AN Army commander has praised the efforts made by Yorkshire soldiers in the Afghan conflict.

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings spoke out as more troops from the Yorkshire Regiment flew out over the weekend to Afghanistan and others who have already been in the front line prepared to return.

The new offensive means that all four Battalions of the Yorkshire Regiment will have troops in action in Afghanistan for the first time.

Many of them are from the Huddersfield area.

Lieut Col Vallings is Commanding Officer of 3 Yorks (The Duke of Wellington’s) and he praised his men as one unit of soldiers prepared to return from Afghanistan this week after a three-month deployment to be replaced by the new units.

The Yorkshire Regiment troops were in the front line throughout the summer and many of them were included in the high-profile offensive against the Taliban known as Operation Panther’s Claw.

The men from Burma Company, 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, based in Warminster, Wiltshire, were deployed as Battle Casualty Replacements with 19 Light Brigade in Helmand Province.

The contribution to Operation Herrick by The Dukes is ongoing with 31 soldiers deploying to Helmand Province this week as part of “The Mastiff Group.”

The 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment is also serving in Afghanistan, mentoring the Afghan National Army.

Lieut Col Vallings said: “The contribution made by the soldiers of Burma Company this summer to reinforce the battle groups in Helmand has been immense.

“The 131 soldiers performed the vital and challenging role of replacing troops in a number of different units in Helmand who had lost soldiers through death or injury.

“They had recently completed training in preparation for deployment to Iraq, when their tasking was changed and they underwent further rigorous pre-deployment training for Afghanistan.

“Every man has stood up and done his duty. Yet it has not been without cost. As a family regiment, we recognise all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, and in particular Private Jonathon Young”.

Eighteen-year-old Private Young was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 20, 2009.

The Battalion will take part in a church service on Remembrance Sunday and a Company will march through the town of Warminster, near their current base.

Another 118 members of the Battalion returned from Baghdad in early August.

They were the last British combat troops to leave Iraq, many of them having served there three or more times since 2003. Some of those who served in Iraq are amongst those deploying to Afghanistan.