Freedom of Warwick for bomb disposal soldiers

Freedom of Warwick is due to be granted to a military group for the first time in over 40 years.


Capt Wayne Owers (far left) with members of his IED team in Afghanistan.

Warwick Town Council is putting the final preparations in place to hand over keys to the town to Kineton Barracks, with a freedom ceremony set to be held in May.

Marlborough Barracks is the home to a number of units which make up Kineton Station which is the biggest munitions depot in Europe and trains around 600 servicemen and women in bomb disposal every year.

On May 18 a Freedom of the Town ceremony will be held at Warwick Castle, which is opening its gates free of charge so everyone can support the occasion, before the soldiers, led by a Band of the Royal Marines, will parade along Church Street to St Mary’s Church, where a special service will be held.

The town council decided to honour the barracks for their support of the town for over 70 years - they always attend the Warwick Remembrance ceremony - and for the soldiers regularly putting their lives on the line to protect us.

The mayor of Warwick Cllr Trudy Offer said: “The town council is delighted to recognise our service men and women at Kineton and I hope the townspeople of Warwick will attend the event demonstrating their support.

“The combination of council, castle and corps working together inevitably means that it will be a memorable day for all.”

The last time a group was given Freedom of the Town was in the 1960s when the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers received the honour. More recently a Freeman award was given to Dick Dixon for 30 years of work with Warwick Folk Festival.

The commanding officer at Kineton, Lt-Col Simon Hirst of the Royal Logistics Corps said: “Kineton Station, which continues to support operations worldwide, has been part of the wider Warwickshire community for 70 years.

“There have been close links in the past with Warwick both militarily and within the civilian community. It is an honour to have been offered the Freedom of such a prestigious and beautiful town as Warwick.

“We have gladly accepted and will exercise the right to march through the town in the best military fashion on May 18th.”

Jeremy Wright MP visited the barracks last year and got an insight into the work they do.

On Wednesday he said: “This is very good news, they are a very effective logistics operation. It’s particularly significant today as we’ve heard the very sad news of the six soldiers killed in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

“Freedom of Warwick is one of the many ways we should seek to thank the troops for everything they do.”

Kineton troops given the freedom of Warwick



Troops from a Warwickshire army base that trains bomb disposal experts have been given the freedom of Warwick.

DEMSS Kineton is the largest munitions depot in Europe and trains up to 600 bomb disposal experts each year.

The troops, including members of the Royal Logistics Corps, marched through the town after a ceremony at Warwick Castle watched by about 2,000 people.

About 200 soldiers from the base took part in the ceremony.

Lt Col Simon Hirst said: "This is a tremendous honour for the base and we greatly appreciate the support we receive from our local community."

All traffic was diverted from the town centre for the parade to take place.

The base at Kineton opened in September 1941.

Warwick mayor Trudy Offer said: "With the fact that Kineton is celebrating its 70th anniversary and it's also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, it's all about feeling proud of our country and our servicemen."


Capt Wayne Owers, of the Royal Logistics Corps, said: "To get public recognition is very rare today and for the council and the mayor to bestow this on us is fantastic".

Capt Owers added about 20 people from the Kineton base were currently on tour in Afghanistan.

Three were doing active bomb disposal work while the others were supporting their work or that of other troops, he said.

Call for Warwick mayor to resign over Union Jack shoes

WARWICK'S mayor is facing a call for her resignation over fancy footwear she wore at a military parade.

Mayor of Warwick Coun Trudy Offer chose to wear ’’Union Jack’’ heels when MoD Kineton troops accepted the freedom of the town at Warwick Castle last Friday.

But her fashionable shoes outraged one bystander who has called for her to be stripped of her civic role at Warwick Town Council.

The complainant said military protocol means the Union Flag should not touch the ground.

In a letter entitled “A travesty” that was emailed to the Telegraph and Warwick council disgruntled spectator Judith Sutcliffe expressed anger at the “facsimile of ‘the flag’” on the Mayor’s feet.

Coun Offer was left astounded by the letter.

She said: “I will be wearing those shoes again. It’s not like I’m burning the flag.”

Judith, of Warwick, began her lengthy tirade by expressing disappointment at the turnout to support the troops on Friday.

Then wrote: “She [the Mayor] was wearing shoes which were decorated to resemble the Union Flag.

“Does her office not advise her of military protocol?” she adds.

“The Union Flag or Union Jack as it is more commonly known, is never allowed to touch the ground other than in the presence of the British Sovereign?”

The letter also refers to the post-ceremony thanksgiving service at St Mary’s Church and the Bishop of Warwick’s address.

Judith said: “A politician in the robes of office of the Mayor of Warwick, listening to the same address, was wearing a facsimile of ‘the flag’ on her feet.

“For all these civic blunders which curtailed the freedom of the public of Warwickshire to come and support the troops, but more importantly, out of respect for the troops of our country, both living and dead - I demand that the Mayor of Warwick resigns.”

Coun Offer was made aware of the letter when she arrived at the council offices on Monday and is confident no military protocol was breached.

She told the Telegraph: “I bought the shoes two and a half years ago and have worn them at many military events.

“I had never, ever received any complaints about the shoes, only comments of admiration.

“Everyone says how great they are wherever I go. They’ve become something of my trademark.

“Servicemen and their wives have asked where I bought them and even the Lieutenant Colonel from MoD Kineton asked where they were from so he could get a pair for his daughter.

“I’ve worn them to Remembrance Sunday services before and members of the Royal British Legion said my shoes were fantastic.

"They’d hoped I’d be wearing them at the ceremony on Friday.

“I wore the shoes out of patriotism and if the Lieutenant Colonel raises no concerns why should I take what that woman says over the positive comments of the many people that were there?’’

Some woman after 5 minutes of fame