A KENDAL soldier found himself bearing witness to the collateral damage' of war as he treated the Iraq conflict's casualties in Basra, reports Lisa Frascarelli.

Medic Wayne Dixon is in Iraq dealing with front line casualties in a make-shift hospital where political allegiances no longer matter.

The 25-year-old wrote home to his worried parents Helen and Gordon Dixon to tell of his "sad day" as he cared for three British marines, one of whom died, who had been "blown up" in friendly fire.

Working in the Intensive Care Unit, he treats British and US soldiers alongside Saddam's loyal troops, the Republican Guards and civilian casualties.

Mr Dixon, who joined the Royal Medical Corps in 2001, told his parents he was also looking after injured Iraqi children, which he found "very upsetting."

Mrs Dixon said her son, an ex-Queen Katherine School pupil, went out to Kuwait in February where at one point he was a bodyguard to a group of Kuwaiti interpreters.

She said although his letters had been reasonably frequent, he could not say much. She described the "not knowing" as "unbearable" and said she was "scared to death" when her son said he had narrowly escaped a mortar attack.

The mother-of-three admits to being "glued" to the TV coverage and said with every bulletin of a British casualty she is twitching at the blinds: "You can't explain how you feel. I just want Wayne home, it's awful."

But something did bring short-term comfort to her torment. Despite being thousands of miles away, the thoughtful soldier had forward planned for Mother's Day and Mrs Dixon said she was "delighted" when a bouquet was delivered to the house.

In his last letter home the medic, who was named top troop during his basic training, signed off: "Beer, showers, baths, decent food, take aways, more beer and more

sleep."

See our News - Focus section for more.

April 11, 2003 10:31