Croydon salutes its Rifles heroes (From Croydon Guardian)

Croydon salutes its Rifles heroes

4:50pm Thursday 29th October 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(4)

It seemed like the whole of Croydon came out of their homes and workplaces to welcome back our boys this afternoon.

• Click here for more pictures

More than 6,000 people lined the streets the town centre to cheer home one of the UK’s bravest and hardest hit regiments.

People packed out North End waving flags, cheering and clapping for the 190 strong home coming parade for the The Second Battalion, The Rifles.

After leaving the army barracks on Mitcham Road at 1pm they marched to North End lead by the Band and Bugles of the Rifles where the troops were swamped by the cheering crowd.

They were greeted by Croydon’s Mayor Margaret Mead in Katharine Street where they were inspected and granted freedom of the borough.

The Rifles were part of 19 Light Brigade, which took over responsibility for Helmand Province in April.

Its sixth month tour finished with one of the highest fatality and casualty rates in the whole of Afghanistan during 2009.

In one attack alone in the town of Sangin, five Rifleman were killed including Shirley soldier Danny Simpson, 20, who left behind his young son, Alfie Simpson after getting caught in an explosion while rushing to help an injured colleague.

Croydon residents, including Rifleman Simpson’s mum Deborah, gathered outside Croydon Town Hall to pay tribute to the soldiers who turned out to parade.

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson, Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, said: “It is thrilling, exciting and humbling and also quite sad to be back home.

“Thirteen Riflemen failed to come back home and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones who have no one to welcome back home.

“I would like to thank Croydon for its hospitality and its kindness in welcoming us back and welcoming us into this famous borough.

“We are honoured to be here today.”

“I left Sangin knowing we had made a real difference to the lives of the people who live there. In our time there we killed six bomber teams, making the town of Sangin a safer and less hostile place.”

“We doubled the amount of police, improved the provision of healthcare and did the job we set out to do. I am immensely proud of all my men.”

• Click here for more pictures

• What do you think? Let us know by email here, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9555 or leave a comment below.