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Top honour for young Iraq hero

Laura Sharpe
11/ 5/2006

A SOLDIER who fought off insurgents in Iraq during an ambush has been honoured with a top award.

Lance Corporal Anthony Allen, 21, of Edleston Street, Accrington, was deployed straight after training as a tank transport driver on Operation Telic in the war-torn country.

During an ambush he engaged six insurgents while manning a machine gun and was nominated for his instant reaction which enabled his patrol to defeat the enemy and move to safety.

He was awarded the title of Top Royal Logistics Corps Soldier at a joint services dinner in London in the presence of Princess Anne.

Anthony's mum, Helen Mitchell, said: "We are so proud of him.

"When we heard we couldn't wait to tell everyone.

"Both of his grandads were in the Army and he had wanted to join the forces since he was 12."

A former pupil of Rhyddings High School, Oswaldtwistle, Anthony left school at 16 and has spent the last four years in the logistics corps as part of the tank transporter unit.

Based in Germany, he spent six months in Basra last year and in November was promoted from a private to Lance Corporal just one week after his birthday.

Mrs Mitchell, said Anthony's dad Ben, his sisters Kirsty, 17, and Jane, 16, and his younger brother Ben, 12 all missed him.

She added: "We all worry about how he is getting on, especially when we see helicopters being shot down or any trouble on the television.

"You always hear about kids from Spring Hill getting in trouble and you never hear about anything good.

"Anthony has proved that not all kids in Spring Hill are bad and shows what can be achieved.

"We are just looking forward to when he's next on leave and he can come home to see us again."

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