Prince meets wounded Iraq troops

The Prince is a colonel-in-chief of the Mercian Regiment

The Prince of Wales met two soldiers wounded in Iraq during a visit to a training village on Salisbury Plain.

Prince Charles was given a tour of Copehill Down in Wiltshire, where 70 houses, shops and schools have been built to allow urban fighting practice.

The prince, who is colonel-in-chief of the Mercian Regiment, greeted Cpl Michael Pickering, 28, and 34-year-old Colour Sgt Gary Pemberton.

Cpl Pickering suffered a collapsed lung and Sgt Pemberton a stomach wound.

The regiment, which lost nine men in Helmand province in Afghanistan after being deployed to fight the Taleban in 2007, is training at the purpose-built Army village.

Cpl Pickering, from Stafford, said of the day he received his injuries: "The traffic was heavy and we started to get sniper fire for a few hours.

Missile system

"We identified the firing positions but they started firing mortars so we took cover inside the vehicle.

"They started creeping up on the vehicle. I opened the hatch and was shot in the shoulder."

Cpl Pickering is now back at work after seven months of rehabilitation.

The prince also watched a £40,000 Javelin "fire and forget" laser-guided missile system in action when it simulated firing on a tank.

The village, near Chitterne, on Salisbury Plain was built in the Cold War era and modelled on a German town.

Charles also presented four members of the 3rd Battalion (Staffords) with Long Service Good Conduct medals.

Maj Graham Crowe said of the prince's visit: "He's very hands on, very approachable and very friendly.

"He enjoys coming out here and spending time with soldiers."