THE Army’s largest infantry regiment, The Rifles, looks set to be granted the Freedom of Wellington to honour ties with the town dating back nearly 350 years.

Town councillors will discuss the proposal at tonight’s (Monday, January 10) meeting when they will be asked to set up a working group to explore how the award can be made.

Town clerk Dave Farrow says in a report to councillors: “Granting the Freedom of the Town is an honorary award to affirm the service and sacrifice given to the community by the regiment and its forebears.

“It seals a bond between local residents and the regiment forged by those who served, many of whom lost their lives in the line of duty or suffered great injury.”

Mr Farrow said the local Somerset (Prince Albert’s) Light Infantry 13th Foot was formed in 1685 in the aftermath of the Duke of Monmouth’s defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor.

The regiment later became part of the Somerset Light Infantry, in which served many of the town’s menfolk commemorated on the war memorial in Wellington Park, which in turn merged in 2007 to form The Rifles.

Mr Farrow said several of the composite regiments fought under the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsula Wars and at his victory over Napoleon in the Battle Waterloo which is commemorated by Wellington Monument.

They were also part of the duke’s army supporting his fortified Torres Vedras defensive line outside Lisbon – and today Wellington was twinned with Torres Vedras.

Mr Farrow said the ‘freedom’ suggestion was mooted with councillors in 2019 by local military historian and National Trust volunteer Chris Penney, who lives in Tonedale.

It was initially thought the honour could be awarded at the same time as the re-opening of Wellington Monument, which was then still undergoing restoration by the National Trust.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic saw the idea paused until last autumn after national lockdown restrictions were eased.

Informal discussions had since been held with representatives of The Rifles who considered it would be an honour for the regiment to be granted the town’s freedom, as had occurred in several other Westcountry towns.

But because the presentation would involve The Rifles marching through Wellington with bayonets fixed and the regimental band playing, logistics meant it might be several months before this could happen.

The town council has previously only awarded one Freedom of the Town, which was to Richard Fox in 2011 in recognition of his life-long voluntary work for the community.

Mr Penney told the WWN this week: “Granting of the freedom to The Rifles would place Wellington firmly on the military map.

“I think few people outside Wellington are aware that the Duke of Wellington took his title from our town and if you visit the battlefield of Waterloo, in Belgium, you will certainly not find any mention of his Somerset connection.

“The ‘Iron Duke’ as he became known actually began his notable military career in India where, appropriately, their town of Wellington was made the site of their National Defence Academy.

“The Somerset Light Infantry were the last British troops to depart India upon independence in 1947.

“During the First World War the Somersets fought with troops from New Zealand, where their capital city is Wellington.

“I know councillors are keen to promote the town to attract more visitors and support the local economy and I think there is no reason why they could not develop international associations with Waterloo and the name Wellington on the back of this honour.”