Mascot wreath laying ceremony held at Myohaung Barracks

Apremdo, Dec. 18, GNA – The Two Infant Battalion (2BN) of the Ghana Armed Forces on Saturday organized a wreath laying ceremony in honour of the Unit’s departed mascots.

The 55th Mascot Wreath Laying ceremony, held at the Myohaung Barracks at Apremdo, a suburb of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region, was to remember the role played by the mascot as the spirit behind the Unit’s Commanding Officer and as the soul of the Unit in general.

The 2BN has a white spotless ram as its mascot. The original mascot donated to the unit in March 1957 during the Independence March by Governor Sir Charles Arden Noble Clarke, died on December 16, 1962, the same day the Governor also died in the United Kingdom.

The Mascot named after the donor, Sir Charles Clarke was buried without ceremony since the unit was away in Congo.

After two years, its successor Corporal Charles II also died in 1964 and was accorded full military honours and buried next to the grave of Corporal Charles I with a 24-hour guard of one officer and three ORs on the grave for seven days at Arakan Barracks, Burma Camp in the Greater Accra Region.

The mascot tradition ceased until 1986 when Col. George Biah, retired revived it.

After the revival, many mascots have serviced the Unit and have been promoted to different ranks from Corporal to WOI.

In December 16, 2015, the then Commanding Officer of the Unit, Lieutenant Colonel G. K. T. Sam promoted WOI Charles VIII to the rank of Senior Warrant Officer after the 53rd Wreath Laying ceremony but it passed on after a short illness.

On December 2016, during the 54th Wreath Laying ceremony, Lieutenant Colonel G. N. K. Hoenyedzi promoted the current mascot and assigned it a regimental number 562016.

It is believed that the mascot inspires the Unit to higher achievements and it was that inspiration that had spurred the Unit from the time immemorial.

GNA

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