Soldier Kevin back from Iraq

And after catching up with loved-ones and friends, Sapper Kevin Farrise wanted to thank Observer readers who gave so generously during the Supporting Our Troops campaign.

The 19-year-old Royal Engineer, a former High School pupil of Cooper Drive, said: "It's great to be home and I wanted to say what a big boost it was to receive the parcels full of supplies.

"I got 16 shoe-boxes so I was pretty overwhelmed and it gave a real boost to me and the lads around me.

"A lot of it was stuff which was in short supply and the ration food was bad so I was very popular when they turned up.

"The stuff we didn't need we gave to Iraqi citizens."

Kevin's adventure saw him move from the Kuwati desert up through southern Iraq, where he was eventually based at Basra airport.

His specialist job involved operating an M3 rig - a vehicle which unfurls Meccano-style into a floating platoon bridge - which allowed artillery, troops and supplies to get to the front line.

Although not in the thick of the fighting, his travels saw him move to within 1km of the enemy and several of the sites his platoon camped in were later bombed.

He added: "It was pretty hairy at times and the whole experience was quite unpleasant.

The heat was unbearable, especially with the kit we had to carry and the respirators we had to wear for the first week or so.

"Boredom was another major factor in the later stages. We weren't even supposed to sunbathe but I couldn't return from the desert without a half-decent tan could I?"

Kevin's battalion is based in Hamlyn, Germany, where he will return after his fortnight's leave in Bexhill.

He plans to serve for 12 years in the army and is on the way to becoming a full-qualified plumber.

Kevin is also training to become a physical training and sports instructor and is thinking of becoming a soccer coach in America in the long-term.