Light Dragoons welcome home parade: Dragoon wives turn calendar girls for Colonel’s Appeal
Wives of the Light Dragoons donned army kit and took charge of the camp while their husbands were away to create a charity calendar.
Sales of the calendar will go towards the Colonel's Appeal which aims to raised �1million.
One of the calendar's campaign organisers, Justine Plant, whose husband Sam is commanding officer of the Light Dragoons, said the models, who have 51 children between them, were inspired by their husbands' bravery.
'As wives of the Light Dragoons we are more than aware of the risks our husbands take when deployed, and as a small, family regiment where we all know each other, when any of our soldiers are injured it affects us all. For this reason the Light Dragoons Colonel's Appeal is close to our hearts. We wanted to do something to show our support.
'A group of 29 of us have got together to produce an amusing calendar which depicts us running the army camp while our husbands are away. We had a great deal of fun putting it together, and hope people will support us by buying it – and that they will enjoy what we have produced!'
Ex-Dragoon Chris Jelf, now a professional photographer, gave up his time to take the photos while Jenni Sime, a Light Dragoon wife, who runs her own graphic design company, donated her time to make the calendar look fantastic.
The calendar has also been generously sponsored by local businesses, which will enable all the money raised to go directly to the Colonel's Appeal.
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The 2013 Calendars cost �5 and are available from various outlets across Breckland including Darbys in Swanton Morley, the Village Store in Swanton Morley, Tescos, The Tavern and Birds of Dereham. They can also be bought on-line via the Light Dragoons Colonel's Appeal website: www.ldcolonelsappeal.com
The wives will also be selling the calendars at the parade.
As of November 1 �734,789 has been raised for the appeal with a further 40,000 pledged. The aim is to provide enduring support to Light Dragoons wounded on operations or in regimental service, to their families, and to the families of those killed on duty.
