IT WAS a moment marked with joy and with sadness.
The last group of soldiers from The 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment is back in Britain after an emotional tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The troops returned to their barracks in Warminster, Wiltshire, after a deployment as part of 12th Mechanized Brigade on Operation Herrick 16, in Helmand Province which saw nine soldiers die – four of them from Huddersfield.
To mark their return the youngest soldier amongst them, Lance Cpl Dale Leadbetter, 25, from Shipley, who was on his first operational tour, extinguished the flame of a candle.
It had been kept lit outside the entrance to Battlesbury Barracks, ever since the first of the Regiment’s companies deployed back in February.
The 53 members of the Regiment were welcomed home to Battlesbury Barracks by waiting family, friends and colleagues.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Zac Stenning said: “It has been a privilege to lead the Battlegroup for the last six months in Afghanistan.
“The candle has been lit for nine long months and this event marks the return of the final elements of the Battalion to the UK.
“I am extremely proud of the soldiers and officers of 3 YORKS and all they have achieved in Afghanistan, the courage, dedication and selfless commitment of the soldiers has been of the highest possible standards.
“The support from the families and elements of 3 YORKS who remained behind has been truly humbling and clearly they have been critical to the overall success whilst deployed.”
During the deployment, Corunna Company lost six soldiers in an explosion in March. Sergeant Nigel Coupe, from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, and The Yorkshire Regiment’s Corporal Jake Hartley, of New Mill, Private Anton Frampton, of Longwood, Private Daniel Wilford, of Cowlersley, Private Christopher Kershaw and Private Daniel Wade were killed when their Warrior armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Lashkar Gah Durai.
Private Gregg Thomas Stone, of Burma Company, was killed in Afghanistan after coming under fire in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province in June.
And Sgt Gareth Thursby and Private Tom Wroe, 18, of Meltham, both of Alma Company, were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman in Checkpoint Tora in Nahr-e Saraj on September 15.
The troops will hold a parade through Warminster on Friday, November 30, followed by a church service at the Minster. Later that day a presentation of Afghanistan Operational Medals will take place at Battlesbury Barracks.
