Troops get hero's welcome

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Public homecomings have become a rarity in recent years - a fact criticised by the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, who said people should do more to welcome back returning troops.

Those who returned yesterday belonged to Somme Company, which is made up of Territorial Army soldiers of the London Regiment and other units, regular reservists and 26 Grenadier Guards - part of 12 Mechanised Brigade. They had completed a six-month front line tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The troops were welcomed with a medal parade at Guildhall in the heart of the City, reviewed by the Lord Mayor John Stuttard.

For Jason Turner, it meant an extra special reunion with his four-month-old daughter Shay whom he had only seen once before, when he was given three-day leave to return to Britain for her birth.

Mr Turner, of Mottingham, south-east London, was also greeted by his partner, shop assistant Sue Birch, 40 ,and his eldest daughter, Emily, 16.

He said: "It was very hard to be away from them, especially after the birth of my daughter. It was very emotional to see them again. It is fantastic to be home."

The handyman said it was his last tour of duty, which has included a stint in Iraq, after serving with the Army for close to 14 years.

The soldiers spent their six-month tour of duty fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan - mainly in Helmand province - where many were involved in intense fighting. During a battle in July, Daryl Hickey, 27, was killed and at yesterday's event he was remembered.

Among the hundreds of congratulatory messages paying tribute to the soldiers was one from the Queen.

For one soldier the parade turned into a proposal as the unnamed man celebrated his return by proposing to his girlfriend. She accepted. The London Regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Greg Truman, said: "We were delighted with how the parade went. It was very emotional. Some of the soldiers hadn't seen their families for up to five months. One soldier proposed to his girlfriend and she agreed.

"It's part of their return to normal life. They will be going back to a civilian life."