Around 80 officers and soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) will be paying tribute and commemorating their forebears at the War Memorial in Floriana on Monday, the 8th of July at 2.00pm.

Together with British High Commissioner Rob Luke and representatives from the Armed Forces of Malta, the officers and soldiers will participate in a wreath laying ceremony before retiring to the Royal British Legion in Valletta.Soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment are visiting Malta after recently completing an operational tour to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

As part of a much anticipated planned adventurous training exercise they are participating in a range of activities in Gozo such as diving, mountain biking, kayaking and rock climbing.

They are also using the opportunity to visit historic areas from the defence of Malta where their antecedent unit, the 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, was stationed until 1943, earning some distinction during the second Great Siege of Malta.

The battalion Rugby League team is also in Malta and is playing local teams.

Speaking about the visit, Major Darren Cook, Officer Commanding B (Malta) Company, said, “It’s been a real pleasure to visit Malta. I’ve really been struck by the beauty of the islands, the hospitality of the Maltese and their desire to help during our visit. Malta is particularly significant for my company as we bear the honour.

“Malta” in our company title in acknowledgement of the contribution our forebears made to the famous defence of the naval dockyard. The visit to the War Memorial is especially poignant for us, as we have all recently returned from six months in Afghanistan.”

The 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) is a light-role infantry battalion based at Marne Barracks, Catterick in North Yorkshire.

The battalion takes its heritage from the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, and still draws most of its soldiers from Cheshire and the Wirral. It is this legacy that makes it such an effective Unit within The Mercian Regiment.

The battalion consists of five companies. Three rifle companies, excelling in close combat skills. Each of these is over 100 men strong.

The battalion provides 4 Mechanised Brigade with one of its light role infantry units. This means they have to be ready to conduct operations on foot, by vehicle or by helicopter, in order to allow them to operate at the forefront of operations, interacting with the local populations where they are able to achieve the greatest effect.

Photos show Cpl Palin & Cpl Storm about to practise the casize drill while in Gozo and in Afghanistan, 5 Platoon, B (Malta) Company, 1 Mercain.

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