APRIL 30: THERE were tearful scenes at Colerne's Azimghur Barracks when 25 of the regiment's soldiers returned from the Gulf to a heroes' welcome from their wives and families.

The returning men and women have been split between Kuwait and Basra, the scene of the most intense fighting, for the last two months. Their role was to provide vital communications for the Joint Helicopter Force.

Showing the strain of their 39-hour return journey, which brought them in a Hercules via Cyprus to RAF Lyneham, the soldiers were nonetheless thrilled to see their loved ones.

For Lance Corporal John Sherwin, the reunion meant the chance to say hello to his baby daughter Atlanta.

"She was only four weeks-old when I left," he said.

"She has grown such a lot in that time, I can't believe it.

"I'm now looking forward to spending time with her and my other daughter Britney, who is three, and my wife Chrissie, before going to visit the rest of my family."

Army wife Claire Knight, 21, could not contain her excitement at seeing her husband, Lt Corp Jason Knight, 26, and rushed towards him as he got off the bus at the barracks at around 1pm on Thursday afternoon.

"I have been waiting for this moment for weeks," she said.

"I have missed him so much that I have felt nervous, almost as if we are on our first date, all over again.

"I have the house all ready for him to come home to.

"We'll be celebrating with Champagne and strawberries."

Gripping his wife tightly, her husband said: "It's unbelievable to see her.

"We're going to make the most of our time back together."

Pointing at his dusty combat gear, which has been protecting him against the sun and sand of the desert, he added: "I'm also looking forward to doing some clothes shopping and wearing something different from these fatigues. And I'm looking forward to seeing my cat Elvis and maybe taking a break with Claire somewhere although it will have to be somewhere with no sand."

Jan Hannah, 36, showered her husband, Sgt Karl Hannah, with kisses and said: "I am so happy I can hardly put it into words.

"I have had butterflies in my stomach all morning, while I've been waiting for him to arrive.

"It has been very hard without him. Like many wives I was very worried about my husband and having him home is a huge relief."

Sgt Hannah said: "It has been a long journey home, but seeing my wife again is fantastic.

"I'm looking forward to having some sleep, but also spending some quality time with her. I'm also glad that we can now celebrate our wedding anniversary together next week."

Teresa Vallance, 28, her daughter Jordan, five, and son Leo, one, were also overjoyed to have Corporal Jason Vallance back home. "The children have been so excited about him coming home," said Mrs Vallance.

"We didn't expect him to come home until July, so this is fantastic."

Cuddling her dad, Jordan said: "I have really missed my daddy. I have spoken to him on the phone and sent him an Easter egg, but I have also saved him another egg which is in the fridge at home."

The troops are looking forward to between two and four weeks' leave, but the homecoming is not permanent for most of them.

The regiment's commanding officer, Colonel Ivan Hooper, who accompanied the soldiers back to the barracks on Thursday, said: "These troops will be given a whack of leave, but 220 members of the regiment are still in the Gulf.

"In July I will be taking some of these troops back out to relieve their colleagues, with a view to reducing the regiment's presence down to about 40 by Christmas."

Col Hooper revealed how 21 Signals Regiment has been split between Ali Al Salem in Kuwait and Basra in Iraq, with some of its soldiers working on the frontline.

"Our main role has been to provide communications for the Joint Helipcopter Force," he said.

"It has been tough, mainly because we have been using new civilian equipment, but the regiment has performed extremely well and it is my honour to say that we were one of the first groups of British soldiers to join the US Marines in crossing the border into Iraq."

He continued: "These troops and indeed the whole regiment have been working in a very intensive environment for several months.

"That has meant 18-hour days, with no leave, in often grim conditions."

Asked for his thoughts about the reaction of the Iraqi people following the Allied assault, Col Hooper said: "I think many of them felt we were going to repeat what we did in 1991 (during the last Gulf war), when we went in and seemed to leave some things undone.

"But they have realised that is not the case at all.

"The Iraqis are a people who have grown up to be wary of foreign soldiers and guns, but they are coming to realise that British troops are the ones who are bringing them food and water, not the threat of violence."

Col Hooper said that the regiment had been deeply touched by the support and best wishes they had received from Britain, while they had been away.

"The support has been tremendous," he said.

"It has been great for the troops to know that people are thinking about them."