THE proud family of Corporal Alex Guy, the St Neots soldier who was killed in Afghanistan, collected a Military Cross from Buckingham Palace last week.

The Hunts Post: Alex GuyAlex Guy (Image: Archant)

Cpl Guy was awarded the cross posthumously – he died on June 15 last year going to the aid of Afghan soldiers who had come under attack from Taliban insurgents. He was caught in a blast from an enemy grenade and died despite receiving immediate treatment.

The 37-year-old was serving in Afghanistan with the Royal Anglian Regiment.

His widow, Emma, collected the military cross from the Queen on Thursday, joined at Buckingham Palace by his parents Aileen and Andrew and uncle Alec Wilson.

She said: “We are so proud of Alex and we’ve had wonderful support from the regiment.”

His mother Aileen Guy told The Hunts Post: “We had our own presentation with the Queen on Thursday and it was a great honour for the family and recognition of Alex’s sacrifice. We just wish he had been able to receive it in person.

“We didn’t know until the last minute that it was going to be the Queen doing the presentation. She asked how long Alex had been in the army and I said he had served 20 years with tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq and this was his third tour in Afghanistan.”

Cpl Guy was born in Norfolk before his family relocated to St Neots. He attended Bushmead Infant School and Ernulf Community School and was in the St Neots RAF Cadets.

Following his death last year, Mrs Aileen Guy said: “He left school in 1991 and eventually decided to join the Army in 1992 – the comradeship, discipline and sense of family meant everything to him. He was a wonderful and loving son, husband, brother, friend and comrade.”