Mrs Vera Woodfield, from Ross, whose brother, Harry Poulton, served with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars was among the first in the county to be presented with the newly created Elizabeth Cross Medal.

Three medals were handed over by Her Majesty's representative, The Countess of Darnley and Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire, at a moving ceremony in the Bishop's Palace last week.

The medals were presented to relatives of three soldiers who all died on active service for their country in three different conflicts during the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The new medal only came into being last July when the Queen gave her name to a decoration to be awarded to the next of kin of armed services personnel in a mark of national recognition of their loss.

The award went to the sister of Harry Poulton who died in 1958 while serving in Aden, to the mother of Colin Parsons, who died in 1982 while on board the Sir Galahad during the Falklands Conflict and to the wife of Thomas Ross who died in 1991 on active service in Northern Ireland.

The recipients had lunch with military personnel from the three Regiments involved, the Lord Lieutenant and the Bishop of Hereford, Bishop Anthony Priddis.

"It's a tremendous honour to take part in such a ceremony and to be alongside people who have given so much personally to this country," said Bishop Anthony.