Shrewsbury's Copthorne Barracks puts on its final parade

Veterans from The Light Infantry and the Rifles attended the barracks in Shrewsbury on Saturday for the regiment's annual reunion parade.

It will be the last of the parades to take place at Copthorne as the barracks – home to the town's Territorial Army unit, the E (Rifles) Company and Headquarters 143 (West Midlands) Brigade – is to close.

About 80 military and civilian jobs are being transferred to Telford under the move.

Ron Gittins, who organises the reunion, said: "We had close to 3,000 people at the parade. It's never been like that before.

"It's partly because the reunion is growing but also because people wanted to say farewell to the barracks.

"There were lots of emotions. Lots of people just said to me that they couldn't understand why it was closing.

"But it's out of our control now – it's down to the MoD.

"A great deal of the men did their training here, including myself."

Next year's reunion will take place at Shrewsbury Town's football stadium.

The reunion parade, led by the Light Infantry band and bugles, normally attracts about 1,800 people.

But far more were out in force on Saturday, the vast majority wearing the green blazers and berets of their regiment. Most proudly wore their medals on their chests.

The ages of the veterans ranged from men in their early 20s to some in their 80s and 90s who served in World War II.

Mr Gittins said that The Light Infantry and the Rifles is the only regiment in the country to hold a reunion on such a scale.

He added: "It's grown and it's grown. It's more like a family than a regiment."

The parade featured a drumhead service and sounding the retreat.

Father Michael Fish, of the parish of All Saints, Shrewsbury, told the veterans: "We are at the end of an era. We bid farewell to the buildings - but it's not the end of the reunions. They must continue."

Lieutenant General Robin Brims, chairman of the Light Infantry Committee, said he was working with the MoD to safeguard some of the regiment's significant items within the barracks.

The Shrewsbury reunion is organised by the Light Infantry Committee and gathers support from all ex-Light Infantrymen, regardless of their association, branch or group.

Other events throughout the weekend included a beer tent and a formal dinner.

The barracks, which has been home to the Army for more than 130 years, was built between 1877 and 1881 and initially included a hospital, married quarters, stabling and stores.