Duke’s tribute to frontline troops

Prince Andrew visited Worsley Barracks in York yesterday to meet relatives and Army colleagues of a group of 50 TA soldiers serving in Afghanistan from the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, of which he is Colonel-in-Chief.

He arrived by helicopter after visiting Harrogate’s Army Foundation College earlier in the day to attend the Duke of York’s Community Initiative, which has been recognising the work of volunteer groups for the past 15 years.

During his visit to the headquarters, which houses one of the largest TA infantry groups in the country, the Duke said: “They are all a remarkably close-knit group of people who have loyally served in the TA for a long period of time – it has become part of their life.

“The TA is very important to not only theArmy, but the community – it does a huge amount on a daily basis.

“It is good to see they are in such good heart and there are so many people, young and old, who have skills and want to deploy them in this fashion by volunteering overseas.”

Among the recently deployed volunteers is Private Jack Robson, a 23-year-old geography graduate from Beverley.

His father Ian, a 57-year-old chartered accountant who met the Duke, said: “It is very worrying, but we try and keep things positive – that is all you can do.”