Help me bridge the gulf

The sold-ier, who is from Rodb-ourne is currently serving his country with the Royal Logistics Corps in Iraq.

The Swindon Town fan contacted the Evening Advertiser asking us to print his details in the hope of getting some letters from women in the town.

He would like to get letters from single women from Swindon to keep him in touch with everything that's going on in the town.

As well as the football club, his other interests include live music and swimming. He has competed in swimming competitions for the Army.

Lance Corp Cole has been in the Gulf with Operation Telic since June and expects to stay in Iraq until Christmas.

But he keeps in touch with the latest news from the County Ground by getting dad Raymond to send him copies of the Advertiser.

In a letter to the newspaper the 23-year-old former Common-weal School pupil wrote: "This tour has been different from anything I have experienced before.

"The hardest part about living in the desert is just about everything. It's coming up to the hottest part of the year, Hell Month as the locals call it, where temperatures rise above 60C and only fall to just below 30C at night.

"Reading my home-town paper allows me to catch up on local news and events and follow the ever unfolding drama of the mighty Swindon Town Football Club. To all at the Evening Advertiser thank you."

Lance Corp Cole added that he looked forward returning to Swindon, seeing his family and standing at the Town End cheering Sam Parkin on to another hat trick.

He is working within the regimental administration office. His jobs include helping the troops with pay and legal advice.

His father, unemployed electrical engineer Raymond Cole, 52, said: "Being a parent you are always concerned no matter how well your children can look after themselves.

"He told me a while ago that he was chuffed to go to areas where civilians can't go.

"He is a young lad who is not worried about the dangers but is seeing history being made.

"Chris seems to have acclimatised to the heat now. At first he said it hurt even to breath.

"It's a job as far as he is concerned but what he has seen has proved the war is right from a humanitarian point of view.

"A lot of people do not realise just how bad Saddam Hussein's regime was."

Swindon Town are set to cheer him up by sending a home shirt worn by Ian Herring in the Robin's last game of the season against Luton Town and signed by all of the team.

Chief executive Mark Devlin said: "We are always happy to help out our fans, especially someone serving with Her Majesty's forces.

"It must be more difficult than many of us can imagine out in the Gulf.

"If we can play our part in keeping his spirits up we will be delighted to send out a signed shirt to him."

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Queen has approved the decision to issue a Campaign Medal to service personnel who took part in Operation Telic. Lance Corp Cole is one of 45,000 soldiers and civilians expected to get the medal.

To contact him write to: Lance Corp C. Cole, RAO, 27 Regt RLC, Op Telic II, BFPO 662.

'I believe we can and we are making a difference'

IRAQ has proved a big shock for a lad from Swindon.

In his letter to the Adver Lance Corp Cole writes; "For a lad from Swindon who has always taken food and water for granted it is a great shock to see children of school age begging on the roadside not for money or sweets but for water.

"Instinct is to throw the water to the children, unfortunately this makes us a target for unfriendly forces which are still an ever-present danger.

"We console our conscience in the safe knowledge that coalition forces are now providing food and water to those in greatest need.

"I have great admiration for the local populace who are able to live in such hostile conditions.

"I believe we can and are making a difference to the Iraqi people's standard of living and have given then a greater level of freedom of speech which at times we in the west take for granted.

"When I get back home to Swindon I am most looking forward to seeing my family, going down town on a Friday night with my mates and standing in the Town End as Super Sammy Parkin tucks away another hat trick on our way to Division One."