportunity to support this day by flying a specially commissioned Armed Forces Day flag.  The flag-raising ceremony will help raise awareness of the vital role that our Armed Forces have made, and continue to make, to our security and well-being”.

The specially designed flags, based on the Union Jack, will be raised together at 10.30am on 22 June in ceremonies across the country.  This marks the beginning of a week of events leading up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday 27 June.

Armed Forces Day flags will also be flown where British servicemen and women are serving overseas, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cyprus, Germany, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

On Wednesday 15 July at 12.15pm, following their return from Iraq, the First Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment will march through Guildford exercising their Freedom of the Borough.  This is one of a number of parades in towns with which the regiment has been historically associated. 

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