Beating retreat at Denison Barracks

The event dates back to the 17th century and was used to recall patrolling units to their castles but is now used widely as a ceremonial role at state and military functions.
Soldiers, villagers, veterans and dignitaries, including the MP for Newbury and former soldier Richard Benyon, gathered at the barracks last Thursday to witness the event, which opened with a silhouette of a Lancaster bomber appearing out of the evening sun and the unmistakable sound of four Rolls Royce engines roared overhead as it made a flypast.
This year’s event marked the closure of the head quarters of the Joint Aeronautical Geospatial Organisation (JAGO), following a government announcement earlier this year that bases in Germany were to close, and other squadrons in the regiment in the process of moving to RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire.
A £10m investment will be injected into Denison Barracks in order to house the Military Stabilisation Support Unit, the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit, Land Intelligence Fusion Centre and 15 PsyOps Group.
In his speech the commanding officer of 42 Engineer Regiment, Lt Col Richard Blunt, commented on the move and the close ties that had been established within the village.
“Wyton represents a new opportunity to bring the regiment together with a brand new barracks, we will be sad to leave our strong links with Hermitage and the local community but a strong military presence will remain here.
“While beating the retreat has a long history it’s better known as a thank you to the local community for all the support you give us when we are deployed.”
Lt Col Blunt also paid tribute to Hungerford ward member and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Engineers, David Holtby, who recently died.
Following a flypast from an RAF Tornado, the Band of the Corps of the Royal Engineers marched onto the field and performed a series of military anthems, including Hurrah for the CRE which received a standing singalong from the sappers, and ended with the national anthem.
The ceremony came to a close with the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Mary Bayliss, taking the salute from the band, with soldiers and guests attending a cocktail party in the officers mess.
Speaking on the ceremony Lt Col Blunt said that it had gone very well and that all of the organisation to co-ordinate the fly-pasts with the event had paid off.
“As a mark for the closure of HQ JAGO we thought it fitting to mix the RAF and the army together.
“Having had a presence here for nearly 30 years, and the Royal Military Survey having been here for nearly 60 years, links are very strong and will continue to be for years to come.”