A day of tributes to the dedication of all members of Britain’s Armed Forces will take place in Redcar on Saturday 25 June.
The 2016 Armed Forces Day event will see all three branches of the military come together on Redcar High Street with a Welcome Address at 10.45am given by the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Cllr Barry Hunt, and the Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr David Kerfoot MBE DL, marking the start of a day of events and remembrance.
Events include a Service of Remembrance led by Reverend Rachel Harrison as well as a Drill Competition which will pit the Cadet Forces of the Army, Air, and Sea against each other with the day ended at 2.55pm by a flyover by a Lancaster bomber and an evening colours event.
Led by the Redcar branch of the Royal British Legion, with support from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Redcar Rotary Club, a number of current and former forces personnel will be on hand to make sure the sacrifices many servicemen and women made for their country are not forgotten.
To mark the start of the week leading up to Armed Forces Day, there will be an Armed Forces Flag raising at 10.30am on Monday 20 June at Redcar’s Garden of Remembrance on Coatham Road.
The event will see the Mayor raise the flag alongside the President of the Redcar Branch of the Royal British Legion. Also at the event will be Standard Bearers, Veterans, Soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment and local school children.
Mayor Hunt said: “Armed Forces Day is an excellent occasion for everyone in Redcar and Cleveland to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by men and women across the borough who put their lives on the line to keep our country safe.
“Their dedication, from the battlefields of France in World War Two, to the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq more recently, will never be forgotten.”
The event has been mainly organised by Eric Howden BEM and the Redcar branch of the Royal British legion. Eric Howden BEM, who was awarded the British Empire Medal in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours List, is the Chair of the Redcar branch and he said: “This is a very special time for all our local ex-service personnel and cadet forces who can show the work they do, also our local reserve units. It is a time when we can all come together and put on a nice show for the community. We are also joined on this day by local charities, which gives everyone a chance to raise funds and enjoy a day together. A real team effort.”