SOLDIERS are returning to the region this week after a tour of Iraq where they experienced triumph and tragedy.

The soldiers of the Queen's Royal Lancers Formation Reconnaissance Battle Group, will return from operations in Iraq from Monday, to their base in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Since October, the 300 men and women have worked in the desert of the Maysan Province.

Their primary role was to patrol the border with Iran and stop the smuggling of illegal arms and munitions into Iraq.

The regiment endured temperatures ranging from -5 to 45 degrees, 24-hour sand storms, torrential rain, wind that could rip fabric apart and electrical storms.

Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Richard Nixon-Eckersall said: "The operation has been one of the toughest tours since the war started in 2003. It is true to say that the Queen's Royal Lancers return home battle-hardened.

"The challenges of the desert alone presented a threat to us. Consider this with the threat from the anti-Iraqi forces and the requirement to maintain the strictest personal discipline 24 hours a day and you get an indication of the tests we have undergone.

"My soldiers have impressed me hugely with their professionalism, resolve, patience and good humour. It has been humbling to see the highs to which they have risen and an absolute pleasure to command them."

A milestone for the regiment was handing over the Maysan Province to the Provincial Government on April 18. Before then, it was one of only two provinces in Iraq still controlled by British forces.

As part of the handover, the regiment trained and mentored the Iraqi Army and the Department for Border Enforcement to a level where they were capable of taking responsibility.

But as well as triumph, the group also suffered tragedy. The day after the handover of the province, Corporal Ben Leaning and Trooper Kristen Turton were killed by a roadside bomb. On January 7, Sergeant Wayne Rees died when his armoured vehicle left the road and overturned.