Why is a parade ground considered sacred?
This goes back to the traditions of the British Army. After a battle, when the bugle call ‘Retreat’ was sounded and the unit had reassembled to call the roll and count the dead, a hollow square was formed on the parade ground, whether it was a grandiose affair or just a dirty, dusty bit of ground. The dead were placed within the square and no-one used the area as a thoroughfare. Today, the parade ground represents this square and hence, a units dead. It is deemed to be hallowed ground, soaked with the blood of our fallen and the area is respected as such by all. To this day the troops call the parade ground “the square” and close order drill is called “square bashing”.
