Photos: Regiment Change Of Command Parade

In a ceremony held on Saturday [June 8] at Warwick Camp, former Commanding Officer Lt/Col Brian Gonsalves formally handed over command of the Bermuda Regiment to Lt/Col Michael Foster-Brown.

The new Commanding Officer is the first British soldier to command the Bermuda Regiment, which was formed in 1965 when the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps amalgamated.

Prior to taking up the position in Bermuda, Lt/Col Foster-Brown was serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. He also has experience as Adjutant to a Territorial Battalion of his own Regiment, The Rifles, and served with in Iraq.

This ceremony followed the pattern first set in 1980 when the Bermuda Regiment held its first ever Change-of-Command parade which saw Lt/Col Eugene Raynor take over from Lt/Col Brendan Hollis.

The slideshow below contains 200+ photos of the ceremony:

That first parade also saw the introduction and first-time use of the Sword-of-Command which was designated as the sword that was usable only by the CO, and was his only as long as he was the CO.

The Sword itself is a specially engraved military issue sword that was given to the Bermuda Regiment for this particular occasion by ex-Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Edwin Leather.

During this parade, Lt/Col Gonsalves returned the Sword-of-Command to Governor George Fergusson who, in turn, passed the Sword on to Lt/Col Foster Brown. That handing over and passing on of the Sword was the actual point at which command of the Regiment passed over.

This was followed up by Lt/Col Foster-Brown marching on to the parade ground and commencing to give orders to the 200 men and women of the Bermuda Regiment and Junior Leaders who were formed up behind him. At the outset the Bermuda Regiment was led on parade by Lt/Col Gonsalves, and at the end, the Regiment was marched off with Lt/Col Foster-Brown at its head.

Guests included Governor George Fergusson, Premier Craig Cannonier, Deputy Governor David Arkley, US Consul-General Robert Settje, Minister Michael Dunkley, Minister Bob Richards, MP Walton Brown, MP Michael Scott, Senator Jeff Baron, House Speaker Randy Horton, Honorary Colonel Eugene Raynor, Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva, and ex-Commanding Officers Lt/Cols P M Outerbridge, J D Gibbons, and W K White; members of the Defence Board, the Exemption Tribunal, and the Promotions Board; representatives of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service and the Bermuda Police Service.

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