VIDEO: THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT 1950s

The Wiltshire Regiment, established in 1881 through the merger of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot, held a prominent place in British military history.

In 1956, the regiment embarked on its final independent campaign, being deployed to Cyprus to reinforce the British garrison during the Cyprus Emergency.

Following this, Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes continued to serve as the regiment's headquarters until 1959. Even after the main barracks closed, a part of the site was still utilised as a Territorial Army Centre for the 1st Battalion, Wessex Regiment.

The sequences in this film come from a collection held by The Redcoats Museum in Salisbury, and feature three events held across the county in the 1950s: in Devizes, with a visit by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to the Regimental HQ; Swindon, whereby the Regiment was given the Honorary Freedom of the Borough; and Salisbury, which hosted a parade to mark the Regiment's bicentenary in 1956.

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