Rayleigh and Wickford MP and Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois recently travelled to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to support a ceremony to unveil a memorial to the Essex Regiment. The memorial is one of 200 regimental/organisation memorials at the National Memorial Arboretum (which now surround the National Memorial itself, which pays tribute to those who have given their lives on operations since the end of the Second World War).
The Essex Regiment Memorial commemorates Essex’s county Regiment, previously known as the 44th/56th Regiments of Foot and which now form part of the Royal Anglian Regiment, which recruits from the counties across East Anglia.
Among its battle honours the Essex Regiment famously captured a French Eagle from the French 62nd regiment of Foot at the Battle of Salamanca in 1812 – one of only 5 French Eagles ever captured in combat. The Essex Regiment were also present at D-Day when the 2nd Battalion stormed up the beaches to help commence the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny. The 2nd Battalion’s flag, which they carried with them on D-Day, was placed around the Memorial and was ceremonially removed to mark its formal unveiling by Lord Petre, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex. As well as Mark, the ceremony was also supported by past Officers of the Regiment and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, himself also an Essex MP (for Brentwood and Ongar).
Commenting on the important unveiling ceremony, Mark Francois said:
I served in No1 Company, of the 5th Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment during the Cold War, a Company which traces its heritage back to the original Essex Regiment. Given this, I was particularly proud to attend the unveiling ceremony of the new memorial, including as an Essex MP and also as Minister for the Armed Forces. The Essex Regiment has given staunch service to our country down the years not least by its famous victory at Salamanca, and I think it’s very fitting that we now have a memorial to commemorate all those who have served in the Regiment, including those who have given their lives in service of their country."