1 YORKS welcomed back their old boys and their wives with a reunion weekend held at Oxford Barracks in Munster. The event took place in October and allowed ex serving members to not only meet old friends and current serving soldiers but to also find out more about life in the battalion today.

Guests arrived on Friday afternoon were they were welcomed into respective messes before gathering for an all ranks do in the evening which was also open to serving members and their spouses.

Also present at the event  was General Binns who is the deputy Colonel of the 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment  “One of the great strengths of our regimental system is family, consisting of the serving and the retired element, at a time when the army is heavily committed, family to fall back on is very important. It is great to see members of that family spanning 60 years, socialising and getting to know each other better.”

Terry Smith, secretary of the Barnsley Branch of the regimental association and serving member of the regiment between 1976 and 2000 explained why an event like this was important “ It allows us to catch up with old comrades and I want to see what life is like in the new regiment and see if they are keeping up the old traditions.”

Mick Sullivan, assistant secretary of the Yorkshire Regiment said “the bringing together of people who served in 1944 and came ashore on D day and soldiers who have recently returned from Iraq to socialise together  is a unique occasion and a very proud moment for me to witness.”

The event saw bonds between the current and ex serving members further enhanced. Malcolm “Mally” Webster who served with the regiment from 1959 to 1962 and Capt. Gary England who is currently serving have met a number of times at regimental events in the past, “I first met Mally in 2004 at the 60th anniversary of the D Day landings at Hermanville in Normandy and then again at the church service to commemorate the formation of the Yorkshire Regiment in 2007, now we actively seek each other out,  along with other individuals that we look forward to seeing at events like this” said Gary.

Malcolm “Mally” Webster ex serving member reunites with Capt. Gary England current serving member of 1 YORKS or Prince of Wales’s Own as was.

Various stands were erected on the Saturday so old boys could find out what signals equipment and weapons systems are being used by those serving today and get to meet the soldiers who operate them. More mess functions took place on Saturday evening where an auction was held to sell off items from the time of the battalion’s old cap badge, The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire.

Pte Balenaivlu shows ex serving members of the battalion the Javelin sight system.

Old boy Edward Kilkenny looks down the sight of a GPMG while LCprl Littlefair looks on.