A GWENT soldier who helped save the lives of two captured SAS men in Basra spoke for the first time about his role in the daring raid.

Sergeant Andy Wood, 25, from Newport, was one of the British troops who stormed the police-station jail, demolishing much of it in the process, and later carried out the rescue at a nearby house.

Sgt Wood has served for eight years, and is currently platoon sergeant with Eight Platoon C Company.

He described the moment he woke up to be told two hostages had been taken: "Sgt Major Moynihan came in and said in broadbrush terms two hostages had been taken and it was all going Pete Tong in Basra."

He describes the mission from start to finish, and the grim realisation that "there was no doubt that their heads would have been off if they had not been grabbed back".

"It was quick. We left our camp within half an hour of getting briefed - we were supposed to be on three hours' notice, but we pulled out all the stops.

"We were getting reports of muti-weapons shoots."

Sgt Woods describes the atmosphere. "We were clear we had to get in and get these guys, this was the reaction across the board. Some who were here last year know what can happen in Basra, but everyone wanted to knuckle down and get in there. "It was really quiet when we turned into the target area, really dark.

"We were the first Warrior in and I smashed a hole in the wall." They completed their mission, and got back to their safe point. He says: "The two boys were generous in their thanks. I was on a high. "We got in and did our job, no rehearsals.

"The lads we took out in the turrets proved that the Playstation generation are up to the mark."

Major Steve Mannings, 46, from Swansea, controlled the unit on the ground and told the Argus that the two soldiers would be dead if the rescue hadn't taken place.

The unit included Sgt Wood, along with Gwent soldiers Lance Corporal Graham Sims and Sergeant Bill Whyman.