Soldiers from Warminster-based Alma Company, 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's), have received Operation Telic medals for their recent three-month tour of duty in Baghdad.

The 114 men formed the last combat sub unit to leave Iraq at the end of the UK mission in July this year. Included among them were a number of soldiers who were part of the initial invasion force in 2003 and deployed again in 2005.

The 'Dukes' deployed to Baghdad in early May and were split between two locations - the majority worked in the international zone of central Baghdad as the Protection Force for the senior British military personnel in the city.

This involved protection of both British bases and convoys travelling along the infamous Route Irish - then known as the most lethal road in the world, as well as providing a small team for close protection of VIPs.

The second group worked as a Force Protection Platoon for the isolated NATO training mission at the Iraqi Military Academy in East Baghdad.

Major Palmer, who also took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 when he was Adjutant of the Regiment, said: "We had a very interesting three months in Baghdad enabling political negotiations to take place, introducing Mastiff Armoured Vehicles to the city and co-coordinating the final convoys out.

"We had not been to Baghdad before and there was certainly a lot of difference between that city and Basra, and a lot of difference between Operation Telic 1 and Operation Telic 14 - this time there seemed to be a real sense of hope and determination among the Iraqi people and the military to make things work.

"The other difference was that this year we slept in proper accommodation with air-conditioning.

First in and last out

"Looking back over the whole Iraq campaign Alma Company has played a very significant part in the process – it was part of the initial invasion force, deployed again in 2005, and was the last combat unit to leave theatre. We were officially the first in and the last out."

One of those soldiers was Lance Corporal Anthony Williams, 28, who was the second in command of a Section during Telic 1 in 2003. His job was to locate and build Prisoner of War camps, protect the main supply routes and then secure the gas and oil separation plants.

"We were there for four and a half months and were too tired and busy to be frightened," he recalled. "We were constantly digging in and had no way to shower or clean up - just a wet-wipe around the face.

"This time we were at the NATO headquarters in Baghdad providing the force protection for the officers training the Iraqi Army. We were living in brilliant conditions, with air conditioners, bathrooms, big TVs and a cookhouse.2

Wear the medals with pride

The soldiers received their medals from Lieutenant General Chris Brown, the Senior British Military Representative in Iraq. He told them: "You were in Iraq at a time of great change, and you reacted to that change with great style, doing a good job and coming through with great honour. Wear the medals with pride."

The soldiers of Alma Company had three weeks post operational tour leave and are now adjusting back to life as part of the Battalion in Wiltshire.