When British troops were sent out to Iraq their families and friends could only pray they returned safely.

Leaving their homes behind, our brave service men and women had no idea what sights would greet them when they arrived in the Gulf.

None deserve our respect more than the crew on board the Sir Galahad, which claimed its place in history by becoming the first ship to bring aid to the long-suffering Iraqi people.

Guiding the ship through a narrow, mine-ridden channel at the port of Umm Qasr, captain Roger Robinson-Brown, from Hove, held the lives of 100 crew members in his hands.

Having docked, the ship has now been opened to all the coalition forces in Umm Qasr, allowing them a few days' respite from their duties - the horrors of which we can only imagine.

Capt Robinson-Brown and his crew should be praised for their selfless dedication to others.