TA troops honoured for bravery in Afghan bombing

Published on Sunday 11 October 2009 22:24

TERRITORIAL Army soldiers who guarded a top Nato HQ hit by a car bomb in Afghanistan were honoured yesterday.

The men, from the Territorial Army 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, headquartered in north-east England, were among soldiers involved after an attack at the International Security Assistance Force iin Kabul on 15 August.

A bomb hidden in a Toyota Landcruiser was driven to the gates and the bomb detonated, injuring several Nato guards and killing several Afghan civilians.

Warrant officer class 2 Tim Wilkinson was on patrol when he was lifted off his feet by the explosion. He ran with seven men to the gates and was met with a scene of devastation.

The married father-of-two, of North Shields, said: "We immediately grabbed our kit and ran to the front gate where the Macedonian guys who had been guarding it were all a bit stunned, so we took over. We dealt with the casualties and made our way out on to the street where we formed a cordon to stop any other bomber getting into the base in the confusion."

The 34 soldiers received their Afghanistan campaign medal from the regiment's colonel, the Duke of Northumberland, in a ceremony at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland.

The duke said: "The reports that have flowed back from Kabul have proved yet again beyond doubt that the men of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, with the right training and dedication to duty are more than capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their regular counterparts in the British Army."