Brothers Liam and James Horgan (19 and 21) - both soldiers in 2nd Batallion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (2 PWRR) - have been talking about their experiences in Afghanistan.

Private Liam Horgan (19) recalls going being part of a resupply convoy in Helmand - on the way to his brother's patrol base - when there was a "massive boom."

"I was smashed up off my seat and I couldn't feel anything", he recalls. "I couldn't see anything because of the dust, and I thought, well I thought that was it. I felt myself down and I couldn't feel anything I was just so shook up. But after a couple of seconds I got to grips with myself and started to be able to see again as the dust settled, and I was OK. We were towed into my brother's patrol base and were able to laugh about it because nobody had been injured. I'm a lucky boy."

For his older brother, Private James Horgan who was watching from inside the patrol base, the incident seemed to last for much longer.

An ISAF convoy of non-UK Forces had been along the route earlier and been blown up, but said the route was now clear. James takes up the story: "They were supposed to have cleared the route, but they missed one and it copped Liam. I knew he was in the vehicle straightaway. I don't why, just something told me. I thought about him all the time over there because I felt I had a big influence in him joining the Army so if anything did happen I would blame myself. So when they came in and all the lads got out it was a big sigh of relief."

James also had some near misses. He remembers: "In one incident we had to cross a field to get into a village. As we got into the middle of the field we had no cover just a small irrigation ditch about a foot deep when they opened up on us. We all just had to roll down into the ditch and lay there while our boys fired over us with fire support. We were kinda caught in a two-way range so we couldn't stand up. We were just laying there in the muddy puddle waiting it out. You just want to get out of there really."

"As soon as you go out of the gate [on patrol] the anticipation is there because you know they [the insurgents] can see you and you know it's coming. You've just got to keep your skills and drills on the ball and you will come out on top."

Liam and James are soon to be joined by their youngest brother Danny, who is also joining 2 PWRR and who may serve with them in future tours. But for now they're getting ready to take on an entirely different role - they'll begin guarding The Queen at the end of the summer.

"You could say we have swapped the enemy fire of Afghanistan for the flash bulbs of London," says 2PWRR's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Adam Crawley.

"The soldiers are having to get used to where everything they did was towards war fighting, now it's completely different. It is public duties, it is smart, and it is actually giving them the opportunities to show off. Show off those Afghanistan medals while they are on the parade ground in front of Buckingham Palace!"