MOTHER of Appleby soldier Rob Campbell, serving with the Royal Logistics Corp in Iraq has received good news from the Gulf, thanks to the Westmorland Messenger.

Chris Campbell told earlier this month of how she was worried as the last contact with her 25-year-old son was a letter to his wife on March 16 but she has now received her first letter and heard from his tent-mate in the Middle East.

Parents of TA private Jonathan Titcombe, 20, who live in Wigton, read about the Campbell family's fears, and were able to give her good news from the Gulf.

When Andrew and Diane Titcombe's son telephoned home he mentioned he was sharing a tent with a soldier from Appleby, the town where the family use to live.

Andrew said: "We use to live at Hoff, near Appleby, and we like to read the Westmorland Messenger when we can. We were interested to read the piece on the local soldiers in Iraq and it was a coincidence when Jonathan said he was sharing a tent with Rob we wanted to let his mother know he was in good health and they are getting on well together."

Jonathan was a member of the TA in Carlisle before joining the University of Loughborough TA when he started his studies. He was attached to the 43rd Royal Logistic Corp where he was been working as a driver.

Jonathan told his parents that Rob remembered delivering milk to his old home in Hoff when they lived there and how he enjoyed the record fairs his father Andrew organised in the town.

Andrew added: "Jonathan has been told he will be working on the backlog of mail which has built up in the Gulf for the troops and he says

this is probably why there are so few letters home at the moment. But Jonathan sounded upbeat and in good spirits."

The news from the Gulf coincided with the first letter to Mrs Campbell from her son. She said: "I am so grateful to the Messenger for letting me know about Rob. It is such a great coincidence that he has met up and is sharing a tent with another soldier who was at Appleby Primary School. It is a very worrying time, and any news from the boys is most welcome."

Chris is now making contact with the Titcombe family, who she remembers living in Hoff. She added: "It is good to speak to other parents and let each other know if they here any news. I received the first letter from Rob this week. He was deployed as a dispatch rider but is now driving the lorries distributing water. He cannot say where they are, but they are distributing aid to the Iraqi people."

Rob, lives in Germany with his wife Jo and three children, Rebecca, Jessica and Neve.

April 30, 2003 10:30