Afghanistan tour troops honoured

9:50am Friday 25th July 2008

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SOLDIERS based at York’s Imphal Barracks have been commended for their service during a six-month deployment in Afghanistan.

Almost 30 members of the 2nd Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment were awarded honours ranging from commendations to mentions in despatches, and from Military Crosses to OBEs.

They were told of the awards at a ceremony in the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, in Fossgate, yesterday afternoon.

The soldiers of 2nd Battalion have recently come back from a tour of duty in Helmand Province, in southern Afghanistan.

They have been training the Afghani National Army while on operations, as well as being involved in the Brigade Recce Force, which hunts down Taliban fighters in unsecured regions of the province.

Major general Andrew Farquhar, the deputy colonel of The Yorkshire Regiment, praised the troops for their hard work and bravery.

“We take great pride and satisfaction from the what we’re doing in Afghanistan, in the visible sense of progress we are making there, particularly in training the Afghani National Army”, he said.

“We left Helmand with the secure knowledge that the province had moved forward in the six months since we arrived. But we did so with great loss. Five members of the battalion paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Altogether, 28 members of 2nd Battalion were commended yesterday, with one receiving an OBE, two awarded Military Crosses, 11 mentioned in despatches, two receiving the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services, 11 awarded a Joint Commander’s Commendation and one being given a Commander of British Forces Commendation.

Included in those honoured were Sergeant Lee Johnson and Lance Corporal Damian Lawrence, who died in the campaign.

The battalion had been fighting in Basra, Iraq, six months before going out to Helmand Province in September last year.

The 2nd Battalion has already been deployed to Afghanistan, with troops serving in the north of the country in 2004.

“The soldiers of the Battalion proved themselves to be courageous and determined in the most dangerous and testing of circumstances for a prolonged period of time,” Maj Gen Farquhar said. “This is reflected in the number and level of honours and awards.

“The battalion was involved in many noteworthy events during the tour, including the recapturing of the strategic and important city of Musa Q’Aleh.”