Marlborough’s mayor, Marian Hannaford-Dobson, paid a moving tribute to the families of military personnel when she awarded medals to serving soldiers at a low-key ceremony this morning (Tuesday).
The mayor told a small audience of colleagues and family members of medal recipients: “I come from a military family, and I know how difficult it is when the father is not there.
“You lead these difficult lives to allow these people to do the wonderful jobs they do for us.”
The low-key ceremony – in the court room of Marlborough Town Hall – was held to present Afghanistan campaign medals to those soldiers from the Bulford-based 4 Military Intelligence Battalion who had missed November’s high-profile parade through the town.
The presentations were made before lieutenant colonel James Brown, commanding officer of 4MI.
Five Operational Service Medals for Afghanistan, four medals for Long Service and Good Conduct, and a commendation were presented by the mayor to nine soldiers – seven men and two women.
Regimental sergeant major James Gardiner explained that the nine had missed the opportunity to take part in last year’s parade because they were serving in Helmand Province, or on exercise abroad.
But these nine were not the last – 4MI still has a small battle group attached to the 20th Armoured Brigade in the region, supporting the withdrawal of troops that is expected to be completed by December this year.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of 4MI – the first army unit since 1204 to have been awarded Freedom of Entry to Marlborough – are involved in exercises across the globe.
“We are preparing for a post-Afghanistan world,” said RSM Gardiner.
Some are on exercise in Kenya, learning to operate in hot, dry conditions, while others are in the Canadian wilderness, where 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 tanks hone their skills in a sparsely-populated area seven times the size of Salisbury Plain.
Others have been deployed to Poland, as part of a 1,350-strong battle group sent to Eastern Europe amid rising tensions with Russia over Ukraine.
Lieutenant colonel Brown and his men (and women) are expected back in Marlborough on October 27, when the Duke of Kent will be unveiling a plaque at the War Memorial in New Road to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
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