Lancashire has proudly and officially welcomed home 100 soldiers from duties in Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers from 9 (Plassey) Battery 12 Regiment Royal Artillery paraded through Blackpool.

Although based in Portsmouth, the regiment is also known as the 'Lancashire and Cumbrian Gunners', recruiting many of its soldiers from these two counties. It has the Freedom of Blackpool, so the town was a fitting venue for the homecoming parade.

Most of the soldiers returned from Afghanistan just two weeks ago, having completed a six-month operational tour in Helmand province.  The parade in Blackpool on Saturday also served as the official homecoming parade for about a dozen soldiers from the regiment who had finished a two-month tour of duty in Basra, Iraq, in June this year.

Despite the wet wintry weather, crowds lined the streets to cheer and applaud the soldiers through the town.  Afghanistan and Iraq operational service medals were presented to the soldiers by Councillor Norman Hardy, Mayor of Blackpool, and Brigadier Mark Pountain, Honorary Colonel of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery.

This Royal Artillery battery deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq as the controllers of Desert Hawk 3, one of the British Army's 'spy planes'.  These aircraft have the look of model planes, but are equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and are fast becoming indispensible to operations in Afghanistan.

The aircraft is launched into the sky and beams 'live' images from up to 15km away to its controller on the ground, on a laptop, thus offering commanders a bird's-eye-view of what lies ahead of them.

Major Benjamin Ingham, Battery Commander, 9 (Plassey) Battery 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, said:

"9 Battery's key affiliation is with Blackpool, which is why we are parading here today.  It has been an absolutely fantastic event, the crowds have turned out in force and we've had a memorable day."

Blackpool pulled out all the stops to welcome the soldiers and their families.  Coral Island, one of Blackpool's biggest amusement centres, offered a free venue (including free bar and food) for the 300-plus soldiers and families to have a party, comedians and entertainers performed at nil cost, Blackpool Pleasure Beach offered free rides, while some of Blackpool's hotels provided free or discounted rooms for the soldiers and families.