Yorkshire soldiers return home from operations in Helmand 28 April 2010
Soldiers of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment come home - gallery
- Private James Holland, 23, is welcomed home by girlfriend Nicola Ivory and 18-month-old daughter Maddison. (100.03kb)
- Private Leon Greiff, 27, is welcomed home by girlfriend Heather, son Brandon and the rest of his family. (107.64kb)
- Private Leon Greiff, 27, is welcomed home by girlfriend Heather and son Brandon. (109.54kb)
- A happy father, home at last, is met by his young son as more than 60 soldiers from 3 YORKS return to Wiltshire. (96.42kb)
- Private Matthew Simnett, 19, is greeted by father Robert, Mother Michaela, sister Millie and girlfriend Amber. (103.49kb)
- Private Matthew Simnett, 19, is delighted to be reunited with girlfriend Amber. (89.60kb)
- The troops are welcomed back with open arms after such a long time away from home. (90.27kb)
- The Soldiers march on to the parade ground to be met by their families. (125.86kb)
More than 60 soldiers from The 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS) have returned to Wiltshire after a six-month tour of Afghanistan, including involvement in the recent high-profile Op MOSHTARAK.
They were welcomed back to Battlesbury Barracks, Warminster, by Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings Commanding Officer of 3 YORKS, as well as colleagues, family and friends.
77 soldiers were deployed on a variety of tasks throughout Helmand Province. 31 of them formed part of the ‘Mastiff Group’ operating in the Babaji region in the heavily armoured Mastiff Protected Mobility Vehicle.
They undertook essential tasks such as transporting troops, protecting large convoys, as well as directly engaging the Taliban with their advanced weapons systems.
The other 46 were split across the region and performed a variety of tasks ranging from drivers through to snipers. Many of them were performing the vital and challenging role of being Battle Casualty Replacements replacing troops in a number of different units who had lost soldiers through death or injury.
The return was tinged with sadness as the Battalion and its wider family remembered those who made the ultimate sacrifice on this tour of duty. Lance Corporal Graham Shaw and Corporal Liam Riley were both killed by Improvised Explosive Devices on the same patrol in February.
The 3 YORKS soldiers' return marks the end of a year-long commitment to Operations that has seen 118 soldiers return from Baghdad last May and a further 131 soldiers return from Afghanistan in November.