Soldiers given freedom of Ludlow

Ludlow Town Council has decided to award the honour to mark the 325th anniversary of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, as the regiment was known then.

The regiment was raised by Lord Herbert at Ludlow Castle on March 16, 1689. It became the Royal Welsh Regiment in 2006, when the Fusiliers merged with the Royal Regiment of Wales.

Henry Chance, acting chairman of Ludlow Royal British Legion said: "This is an exciting and significant point in Ludlow's history and the day itself promises to be the biggest event in Ludlow's 2014 calendar, excluding the annual festivals.

"When a date for the ceremony is chosen the regiment intends to send as many as 120 uniformed soldiers to parade with full pomp through Ludlow with the regimental goat, band and banners."

As dictated by tradition, the parade will be led by a goat, sourced from the Queen's private herd of wild goats in north Wales, that has the honorary rank of Corporal and is the only serving "soldier" still to have a cigarette ration - said to be apparently good for its digestion.

Ludlow's Mayor, Cllr Jim Smithers said "As well as being the 325th anniversary of the raising of the Royal Welch, 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, so this is the perfect time to commemorate the gratitude of the people of Ludlow to the soldiers past and present who have served this country, not least the Royal Welsh Regiment and its predecessors."

The Royal Welch last marched through the town in 1997 at a special homecoming parade after service in Bosnia, though it has never been granted the Freedom of Ludlow.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Paul Draper said: "Ludlow's association with the Royal Welsh Regiment goes back centuries and it will be wonderful to welcome the regiment home to where it was in part founded so long ago.

"We in Ludlow are proud of our military connections and none more so than being the birthplace of such an illustrious regiment."