Welcoming home our troops
'We were the kings of Basra' - Telegraph
They fired their guns until they could fire them no more, they lived for six months under almost continuous enemy fire and suffered the horror of seeing colleagues killed and maimed. But talk to any of the young men and women who have just returned from active service in Iraq, and all they want to do is get straight back into the thick of the action.
Lions Of Basra Welcomed Home (from Salisbury Journal)
CHEERING, flag waving crowds gave a hero's reception to soldiers from 4th Battalion The Rifles - the Lions of Basra - when they marched through Salisbury on Tuesday.
Thousands of people lined the route from the Cathedral Close into the city centre, in what was possibly the biggest welcome home given to troops locally since the end of the Second World War.
And they burst into spontaneous applause and cheering as the 522 soldiers from the Journal's adopted regiment, led by the Band of The Rifles, passed by.
After marching through the city, many of the soldiers attended a reception for 350 guests, hosted by the Mayor in the Guildhall, while others were given time off to enjoy specially-reduced price refreshments in city pubs and restaurants.
Leader and Deputy Leader of the District Council, Paul Sample (Liberal Democrat) and Steve Fear (Labour) did not attend the ceremony.