WILTSHIRE troops are playing a key role on the battlefield in Iraq.

As the American and British war machine continues its unrelenting push towards Baghdad, Wiltshire based soldiers are helping to liberate the Iraqi people and overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Army spokesman Karen Moseley could not confirm what positions local troops had taken up but said morale was high.

"We cannot say where specific units from Wiltshire are exactly," she said.

"I know the morale among the troops is extremely good having spoken to some of the wives who have received messages."

Air raids began last Thursday and troops started the ground assault the following day.

Around 250,000 coalition soldiers are involved in the conflict and have come under heavy fire in cities such as Basra and the port of Umm Qasr.

At the time the Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News went to press, no soldiers based in the county had been killed in action, but personnel from areas such as Cornwall and Somerset have died.

Wiltshire's Territorial Army and men and women from the 21 Signal Regiment based in Colerne, are just some of the soldiers from the county in the Middle East.

Soldiers serving with the Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wilt-shire TA Regiment are now in the Gulf exercising their speciality as nuclear, chemical and biological experts.

About 200 troops have been deployed from Colerne and are dotted around different locations, providing communications for the RAF helicopter fleet.

Major Mike Burke said: "The communications that are going in are working well in not great weather conditions. We haven't been involved with any of the helicopters that have crashed which is reassuring."

Hundreds of military personnel from RAF Lyneham are scattered through the Gulf, fully prepared to carry out a wide-range of duties.

Elements of four flying units have been sent out and the base has also posted specialist units, including the Tactical Medical Wing and the Aeromedical Evacu-ation Squadron.

Flt Lieutenant John Makinson-Sanders said Hercules aircraft from the base could soon start dropping off food parcels and medical supplies to Iraqi people once areas had been secured.

"Humanitarian aid could start occurring soon and Hercules will be involved as they have been in the past," he added.

The 120-strong Royal Tank Regiment left Warminster just over a month ago and soldiers and engineers from Hullavington and Corsham are also in action. Special telephone lines and support groups have been set up for friends and family left at home.

Watching the war as it develops is a Westbury couple who are dismayed about the lack of public support for British troops.

Michael and Anne Turrell's 22-year-old son, Russell, is serving with the Royal Engineers. Anti-war protesters are not helping his parents face up to the danger he is facing.

Mr Turrell, a production manager with a plastics company, spoke out after watching the media war develop on TV.

He said: "Neither of us are warmongers and we are not highly political toward the reasons of the conflict. But Saddam said he didn't have any missiles yet his army have fired them at Kuwait.

"Now the decision has been taken to go to war we need to support the actions being taken to rid Iraq of their regime."

The couple from Downsview Road, Westbury, have received five letters from Russell since he was deployed to Kuwait last month.

Mr Turrell said: "Although he couldn't say a lot in his letters about the war he did say that the lads were afraid of an attack from Scud missiles whilst in the camp in Kuwait."