Manx cadets represented more than 67,000 others across the British Isles at a military event in London recently.

On July 16, nine cadets and two accompanying adult instructors were chosen to represent the whole Army Cadet Force in a parade.

It took place at the Cenotaph, as per annual tradition.

The nine Manx cadets represent edothers across the British Isles.

This was the first time that cadets from the Isle of Man have been chosen.

They described it as ‘a very unique honour to receive’.

The tradition, which sees the Belgian military parade alongside the British in London, goes back to 1934 and the parades have been held annually since.

The event was inspired by the death of Belgium’s King Albert I, who died over 80 years ago as a result of a climbing accident.

Touched by the death of his nephew and in recognition of the heroism and sacrifice of the Belgian Army in the First World War, King George V of Great Britain decided to bestow a unique honour on the Belgians never awarded to any other non-Commonwealth nation.

This is a yearly parade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, the monument for the dead in London built in 1920 at the request of the then prime minister Lloyd George.

Belgium is the only nation that is allowed to parade its troops in uniform and carrying arms in central London.

The Belgian Parade has taken place yearly on the Sunday preceding the Belgian National Day. It is a symbol of the fraternity between the British and the Belgian soldiers during and after both world wars.

The Manx Army Cadets has detachments in Douglas, Peel, Ramsey and Castletown.

Go to https://armycadets.com/find-a-detachment/ for more information on detachments.