Royal visit to town barracks
HRH The Princess Royal made a special visit to Nuneaton’s Bramcote Barracks to help mark a special milestone.
The Princess Royal, who is Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Corps of Signals, helped to commemorate the 71st anniversary of The Queen’s Gurkha Signals.
During the visit, The Princess Royal presented operational medals to soldiers and met their families.
It was a proud moment for the barracks according to Lieutenant Colonel Hannah Stoy, the Commanding Officer of 30 Signal Regiment.
“We are honoured that the Princess Royal has visited,” Lt Colonel Stoy said.
“It has been a wonderful opportunity to showcase our fantastic soldiers who are at the heart of everything we do.
“Our Regiment remains committed to operations across the globe and has done so throughout the pandemic.”
During the visit on Friday (September 18) The Princess Royal took the salute for The Queen’s Gurkha Signals (QGS) birthday parade and cut a birthday cake.
The birthday parade included a kukri knife dance performed by QGS soldiers and music from The Brigade of Gurkhas Band.
Nuneaton and Bedworth has a proud association with the armed forces. Many exGurkhas have chosen to make Nuneaton their home, becoming a welcome addition to communities across the borough.
Nuneaton and Bedworth branch of the British Gurkha Veterans Association (BGVA) UK created a unique Gurkha monument, which stands proudly on the edge of Riversley Park.
Now they want to add to it - with a memorial wall, memorial benches and a memorial statue.
Only last year, history was made in Nuneaton town centre when the cherished army regiment exercised its Freedom of the Borough - for potentially the last time ever.
It was a bittersweet moment when the 30 Signal Regiment marched through the town centre on July 25 as they are due to relocate from their current Bramcote Barracks home. Under a Ministry of Defence (MOD) shake-up, the regiment and Queens Gurkha Signals are due to move by 2023, severing a proud link with the borough.
But the link between the two and the borough is set to remain forever. Just four regiments have been given the Freedom of the Borough, the 30 Signal Regiment, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the Queen’s Gurkha Signals and the Junior Leader regiment.