BURY soldier Fusilier Thomas Stanley has spent the last few weeks in the heat of the desert and the heat of battle as he took part in the liberation of southern Iraq with other British troops deployed to the region.

Thomas, aged 22, is serving with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and has experienced some of the harshest conditions of his career.

The hostile desert environment demands that soldiers adapt quickly -- while carrying out vital tasks, sometimes over long hours. Home comforts are kept to an absolute minimum because units may be called upon to move at short notice. Soldiers have, however, been able to make the most of the space and facilities they have.

Water is probably the desert's most important commodity and the soldiers need to be aware that their body's need for fluids will be far greater than they are used to. While working potentially long hours under the desert sun, they must drink a minimum 10 litres of water each day.

Despite the hardships, Thomas has retained his sense of humour: "This is a good way to save money, there is nothing to spend it on, he said. "It's also good to be part of such a large operation and get to see how others have been living in a different country. It makes you appreciate life back home."

Life is unquestionably tough in the desert, but many of the soldiers serving out there have had years of practice during previous operations and exercises, and are well prepared to cope.

Thomas has served in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Canada, Germany, Poland and now Kuwait and Iraq, making him one of the more experienced soldiers in his unit.

Keeping in touch with family and friends is important to the servicemen and women in the Gulf, so each soldier is allowed 20 minutes of phone calls each week, using a satellite phone system that can operate almost anywhere in the desert.

And the tried and trusted free bluey postal system has been given a huge boost with the e-bluey -- undergoing its biggest test yet.

The e-bluey allows friends and relatives to send their letters via the internet, for printing in the operational theatre in the form of a regular letter. The system means that messages from loved ones can be printed in a matter of hours, and with the recipient far quicker than regular postage would allow.

Thomas attended Castlebrook High School, Whitefield, before joining the army in 1999. He is single and his mother Dorothy lives in Bury.