Friends and family gather to greet Royal Irish heroes

The last remaining Shropshire-based soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have returned home from their seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

More than 40 soldiers returned to barracks in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, yesterday afternoon.

Dozens of family and friends gathered at the base for an emotional reunion with the troops, who had been deployed to Helmand Province.

But the homecoming was tinged with sadness because the regiment lost three soldiers on the tour – Ranger Aaron McCormick, 22, killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in November; Ranger David Dalzell, 20, killed in February, whose cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and Lance Corporal Stephen McKee, 27, killed by an IED last month.

More than 400 troops have now returned to the county base after leaving Helmand province, with more than 180 returning last Sunday.

Among the soldiers returning yesterday was Sergeant Christopher Kennedy, who was delighted to be reunited with his fiancée, Marilyn Jewitt, and their three-year-old daughter, Abigail, who had travelled five hours from Newcastle to come and meet him.

"It's just great to be back. It's been very emotional being away from my family for so long and I can't wait to spend some time with them," he said.

The regiment is now about to be honoured with two homecoming parades in the county.

On Monday, there will be a parade in Market Drayton and on the following day there will be a parade in Shrewsbury.