AN ELLESMERE Port soldier received a hero’s welcome from his new-born son, Alfie, yesterday.
Welsh Fusilier Danny Hughes returned home to his Dale Barracks base to be greeted by girlfriend Jenny Chung, of Wenlock Gardens, Ellesmere Port and baby boy Alfie, who was born on Christmas Day.
Danny, originally from Buckley, said: “I was so happy to see him. Jenny was waiting at the gate with Alfie and she handed him to me and said ‘right your turn!’.”
Jenny added: “It’s been a long, long wait but I am just relieved he is home! Alfie was all smiley when he saw his dad. I think he recognised his voice because Danny had been speaking to him on the phone most days.
More than 120 soldiers of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh returned home from Afghanistan to Dale Barracks Chester for an emotional reunion with family and friends yesterday.
Elements of D and A Companies arrived, with the rest of the battalion of more than 500 men due back in the UK by the end of the week.
The Welsh Fusiliers deployed in December 2009. For the first six weeks the battle group conducted aviation assault operations into the insurgent held areas of northern Nad-e Ali District,
The rest of the tour found the Royal Welsh battle group reconfigured as Combined Force 31 (CF31) with Afghan, French and Estonian comrades.
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Lock, Commanding Officer 1 R WELSH, was among the soldiers returning home.
He said: “We have been working very hard, so to get back to Chester and see our families has been absolutely fantastic, but clearly tinged with sadness at the loss of Fusilier Jonathan Burgess. Our thoughts are with his family and also our soldiers who have been injured, as well as their families.”
The Regiment will be holding an awareness event at Chester Racecourse during the inaugural May Festival from Wednesday to Friday this week.
