HUNDREDS of people braved showery skies to celebrate Armed Forces Day in the Market Square on Sunday.

The centrepiece of the day was the presentation of the Freedom of Salisbury to The Royal Regiment of Artillery and a parade and march through the City by soldiers of 32 Regiment Royal Artillery (The Wessex Gunners) to exercise that Freedom.

Led by the band of The Royal Artillery, the soldiers marched onto Blue Boar Row in front of a saluting dais where they were inspected by the Mayor of Salisbury, Councillor Mr Andrew Roberts, who was accompanied by the Vice Lord Lieutenant, Lord Lansdowne and Commander 1st Artillery Brigade and Headquarters South West, Brigadier Jez Bennett.

The Mayor addressed the parade “This Freedom is an historic recognition of the fact that they protect us and do not threaten us, that freedom permits the Royal Artillery to march through the city with swords drawn, bayonets fixed and colours flying.”

“Two hundred years ago the Regiment faced Napoleons Army at Waterloo, 100 years ago they manned the massive guns on the Western Front at a cost of nearly 50,000 lives, the most of any British regiment. 75 years ago alongside women they manned the guns to defend the skies of Britain against aircraft and flying bombs and fought on every front in the war and last year, as the medal ribbons on many chests before me today attest, they ended their longest continuous campaign in Afghanistan.”

“Throughout their long history many of their soldiers have come from Salisbury and many more have made their homes amongst us both in service and in retirement and now Larkhill is the home of the Royal Artillery and is soon to be the site of their museum.”

In reply, Brigadier Bennett described the Freedom as “a hugely significant event for the Royal Artillery and we are delighted to receive the Freedom of this wonderful city that we now call our home town.”

“By 2020 we will see all Gunners based in the UK and to be given the Freedom of the City at this time is a significant honour and our connections to Salisbury go back a long time. Many famous Gunners have come from Salisbury in including the late Sir Edward Heath who served in World War Two.”

“Soon almost half of the officers and men of the Royal Artillery will be based on Salisbury Plain and I am sure that this will increase the interaction between the regiment and the city.”

Led off by the band, the parade then exercised their right to march with swords drawn and bayonets fixed through the city. The Pipes and Drums of 19 Regiment (The Scottish Gunners) led the parade of Royal British Legion Standards and there was a drive past of historic vehicles from the Garrison Artillery Volunteers.

Also on parade were members of Training Ship Salisbury and the Air Training Corps.

One young soldier on parade was Bombardier Jay Rhys, 22, who lives in Fugglestone Red with his partner Hester Ruddle. “It was a massive thing to be a part of this parade,” said Jay. “I am sure the whole regiment agrees with me. Salisbury is a fantastic place, the fact that you have got great things in the city and lot of places close by to visit, it has got everything that we need.”

After the parade the crowds climbed on a selection of every major piece of artillery and equipment from the Gunners that were parked on the Market Square and visited stalls and displays and listened to music on the stage.