TWO Norfolk soldiers, one of them from Wells, received bravery medals in recognition of their heroism in Afghanistan.L/Cpl Oliver “Teddy” Ruecker of Mundford, and L/Cpl Levi Ashby, of Wells, each collected the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace last week.

TWO Norfolk soldiers, one of them from Wells, received bravery medals in recognition of their heroism in Afghanistan.

L/Cpl Oliver “Teddy” Ruecker of Mundford, and L/Cpl Levi Ashby, of Wells, each collected the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace last week.

Both men took part in heavy fighting during the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment's tour of duty in Helmand province.

L/Cpl Ashby, 22, received his medal for his actions during a rocket-propelled grenade attack that left five of his comrades seriously wounded.

He took control of his section, and despite being a relatively young NCO, his actions were regarded as decisive in beating a determined enemy and in rescuing and saving the lives of his injured comrades.

L/Cpl Ashby, a former pupil of Alderman Peel High School, Wells, found himself on open ground and put down covering fire while the casualties were evacuated from the scene.

L/Cpl Ruecker, 21 from Mundford, rescued his injured comrade Cpl Dean Bailey from a burning vehicle under intense enemy fire after his patrol came under ambush.

With vehicles burning

around him L/Cpl Ruecker

fled the scene, only to come face-to-face with a Taliban fighter in an alley. He shot the fighter dead with his pistol, before realising that Cpl Bailey was unconscious in the burning vehicle and returning to pull his friend to safety, seconds before the vehicle exploded in a fireball.