Troops in the Welsh Cavalry celebrated promotions with a socially distanced parade after they helped the country through the coronavirus pandemic.

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

Twenty-six of The Queen’s Dragoons Guards (QDG), based at Swanton Morley, took part in the regiment’s junior non-commissioned cadre, the first military parade since the Covid-19 outbreak.

The soldiers were inspected by deputy commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade, David Wakefield, before promotions and awards were announced.

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

From April 1, the QDG were mobilised as part of the military’s Covid Support Force and provided support to the East of England Ambulance Service, ran mobile testing units and delivered tests to care homes across the region.

One of the troops who helped the ambulance service was Sam Taylor, who lives in Dereham and has been part of the British Army for two years.

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

He said: “It was great to be able to support the ambulance service by driving patients that weren’t critical to different hospitals.

“I have never done this sort of thing before with the army but it was great to help people.”

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

Trooper Taylor was also part of the unit providing support at drive through coronavirus test centres.

“We’re the British Army, whatever we need to fight, we will fight,” said Mr Taylor. “If it’s an invisible virus then we will fight it like we would an enemy.”

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

Lance Corporal Jack George, who was born in Bowthorpe and has been part of the army for two years, helped to deliver PPE to care homes and hospitals in the fight against coronavirus.

“We don’t do anything to get anything in return, we do it out of the kindness of our hearts,” he said. “We haven’t done anything like this in a really long time so it was great to go out in the county and do our job.”

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

While some troops were mobilised as part of the support force, others such as Jordan Moore, who joined the army two years ago, were kept at camp.

Trooper Moore said: “I was kept at camp doing bits and pieces, jobs and advancing with vehicles we have been given.

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

“There’s not much we can do due to virus spacing and having to keep apart but we’re still trying to get the job at hand done.”

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)

Eastern Daily Press: Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020Troopers from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards take part in their regiments junior non commissioned cadre. They are inspected by Deputy Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade David Wakefield. Byline: Sonya Duncan (C) Archant 2020 (Image: Archant 2020)