RESERVISTS and full-time soldiers have returned from a United Nation’s peacekeeping mission.

 

More than 200 soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, fourth battalion, spent six months in Cyprus on operation TOSCA.

 

The troops patrolled the UN’s ‘buffer zone’, a neutral area in between the Greek and Turkish areas.

 

More than 20 soldiers came from Blackburn with others were from East Lancashire.

 

The reservists and their full-time colleagues also took part in a variety of physical training and sporting events.

 

They also executed military simulation exercises to test their leadership and army skills.

 

Captain Sped Lydiate, recruitment officer for the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment, said the tour was seen as a success by the English forces and the UN.

 

He said: “It was great for the reservists to see how the regular army works.

 

“For a lot of them to go away for the first time for such a long time is quite a big deal.

 

“Many of the reservists have been on a week’s camping trip or similar, but not for this long.

 

“It was great for them to experience something new.

 

“Working on military drills and training in different climates helps them grow as individuals.”

 

The regiment also took part in parades and four officers from the battalion were presented with a UN medal.

 

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 and UN troops have been present in the buffer zone to maintain peace.

 

Cpt Lydiate said: “The tour was deemed a great success by the UN especially as the mission was conducted over a particularly sensitive period as both sides try to reach a political solution.

 

“Everyone who took part should be proud of themselves and I hope they all learned a lot from their tour.

 

“This was different from other international trips because when we have been to Iraq or another Middle Eastern country, we’ve only been able to take one or a group of reservists."