Penarth News
Squadron to be honoured with Freedom of Penarth
12:20pm Friday 3rd February 2012
ON Saturday, March 17, Penarth Town Council will be honouring 580 (Glamorgan) Transport Squadron Royal Logistic Corps (Volunteers) with the freedom of Penarth.
The town and the Territorial Army (TA) have a long association that was first recognised on March 7, 1966 when 532 Squadron Royal Corp of Transport marched through the town to receive a scroll of adoption from the then Chairman of Penarth Urban District Council, Councillor John Kreiger JP.
In 1967 the Territorial Army was reorganised and 532 Squadron was reformed as D Troop 223 Squadron.
On March 21, 1987 a service and commemoration of the 21st anniversary of the adoption of the TA by the town was held at Trinity Methodist Church, and the service was preceded by a parade by D Troop from Lower Glebe Street.
As part of the service two identical scrolls commemorating the anniversary were exchanged, and the town’s scroll can be seen in the Council Chamber at West House.
In April 1993 D Troop was disbanded and 580 Transport Squadron was formed. The Squadron can be proud of its achievements - it has deployed its personnel on operations with the UN and NATO in the Balkans, Iraq and more recently Afghanistan and Cyprus.
In recent years legislation has been introduced that now permits a town council to confer the honour of freedom of the town, and the Town Council has decided to reaffirm the association in this way.
On the morning of Saturday, March 17, 580 Squadron will march from Lower Glebe Street to All Saints Church, Victoria Square, where a service of commemoration will be held. During the service new scrolls will be exchanged.
The parade will consist of approximately 80 service personnel who will assemble in Lower Glebe Street ready to march off at 11am. The parade will then pass along Windsor Road (to the town centre roundabout), Stanwell Road, Victoria Avenue to All Saints Church.
After the service the troops will march with band playing, bayonets fixed and colours flying, back along Victoria Avenue, Stanwell Road, and Victoria Road, where the Parade will fall out.
Lower Glebe Street will be closed to traffic that morning between 7am and 11.30am, at the latest, to allow the parade to assemble.
Both the Town Council and 580 Squadron would like to appeal to residents and visitors of the town to show their support by turning out to view the parade and to give 580 Squadron a very warm Penarth welcome.
Town Mayor, Cllr Anthony Ernest said: "This is a historic first for Penarth, as we have never previously been able to award Freedom of the Town to an individual or organisation.
"I am delighted that we have decided to confer this singular honour on 580 Squadron, who are the successors to several Army units that have made Penarth their base since before World War II.
"We are proud to welcome 580 as honorary citizens of our town."
The Commanding Officer of the Welsh Transport Regiment RLC(V), Lieutenant Colonel Dave Allen MBE, said: "The historic links between the Army and Penarth go back centuries, and for 580 Squadron it is an almost 50-year association with many soldiers from the town having joined the Squadron, or its predecessor 532 Squadron, over the years.
"We are humbled and proud to mark the relationship with a Freedom Parade through the town centre.
"We cherish the support from the town to all our tasks, including operations, and it will be an honour to parade in front of the people of Penarth who support us so fervently.
"Units are seldom privileged to be given such an honour by their local town," he added.
"We look forward to marching proudly to thank the local families and community for the support of our servicemen and for the enduring care of veterans after their service".