Bringing shelter to a ravaged province (From Penarth Times)

Bringing shelter to a ravaged province

SAPPER Sean Daly of Penarth is helping to build winter shelters to be used as clinics and classrooms in the earthquake ravaged province of Kashmir, Pakistan.

Based in the town of BAGH, Sean, aged 18, is serving with 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers, based in Chivenor, North Devon.

Their mission is to build shelters for clinics and schools in isolated mountain villages before the harsh Kashmiri winter sets in.

Sean joined the Royal Engineers in 2003.

He is working with Army commando engineers who are trained to live and work in arduous winter and mountain conditions.

The troops are spending three to four days at a time in the isolated construction sites in tents designed for the arctic.

The men and materials are being transported up narrow mountain tracks with the use of multi-terrain vehicles (BV 206s) usually used for arctic Norway.

However, some villages are so inaccessible that the engineers have either had to be flown in by helicopters or have had to reach the sites on foot.

Sean said: "It is tough being away from home at Christmas.

"But when you see the destroyed villages you realise why we are here and it makes you proud of the job we are doing."