File:2 Mercian Derby freedom parade APOWMID-OFFICIAL-20220617-36-093.jpg

English: Regimental Sergeant Major, Wo1 casts his eye over the parade, Derby June 2022 A colourful military parade filled with pomp and pageantry filled the streets of Derby when the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment exercised the Freedom of the City for the final time, prior to their formal amalgamation with 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment. The historic parade started at midday, led by the Regimental Mascot, Private Derby XXXII who is a Swaledale ram. The Mercian Regiment was established in 2007 with the merger of the Cheshire, Staffordshire and Worcester and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. It was also awarded the Freedom of Derby in 2007. This historic honour gives the regiment the right to march through the streets of the city with bayonets fixed, drums beating, and colours flying. 2 Mercian have a proud operational history including three deployments to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK, a further deployment under Op TORAL and various deployments to Cyprus (Op TOSCA), South Sudan (Op TRENTON), and Iraq (Op SHADER). They are the most operationally deployed Battalion and the most decorated regiment in the UK. Most awards stem from Afghanistan and include the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross and Military Cross. Recently, they were deployed to Cyprus as the Regional Standby Battalion and provided support to Op PITTING that saw the evacuation of British nationals and eligible Afghans from Kabul last summer. The Battalion was also heavily involved in UK Resilience operations through the provision of fuel tanker drivers during Operation Escalin and vaccinators as part of the COVID response. The two battalions will officially merge on 1st September, with the 1st Battalion remaining at Bulford, W[iltshire.]