CROWDS lined the centre of Chepstow to welcome back 1 Rifles after two years of being deployed in Cyprus and the Middle East.

The men and women of the battalion, which is based at Beachley Barracks, paraded through the town centre led by the Band of The Rifles.

The Band of The Rifles leads the battalion through Chepstow.

The Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, Brigadier Robert Aitken took the salute from the battalion’s commanding officer Lt Col Simon Burkhill.

Brigadier Aitken praised the battalion and also thanked those who turned out to welcome the Riflemen.

Lt Col Burkhill said the battalion would be remaining in Beachley and will have a new role as light mechanised unit.

He also gave a tongue in cheek apology to local people saying that vehicles such as the Foxhound armoured unit on display would add to the town’s notorious traffic problems.

A few weeks after the battalion arrived on Cyprus, Hamas launched the most deadly attack on Jews since the Holocaust – which shaped much of the battalion’s deployment.

Riflemen were deployed across the region in non-combat roles in response to the crisis.

For the full story see The Forest Review Available from Friday.