Prince Charles to honour brave Brum boys back from Afghanistan
Nov 24 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail
BRAVE Birmingham soldiers are to collect their war medals from the Prince of Wales after a gruelling six-month deployment in Afghanistan.
About 80 troops from the 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment will be presented with their campaign medals in a ceremony at Clarence House on Thursday.
They returned from Helmand Province last month after being involved in some of the bloodiest fighting since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
It will be an extra special occasion for the soldiers who are all reservists called up from their day jobs in civilian life.
A spokesman for the regiment said: “It is a great relief for all the families to see their loved ones come home safely.
“Thursday will be a very special day for everyone and it will mark a job well done by our troops.”
Drawn from all walks of life, from a postman to a university lecturer, the soldiers were tasked to carry out some of the most important duties around Camp Bastion.
They routinely patrolled the perimeter of the British base, protecting it from insurgent attacks ranging from mortars to suicide bombers.
They were also the first company to conduct joint patrols with the Afghan National Army and the US Marine Corps.
Fusilier Paul Dorrell, aged 28, from Solihull, who blogged from Afghanistan for the Birmingham Mail, revealed how difficult it was to leave family behind, when in March he said: “It’s hard saying goodbye to loved ones as anyone who is or has served in the forces will know.
“Many of the guys have children at home and the six-month separation will no doubt be just as hard if not harder for them.”
Two platoons from 4 Mercian later moved into the heart of the Green Zone when Operation Panther’s Claw began.
They worked to provide security to the population in Basharan, in particular securing the area for a school to be refurbished after the head teacher had been beheaded by the Taliban.
Their work helped the Afghans hold their national elections in which Hamid Karzai was sworn in for his second term as President.
