Flags have been raised across
Medway to celebrate a week of events culminating in Armed Forces
Day this Saturday.

At 10.30am this morning, flags were
raised at Chatham's Historic Dockyard, Medway Council's HQ and
Rochester Castle, joining hundreds more across the country to be
hoisted simultaneously.

At the dockyard's main
gate, the official Armed Forces Day flag was presented to the
The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett, by one of his specially
appointed Cadets, in the presence of the chairman of Chatham
Historic Dockyard Trust Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Commodore Ewen
Macdonald RN, Naval Regional Commander Eastern England, and current
Service personnel from the Army and the Royal Air Force.

The flag was then passed to three
Armed Forces veterans from the Medway area, who raised the flag to
the sound of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment bugler.

At Gun Wharf, Chatham,
82-year-old Royal Marines veteran Anthony Richards raised the flag
and, at Rochester Castle, mayor David Royle took the honours,
joined by Tourism and Heritage Manager Simon Curtis.

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Video: The flag-waving
ceremony at Medway

Mr Curtis said: "This is very big
for us because Chatham has been chosen to host the first national
event for Armed Forces Day so it's very prestigious.

"We are looking forward to a week
of events which will culminate on Saturday, June 27, with the big
event at the Dockyard with all sorts of things happening."

Chatham 's Historic Dockyard
is the venue for the main event this Saturday, and will include a
parade, fly pasts and various other events.

For more information about the
national event in Chatham visit www.thedockyard.co.uk

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