Hero is home from war zone

A Black Country soldier has returned home from war-torn Afghanistan to a hero's welcome.

Craftsman Martin Banks's bravery earned him an official mention in dispatches while on his first operational tour of duty.

He spoke today about how he defied grenade, mortar and small arms fire for more than an hour in baking heat while battling to repair a vehicle stranded in open country near Garmsil in Helmand Province.

The fearless mechanic ignored shells and bullets to work on the stricken Jackal before finally towing it out of harm's way as comrades beat off the attack by a 15-strong enemy force.

And the 26-year-old father of two needs no reminding of the dangers faced by troops in Afghanistan after two close friends were killed in front of him by an explosion just weeks after his own act of heroism.

Speaking during a visit to the home of his mother Wendy, aged 44, in East Park, Wolverhampton, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers craftsman, who was serving with the 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, said: "A sniper lay beside me and a gunner was on top of the Jackal while I worked underneath.

"The enemy concentrated their fire on the vehicle as soon as they realised it was in trouble."

The incident that won Martin his official commendation occurred in February. The following month he saw the death of Corporals Dean John and Graham Stiff who both served alongside him. Martin went to East Park Junior School and Wednesfield High and worked at Dormston Leisure Centre in Sedgley before joining the army in October 2003.

He is moving today with wife Rachel and children Joshua, five and Callum, three, from their base in Sennelager, Germany to Bordon in Hampshire where they are expected to be stationed for the next year.