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Soldier on first tour of Afghanistan
Lance Corporal Andy Edmondson from Heysham, who is on his first tour of Afghanistan.
A former Heysham High School pupil who is now a Lance corporal in The King’s Royal Hussars is currently in Afghanistan working to clear a former insurgent stronghold.
Lance Corporal Andy dmondson, 22, from Heysham, has been deployed on Operation “Maahi Buzurg” (meaning ‘big fish’ in Dari) in Helmand Province, which has seen hundreds of soldiers from the Afghan National Army team up with policemen from the uniformed police, the local police and the civil order police with support from British, American and Danish troops.
They have all been working to clear a former insurgent stronghold to create a lasting and peaceful security for the population of the area.
Andy said: “We’re a tank regiment currently working in Warthog armoured vehicles, and we’re stopping the insurgents from moving around freely. We’re trying to collect the weapons and bombs that they’re hiding in the area.”
Andy has deployed to Helmand Province with a special charm that has been handed down through generations of his family tucked into his body armour.
He said: “I have my granddad’s dog tags from World War Two for good luck.
“He was a tank commander with the Royal Dragoon Guards and he was a prisoner of war for six years.
“When I joined, I only wanted to be in a tank regiment.
“There are quite a few of us who come from the same area and even a few of us who went to the same school, so it’s good to be around people from your local area.
“I’ll always remember the crack we’ve had with the lads and the stuff we’ve been through because we’ve all been through it together. When something bad happens, you’ve just got to get on with it and do your job at the end of the day.”
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Monday 20 May 2013
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