Sarah the war bride waits for news

The 25-year-old Royal Engineer and bride Sarah were due to wed in May next year but decided to rush ahead with the ceremony on January 29 in case war broke out in the Gulf.

The family's fears came true last week when the first shots were fired and Sarah, along with Robin's parents Peter and Marion, brother Carl and nine-month old son Rhys, has had no contact with him since Tuesday March 18.

He had been based inside Kuwait but the family believe he is now serving with other Royal Engineers on the front line inside Iraq.

The former Chantry, St Peter and St Paul and Claverham Community College pupil joined the Engineers in June 1999 and has since served a tour of duty in Gibraltar and Northern Ireland. He had been in regular contact through text messages but mobile phone use was prohibited some three weeks ago.

Wife Sarah, who is staying with Robin's parents in De La Warr road, said: "I'm enormously proud of him but want him home with me and Rhys as soon as possible. Nobody was in when he called last Tuesday so he left an ansaphone message. It was sad but he sounded OK."

Robin was due to be an usher at his brother Carl's wedding tomorrow.

Carl said: "It is difficult to comprehend what he must be feeling day in and day out, so we write to him regularly. It feels sometimes that what we put in writing may seem dull to us but when you are two and a half thousand miles away these are the things you want to know.

"The letters he sends to us always tell us how we are feeling, what he is doing and what he has done. He has always looked at the lighter side of life and his letters read as no exception. We sit at home and worry about what is going on but his letters are always light-hearted and funny.

"We are all proud of him and we hope he and others come back to their loved ones very soon.

"We as a family would be doing Robin an injustice if we didn't support him and his colleagues in what they are fighting for."

Dad Peter echoed those sentiments, saying: "Whilst we would not wish for war we cannot condone or ignore the treatment we hear the Iraqi people have suffered at the hands of their leaders or the risk posed by the stated weapons of mass destruction.

"Whether or not this is a just war is now irrelevant.

"We are at war and we support those endeavouring to eliminate the threat and this includes all those at risk."