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Soldiers from 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) have received their campaign medals today, Thursday 15 November 2007, following their return from what was a gruelling six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Just weeks after returning home from the dust and heat the soldiers were honoured in front of proud families and friends. More than 500 soldiers marched onto the parade square at Elizabeth Barracks, in Pirbright, to be awarded their Operation Herrick campaign medals. The soldiers were presented their campaign medals by the Colonel The Royal Anglian Regiment Major General John Sutherell CB CBE DL, assisted by four...

A portrait of former British Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher was unveiled yesterday by former first lady Nancy Reagan at the Reagan Presidential Library. Described by the Ventura Country Star as showing Mrs. Thatcher - the fiercely determined woman the Soviets dubbed "The Iron Lady" - wearing a royal blue suit and seated with her hands folded in her lap. The portrait is the work of artist Richard Stone, the only artist whose royal subjects include Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales, and Princes William and Harry. Stone said the painting took him 10 months to complete and was...

LONDON, (AFP) - A Royal Air Force pigeon who delivered the first news of Allied success from the Normandy beaches on D-Day is to be recognised as the greatest pigeon to have served his country. Gustav, a grizzle cock pigeon, known to the Air Ministry as codename NPS.42.31066, will be honoured in a special London exhibition at the Imperial War Museum's 60th anniversary show. During his mission, Gustav was reportedly buffeted by a headwind of up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometres per hour) and his view of the Sun -- his primary means of navigation -- was obscured...

Friends, family and Army colleagues attended the funeral today of the youngest British victim of the war with Iraq. A service for Kelan Turrington, 18, of the First Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was held at All Saints Church, in his home village of Haslingfield, near Cambridge. His coffin was carried to the church by a bearer party of six soldiers from his regiment, followed by the teenager's parents John, known as Curly, Turrington, 54, his mother Ann, 46, and brother Liam, 15. The party walked through two lines of soldiers. Around 250 mourners packed the parish church...