Soldiers' march to Shrewsbury home for Sgt Major
About 40 years after they completed their training, a regiment of soldiers have recreated a key march in honour of their departed sergeant major.
Dozens of former members of the Light Infantry took to the road to march from Nescliffe Camp to Shrewsbury's Copthorne Barracks in memory of Charles Terence Sore, known to his friends and colleagues as 'Sas', returning to where they trained and raising money in the process.
Sgt Major Sore died in February aged 62 at a hospice in his home town of Colchester and about 35 former colleagues in the 2nd battalion Light Infantry gathered together from across the UK to re-tread the paths of their youth.
The 10 mile walk was lead by Paul Cocoran, 56, a veteran of many charity walks whose trademark is carrying large and unwieldy items on his back, having walked the length of Hardian's Wall carrying a kitchen sink for the the Rifles’ Care for Casualties appeal in 2010 and done many more walks since.
This time he has a full size wheelie bin on this back complete with a picture of Sas on it.
He said the idea for the walk had come from a call for donations by Sgt Major Sore's widow Rachel at his funeral.
He said: "When she said she would like donations at the church, instead of flowers, I thought 'why not do a walk'?
"We wanted to do it in memory of Sas who was a very good friend.
"Everybody came from all over the country to be here. Some haven't done this walk for 40 years since they were about 17. It was a march that you had to do to pass out and be deployed around the world."
Mrs Sore met with the walkers during their march and said she was deeply touched by their actions.
"I'm absolutely speechless. Terry couldn't have asked for a better family."
She said they had raised about £1,500 in the process.
"The money will go towards St Helen's Hospice in Colchester where Terry died."
The veterans were met at the gates by members of the Bugler's Association of the Light Division and Rifles.
Alan Tamblyn, leading the buglers, said: "We're all part of the same regiment and some of us attended his funeral at Colchester in March. and sounded the last post for him.
"So it's fitting that we are here to welcome the soldiers today.
"We are all served here, this is our home basically." he said.
Copthorne Barracks closed in 2015 and the former Army base is to be sold off by the Ministry of Defence, with planning permission being sought for about 230 homes.
