A South Essex MP supported his old Regiment at a recent Regimental Officer’s Reunion Dinner.
Rayleigh & Wickford MP, Mark Francois, who is also the Shadow Armed Forces Minister, served as a platoon commander in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment (Volunteers) which partly recruits from across Essex, during the Cold War.
The 5th Battalion held an Officers reunion dinner recently, at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham. which was organised by Colonel Nick Kelsey, Mark’s former Commanding Officer back in the mid-to-late 1980s, when the Berlin Wall was still up.
Commenting on the military occasion, Mark said:
“Although it was a long time ago now, our Battalion’s war role was to go to West Germany and back up what was then the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in the event of World War Three. Fortunately the Wall came down without an armed conflict but it was still a pleasure to meet up with some of my old comrades, many of whom come from Essex and it was particularly nice to meet Colonel Nick again, after so many years.”
