Soldiers from 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment gathered in Wolverhampton over the weekend for a Medal Parade which saw the award of the King Charles III Coronation medal to eligible soldiers and the inaugural presentation of the Richardson Trophy.
The medals were presented by Carl Richardson in his role as Honorary Colonel of 4 Mercian, and serve as a thank you gift from the nation to commemorate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen Consort back in May 2023.
Produced locally in Bromsgrove, in the Black Country, and given to serving members of the Battalion who have completed five full years of service, the awarding of a Coronation Medal continues a tradition that dates back to 1603, when King James I came to the throne, and recognises the special bond that exists between the Army and the Monarch.
The weekend also saw the inaugural presentation of the Richardson Trophy, awarded to the Private soldier who had gathered the most points over the course of the year in a range of tasks.
The aim of the Richardson Trophy is to foster a spirit of competition within the Battalion in order to encourage innovative thinking and problem solving, as well as camaraderie, cohesion and teamwork. It will also serve to help identify future leaders and prepare them for their first position of command as Lance Corporals.
The first winner was Pte Connor McGarry, a history teacher from Nottingham, who received the trophy from Carl Richardson, the Honorary Colonel of 4 Mercian.