A KENDAL medic who had a narrow escape when his mobile hospital was targeted by friendly' fire has returned home to his anxious family, reports Lisa Frascarelli.

Craig Whittle, who entered Iraq at the end of March, found himself on the wrong side of the firing line when US troops mistook the makeshift hospital outside Basra for a hostile camp.

"The Americans tried to mortar us by accident. We dived for cover and put up the red flares to let them know we were friendly'. They thought we were an enemy camp," he said.

For the 21-year-old, it was his first experience of combat and one he said was at times "horrific."

In an 18x24 feet tent, Mr Whittle assisted doctors in treating war casualties. Indiscriminate to political allegiances, the team worked to save victims, including Saddam's stalwarts the Republican Guard, British troops and Iraqi civilians caught in the cross fire.

"There was some pretty horrific stuff, people who had been badly injured in the fighting. But you just deal with it. I'm only 21 and I've been in (the forces) about five years and I've seen some awful things, but you just handle it.

"The nasty thing is when you see kids getting hurt I'm glad to say we didn't see a lot of that," he said.

Despite witnessing the price of war at first-hand, the Lance Corporal said seeing people "pull through" made up for the bad days. A thank you' letter from the mother of a badly-burned 19-year-old who had been treated at the camp buoyed spirits.

Although an exercise last year in Oman prepared the former Kirkbie Kendal School pupil for the oppressive desert heat, he said nothing prepared him for the vicious sandstorms.

"The desert is a horrible place the worst place in the world. The sand storms are really bad, you have to go to sleep wearing goggles and with your face wrapped in a rag."

Mr Whittle, who said he "couldn't wait to get back home," was greeted back in Kendal by friends and his relieved family including mum Hilary Thompson and older sister Louise.

Once his two-week holiday ends, Mr Whittle will return to his Catterick base where he faces the prospect of returning to Iraq in July.

May 15, 2003 16:30