On 4 February, the 2nd Battalion (The Poachers) were honoured to exercise the Freedom of the city of Lincoln. The Freedom for the Battalion dates back to 1997 and the parade was one of the first ceremonial events for the Battalion in recent years, not least as a result of COVID. Traditionally, Freedom of a city grants a Battalion the honour of marching through the City with ‘bayonets fixed, colours flying and drums beating’.
Some long and cold periods of drill the week before under the instruction of WO1 (RSM) John Rawdon prepared everyone well for the parade. On the morning of the parade, some 300 soldiers from the Battalion arrived in Sobraon Barracks in Lincoln to change and conduct some final preparation. Forming up in St Martins Square, the faces that had the week before looked longingly for an escape from the drill square were suddenly excited and proud.
