THE Yorkshire Regiment has held an Exchange of Colours parade as it undergoes a major reorganisation, writes Mike Laycock.

The Duke of York, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, oversaw the parade in Wiltshire yesterday, which was also attended by the Duke of Wellington.

Changes to the regiment, announced by the Secretary of State for Defence in March, involve the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS), based in Warminster on the edge of Salisbury Plain, being renumbered to become The 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS). The 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS) will remain in Cyprus.

The Honorary Colours, held by the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment – the antecedent regiment to the Yorkshire Regiment – will be shared between the two new battalions of the Yorkshire Regiment on an annual rotation.

A spokesman said the Army 2020 future force structure positioned the regiment at the heart of the army’s capabilities, with 1 YORKS on a high-readiness rotation to react to any future conflict.

It would be equipped with the battle-proven Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle, which would undergo a £1 billion upgrade over the next ten years.

2 YORKS, which was due to come back from Cyprus to its Yorkshire heartland in 2015, was a high-readiness light infantry contingent force for the region.