D-Day for squaddie dubbed 'Combat Barbie' as she prepares to wow Miss England judges

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Katrina Hodge, dubbed Combat Barbie is aiming to scoop the title of Miss England.

Lieutenant Corporal Hodge, 21, will go on to represent England at the Miss World competition in July if she wins.

Tonight she will compete against 50 other hopefuls for the prestigious beauty crown.

Beauty and brains: 'Combat Barbie' Katrina Hodge hopes to be crowned Miss England at tonight's competition

She wants to use her place in the Miss England competition to highlight the work of the Armed Forces.

Ms Hodge was given a bravery commendation in 2005 after members of her regiment were threatened at gunpoint by a suspected Iraqi insurgent after the vehicle they were travelling in overturned.

She said: 'I was in complete shock at first. The force of the accident caused our vehicle to roll over three times and threw us off guard.

'As I came round, the Iraqi suspect was standing over us with the rifles. I knew if I didn't act fast then our lives would be in danger. I punched him and the force startled him enough for me to retrieve the rifles from him.'

Ms Hodge, a military clerk with The Adjutant General's Corps, has already won the Miss Tunbridge Wells crown.

She said: 'I was delighted to have been selected for the Miss England final and it is a great honour.

'Being a part-time model and a serving soldier is certainly a world apart.

Model soldier: Katrina Adams saved the lives of members of her regiment when she fought off an Iraqi insurgent

'I want to use this competition to highlight the work that the army are doing and what they have done for this country.'

Tonight's competition will be judged by a panel of celebrities including Hollyoaks actor Chris Fountain, on July 18 at the Troxy conference centre in London.