Florist Philip Stevenson rose to the occasion to help preserve a 240-year-old military tradition.

The manager of the Charlton Park Garden Centre at Wantage is no stranger to unusual requests, but the order for 300 white roses from soldiers stationed in the west African state of Sierra Leone caught him by surprise.

Mr Stevenson said: "I usually supply up to 120 white roses a week for weddings - and sell more to people calling in, but this was an unusual request in terms of the quantity and the destination."

The roses were requested by the Light Infantry to mark its annual Minden Day. The commemoration marks the Battle of Minden, which took place in Germany in the 18th century, when outnumbered British infantry regiments picked wild roses as they advanced towards French forces. The troopers placed the blooms in their hats for luck, before inflicting a crushing defeat on the French.

The flowers, which were grown in Guernsey, were collected from Wantage by the Army and flown to Sierra Leone from RAF Brize Norton. After the eight-hour flight to the capital, Freetown, the roses were met by a battalion representative, who packed them in an air-conditioned vehicle, for the long journey up country to the battalion's base near Waterloo. Once at camp, the blooms were stored in a refrigerated container for a further seven days, before emerging in perfect condition on the day of the parade.

Army spokesman Allison Potter-Drake said: "Sometimes the Light Infantry will go to any lengths to preserve its regimental traditions, and this year's anniversary was no exception.

"West Africa is not known for its ability to grow white roses, so an alternative source had to be found. It was not simple. But, having left England, flown for eight hours across two continents, and then preserved in a refrigerated condition for seven days, the roses emerged unscathed and were presented to the 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry, in Sierra Leone, on Minden Day. The tradition of wearing the Minden Day rose lives on."