SOLDIERS of the Tidworth-based King's Royal Hussars arrived in Iraq in the middle of April and have been settling into a variety of buildings and tented accommodation in Basra and Maysan provinces.

Over the next six months, about 400 soldiers of the Wiltshire and Hampshire-recruited cavalry regiment will brave temperatures of more than 50C as they provide protection and assist in building the local infrastructure.

The soldiers are slowly getting used to the heat and dust, living in eight-man tents, or Corimec rooms, with mosquito nets over their beds.

Organised physical training takes place first thing in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.

The priority is to train and support the Iraqi Police Service, border guards and the fledgling Iraqi army to manage their own security.

A Squadron is based in Abu Naji camp, near Al Amarah, the capital of Maysan Province and scene of explosive violence last summer.

They are supporting the 1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment battle group with Challenger 2 tanks and armoured 'snatch' Land Rovers - so-called because they can be used to move forward and snatch offenders in public disorder situations.

The KRH soldiers are responsible for supporting Iraqi guards along 250km of the country's border with Iran, and patrolling countryside ranging from mountains in the north to the marshes of the south.

B Squadron is part of the Danish battle group, based in Shaibah camp, an old RAF station where the remains of colonial-style buildings and the runway can still be seen. The camp is the base for the majority of British troops in Iraq.

The squadron is responsible for patrolling the area of Dhiqar, north of Basra, with Challengers and 'snatch' Land Rovers.

The regimental headquarters is moving to Camp Tallil, in the north-west province of An Nasiriyah, where they will set up a regional training centre for the Iraqi army.

Throughout the British areas, hundreds of projects are under way to improve local life.

Overseen by British soldiers, the Iraqis are refurbishing and building schools, hospitals and health centres, constructing roads and bridges, clearing streets and improving public utilities such as water, sanitation and electricity.

The regiment is part of the Bulford-based 12 Mechanised Brigade, which is currently providing a large proportion of the British forces in Iraq.

They are due home in October after a six-month tour.