When soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment helped us open the new Haverhill relief road earlier this year, they were delighted to hear the road was being named in their honour.

The Suffolk Regiment Way has fast established itself as a key route through Haverhill, allowing motorists to avoid the busy town centre.

At the opening, members of The Vikings helped cut the ribbon and were photographed next to the new road signs at the Eastern end of the 1.2-mile stretch of road.

To thank them for joining us, we had an additional sign made up for them to display at their barracks in Rutland.

This week Lieutenant Daniel Bradnam, of B (Suffolk) Company, was presented with the sign by Stuart McAdam, Planning Director for Persimmon Homes Suffolk.

Stuart said: “Across the Boyton Place development we honour the soldiers from the Suffolk Regiment, which later became the Royal Anglian Regiment, with road names after the fallen heroes.

“We wanted to cement that link by offering this sign to the current members so they have a constant reminder of the tribute we have paid to them and their forebearers.”

Lt Bradnam added: “It was an honour to see the road named after our Regiment and to have been part of the official opening, and we will hang this sign with pride in our Company offices.”

Brian and Charmian Thompson, current chairman and secretary of the Haverhill Family History Group, were present to assist with the presentation. They have dedicated many hours to tracing the history of each of the men who died fighting for our freedom to ensure their stories are preserved for generations to come by the majority of the road names on the Boyton Place development being named after those men, some of whom now lay in Haverhill Cemetery.

Also present were Martin Boswell, formerly of the Imperial War Museum Duxford and specialist in Cambridgeshire & Suffolk Regiments, Town Councillors Quinn Cox, Joe Mason, Bruce Davidson, and John Burns. Cllr Burns was the instigator, several years ago, in ensuring the naming of the relief road as Suffolk Regiment Way was acceptable. He said “I am extremely pleased to see the relief road finally open but more so that the suggestion I made for the naming of the road was very willingly accepted by Persimmon in recognition of all those that served in the various Regiments at the time, but particularly the Suffolks, and which now form the Royal Anglian Regiment. I was very proud to be Mayor in 2019 when they were awarded the freedom of the town.”