Gun fire sounds to mark TA centenary

Apr 2 2008 by Laura Wright, South Wales Echo

Gun fire sounds to mark TA centenary

CELEBRATIONS have begun in Cardiff to mark the 100th anniversary of the Territorial Army’s founding.

Soldiers from every unit in Wales visited the capital for the Feu de Joie – a celebratory cannon firing – at the Senedd building for the launch of the centenary.

It came as the Queen sent a personal message to the TA to mark the milestone.

“I wish to express my gratitude to every member of the Territorial Army, serving and retired, for your remarkable record of service to the nation,” she said.

In Cardiff, First Minister Rhodri Morgan and the Commander of the Army in Wales, Brigadier Rick Libbey, led the celebrations. Four salvoes were fired from three 105mm light guns as part of the Feu de Joie by members of 104th Regiment Royal Artillery Volunteers and was replicated simultaneously across the UK in London, Edinburgh and Belfast at 11am.

The TA has changed dramatically in recent years with nearly 15,000 TA soldiers serving alongside the regular Army in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

Major General Andrew Farquhar CBE, General Officer Commanding the Army’s 5th Division, said: “I am delighted to be in Cardiff to be part of this TA100 launch.

“TA soldiers are volunteers from across the whole of the Welsh community and as such they are able to carry the ethos, values, standards and the overall message of the army to their communities.

“The army could not do without the TA and I would like to thank every member of the TA, past and present, for their service, and I wish them every success for the next 100 years of the TA.”

Other guests at the launch included the Lord Mayor of Cardiff Councillor Gill Bird, Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis Thomas and HM Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards. The centenary will be marked with events throughout the year.

Cardiff will host a large parade outside City Hall on Saturday, June 14 – the Queen’s official birthday – combined with a royal salute and field guns with army displays set up in Cardiff Castle’s moat. Another high-profile event will be a dinner at the St David’s Hotel, Cardiff Bay, on May 21.

For details visit www.TA100.co.uk

laura.wright@mediawales.co.uk

SALUTE The gun salute by the TA at the Senedd to celebrate 100 years of the service. Inset, the First Minister with First Presiding Officer and HM Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan. PICTURES: Andrew Davies ©