The commanding officer of Maidstone’s 36 Engineers has moved to a new role and marched out of Invicta Barracks last Friday (June 26).

Lt Col Richard Wardlaw is to take up a new role in Shrivenham as an Army instructor and on Friday he marched out of the barracks flanked by the soldiers he has commanded.

He is to be replaced at the top by Lt Col Simon Hulme, MBE, who is very familiar with the town after having a home here for 10 years.

Lt Col Wardlaw was in a keen Scout during his youth. He spent a year in the Royal Engineers before studying at Nottingham University, then rejoined, attended Sandhurst and was posted to Hong Kong, as a troop commander with The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers.

He has served in the Falklands and Iraq, and led the 36 Engineer Regiment in their recent tour of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.