The Company and the Armed Forces
During the reign of Elizabeth I, it was customary for the Livery Companies to be linked with the City’s Auxiliary Forces, and to provide men to augment the militia in times of emergency. After the coronation of Elizabeth II, the Lord Mayor suggested that links between the City of London Livery Companies and HM Armed Forces should be renewed, and The Dyers’ Company has affiliations with five sections of the Armed Forces.
The Company makes annual donations to their welfare and amenity funds, and provides ad hoc support for special projects.
30th Signal Regiment
In 1960 the Company adopted the newly formed 30th Signal Regiment.
The connection has strengthened in the ensuing years and the connection with the Company led to the adoption by the Regiment of a white swan on a black background as their insignia.
The Wardens and Clerk attend the Annual ‘Cygnet’ Dinner held at their Headquarters in Bramcote, Warwickshire, and members of the Regiment spend time each year assisting at the Swan Sanctuary.
4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment
In 1957 the Company adopted the 10th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (10 PARA), a London based Territorial Army ( TA) Battalion.
In 1999, as a result of a Strategic Defence review, 10 PARA was reduced to a Company which became part of the 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (4 PARA). This battalion has its headquarters outside Leeds and has other sub-units in Scotland, the Midlands and London. 4 PARA was adopted by The Dyers’ Company on the reorganization.
Over the past 60 years, the Prime Warden and Clerk have attended many training and social events organized by the two Battalions. Possibly the most notable is the annual memorial weekend at Arnhem when the Dutch residents remember the battle in 1944 which was part of Operation Market Garden. Many paratroopers jump onto one of the original dropping zones on the Saturday of the memorial weekend and veterans and visiting British servicemen and women attend a moving service at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery on Sunday in Arnhem and Oosterbeek.
Members of 4 PARA are invited to all major dinners given by the Court each year. Members of the Battalion compete each year for The Dyers’ Trophy, a lovely silver bowl, awarded for military skills and fondly known as “Dyers Delight”.
617 Squadron, RAF
Our affiliation with this famous World War 2 Bomber Squadron began in 1989, initiated by the late Philip Back DFC (PW 1990-91), a former Pathfinder pilot.
Since reformation in 2018, 617 Squadron have taken part in many joint exercises with allied forces and The Dyers’ Company is proud to be affiliated with 617 Squadron and looks forward to developing closer links in the future.
HMS Vanguard SSBN
The Dyers’ Company first established an affiliation with the Royal Navy in 1987.
Our first affiliation was with HMS Brilliant, a Type 22 frigate which was decommissioned in 1996. We then established an affiliation with a Type 23 Frigate, HMS Grafton in 1997 and latterly with HMS Vanguard, one of the Navy’s Trident ballistic Missile-armed submarines, commissioned in 1993. HMS Vanguard recently underwent a Deep Maintenance Period (Refuel) (DMP(R)) in Devonport.
Whilst all the basic needs are provided by the Royal Navy, money donated by The Dyers’ Company helps support the crew with those home comforts that make all the difference. These include entertainment systems, shared sports equipment, collective media libraries, festive decorations for the messes and other mess functions from which each member of the crew will directly benefit.
The Queen’s Gurkha Signals
The Queen’s Gurkha Signals are the Dyers’ most recent affiliation which was established in 2015, following the two devastating earthquakes in Nepal.
The Prime and Renter Wardens are invited to Bramcote to celebrate the feast of Dashain and to Sandhurst to review a Troop by the massed band of the Gurkha Brigade. The Gurkha Major and Adjutant are invited to join The Dyers’ Company for their Summer and Swan Dinners and, if possible, join us for lunch on their handovers.