Wellington's historic connection to The Rifles has been revealed ahead of the regiment's parade through the town in June.

The rifle regiment is set to be awarded the freedom of Wellington, a right which permits them to march with ‘bugles sounding, bands playing and swords fixed.’

Ahead of the planned march, a member of Wellington's History Society, Chris Penney has been investigating the historic relationship between the town and the troops.

Mr Penney pid a visit to The Rifles museum in Winchester, Hampshire, which documents the history from the regiment's inception in 1797 to 2007. He found the British army's first use of rifled weapons was to equip troops of the 60th Royal American Regiment with them.

The troop contained German and Austrian mercenaries, two countries which been early adopters of the rifle in the mid 19th century. These soldiers were deployed in battle against American revolutionaries who had risen up to throw off the yoke of King George III.

They wore green camouflage rather than the iconic British red jackets, and pioneered new combat tactics, employing manoeuvrability to deadly effect. Old methods of communication like drum signals were replaced with bugle horns, which became and remain the symbol of the modern regiment.

When the Duke of Wellington witnessed the 60th in action in The Peninsula War, he described them as the "most useful, active and brave troops in the field", and recommended their use to commanders.

The 60th was brigaded into a number of other regiments, before, along with a number of others, it was disbanded and reorganised into the new Rifles Regiment. Known as the Royal Green Jackets between 1966 and 2007, the unit saw action in Bosnia and Kosovo and Iraq.

The Rifles incorporated the The Light Infantry, the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry.

In advance of next month's march, Rory McCaffrey, RIFLES Regional Secretary Southwest, said:

“This is a very special moment for the Regiment and we are grateful to the Mayor and people of Wellington for allowing us to parade. It further strengthens the ties between The Rifles and the surrounding area where many of our Riflemen are recruited from.”