A TRIP to Cyprus was no beach holiday for a Bishop Auckland soldier.
Lance Corporal Yvonne Walker, whose parents, Paul and Joan, live in South Church, is always in the heat of the action, repairing everything from Army motorbikes to heavy trucks.
Normally based with the Support Battalion HQ ARRC (Allied Rapid Reaction Corps), in Rheindahlen, Germany, the 25-year-old was in Cyprus for Exercise Lion Sun, a training programme which included infantry attacks, coastal patrols, beach landings and urban fighting, as well as route marches.
Cyprus, which is a strategically vital base for British forces, is perfect for giving soldiers experience of operating in hot conditions.
Besides the semi-tropical weather, L Cpl Walker and her colleagues had to contend with snakes and scorpions.
L Cpl Walker joined the Army in 1995 after attending Darlington College of Technology. She has served in Belize and the Balkans.
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