A BARRY man, whose work for the Army includes notifying the families of soldiers killed or injured in action, has been honoured with an MBE for his community-minded dedication and compassion.

Grandfather-of-two Glenn Hall was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The regimental operations support officer with the Welsh Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, has also been recognised for his role as a Community First Responder (CFR) in Barry and the Vale, as well as for his platelet donations with the Welsh Blood Service.

The 52-year-old said he felt "humbled" when he found out he had been awarded the MBE.

"One of my responsibilities is to volunteer to work on casualty notification when soldiers are injured or killed,” he explained.

"I have done it ten times, which is quite a lot."

Unlike those who usually receive a letter beforehand, father-of-four Glenn only found out he had gained the royal seal of approval at an Army meeting two days before the names were publicly announced, He initially told one of his sons and his sister.

"They told everybody for me!" he said.

"I was bombarded with calls and texts for the next couple of hours.

"I have been overwhelmed by it all, and humbled that somebody had nominated me."

Glenn hopes to invite his 36-year-old son Jonathan, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, along with sons Darrell, 34, and Glenn, 28, to the ceremony in the autumn.

He also hopes to seek special permission to invite six-year-old daughter Jennifer as a fourth guest at the Buckingham Palace event. Tony Rossetti, Welsh Ambulance Service First Responder officer, said: "We are delighted at the Welsh Ambulance Service that Glenn has been recognised in this way for his services - not only to the armed forces, but for his community work as a First Responder.

"He is a very active and respected CFR in Barry, and we’re proud to have him as a valued member of our responding team.

"He fully deserves this award and is a fine example to his colleagues and to the community as a whole."

To register your interest in becoming a Community First Responder in the Barry area, call 01633 626262 or 02920 932917 or email amb_first.responder.south@wales.nhs.uk For details about donating blood, visit www.welsh-blood.org.uk