Hero West Midland and Staffordshire part-time soldiers are set to make history after being invited to become the first Territorial Army unit to march past Buckingham Palace.

The unprecedented honour has been given to the Wolverhampton-based 4th Battalion of the Mercian Regiment in recognition of their bravery during a sixmonth tour in Afghanistan.

Members of Normandy Company were on the front line in strife-torn Helmand province during the bloodiest summer of the eight-year campaign that has claimed the lives of 235 UK troops.

Now they will bring London to a standstill later this month while proudly striding along. Special permission has been granted for 85 members of Normandy Company to march down The Mall, past the Palace to Clarence House where they will be presented with campaign medals by Prince Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment.

The 100-strong Company, that includes troops from throughout the Black Country, Staffordshire and Kidderminster, returned home on October 3.

Exclusive by John Scott