The courage and leadership of three Lancashire-based soldiers during operations in Afghanistan was marked by the presentation of Operational Honours by Her Majesty the Queen.

Major Jason Little and Sergeant Matt Cockburn received Military Crosses at Buckingham Palace on Friday for their work with 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS) in mentoring and liaising with the Afghan National Army.

Their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Downey, received an OBE for his leadership.

All three men, who are now based at Weeton Barracks, near Kirkham, were involved in the military operation to recapture Musa Qaleh, driving out the Taliban and stabilising the town to enable the residents to return.

Major Little commanded one of three teams tasked with mentoring Afghan National Army soldiers.

He finalised their training and preparation for the first out of area operation culminating in the recapture of Musa Qaleh.

This was not without cost to 2 YORKS, formerly the Green Howards, who lost Sergeant Lee Johnson when his vehicle hit a mine.

However the award citation describes Major Little's leadership as "inspirational" and says: "Personal courage, huge strength of character and an absolute determination to achieve the mission in conditions of complexity and great adversity has set him apart."

Sergeant Matt Cockburn was a patrol commander on the same operation making his way from the west bank of the Musa Qaleh wadi into its basin - a patrol that took them into fiercely defended enemy territory.

The patrol was pinned down by heavy gunfire and Sergeant Cockburn led his patrol through this in a complex manoeuvre to counter the enemy action.

Commending him for his courage, leadership and pursuit of his objective, the citation said Sergeant Cockburn had been "living and operating in the harshest conditions of the desert under constant threat of enemy attack for almost three weeks; understandably exhausted he had used his last reserves of energy to surge forward towards the enemy stronghold."

His Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Downey played a more strategic role in the operation as part of the main effort to gradually stabilise Afghanistan.

He was responsible for delivering security sector reform, part of which was to run the operational mentoring and liaison with the Afghan National Army.

He also led his Battalion through the operation to retake and liberate Musa Qaleh.

His citation commends his steadfastness, leadership, drive and determination and says: "He worked tirelessly and enabled the critical early days of the coalition presence in Musa Qaleh to flourish and take root."