DIDCOT soldier Neil Eddington has been honoured after dodging Taliban gunfire and surviving a bomb explosion in Afghanistan.

The 36-year-old Territorial Army Lance Corporal, of Abingdon-based A Company 7 Rifles, spent six months mentoring the Afghan Army in Garmsir in Helmand Province as part of a 16-man British team. He has just received his Operational Service Medal.

L Cpl Eddington also saw action in Iraq in 2005, but says that was nothing compared to the dangers he faced in the lawless Afghan province.

The married father of one, who works as a vehicle movement service team leader for Autoteq when he’s not on duty, experienced his first fire-fight with the Taliban just two days after finishing his acclimatisation training at Camp Bastion.

He said: “We were advancing south in Helmand on foot and suddenly we came under attack.

“For the first couple of seconds it is absolutely terrifying. These are ruthless soldiers we were fighting about 100 metres away. You just hit the floor and then open fire yourself.

“You are usually fighting for around eight hours at a time, on and off, in heat that is usually 45C to 50C.

“And you also have to deal with carrying a lot of weight. Bearing in mind your body armour weighs 35lb alone, you are carrying around 100lb in weight.

“It is certainly very tough going out there. It is a very dangerous place. I was in South Helmand which is incredibly dangerous. We underwent various big ops and came into contact with the Taliban loads of times, usually once a week.”

As well as regular gun battles, L Cpl Eddington also had to contend with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and on one occasion he foiled a Taliban trap.

He said: “There were IEDs found outside the base regularly. We have interpreters with us who listen in on radios. It means we can hear what the Taliban are doing and they can hear us.

“They usually try to mislead you by talking of an ambush up the road. They want you to walk into an IED.

“I was sent up the road on foot with a metal detector, but fortunately I found the IED.

“On another occasion we were hit by an IED in our vehicle, but all three of us survived, although I damaged my shoulder.

“You do fear for your life, but it’s part of the job.”

L Cpl Eddington finished his tour in September and is now back doing his regular job in Cowley, Oxford.

He said: “It is hard to adjust to life when you first get back as you feel useless because there are soldiers still out there.

“Is it worth it? It’s a great experience and we have to get rid of the Taliban because they are nasty people, but I won’t be going out there again. I’ve done my bit.”