SQUADRON Leader Mark Biggadike’s wife is due to give birth to their second child tomorrow – but within weeks he will be flying into action in Afghanistan.

After joining the rest of the nation in Remembrance Sunday commemorations, helicopter crews and ground staff at RAF Benson will resume final preparations for deployment to provide extra air support to British troops.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the imminent dispatch of the first Merlin helicopters to Helmand province.

Flying in 78 Squadron’s helicopters will allow soldiers to avoid dangerous booby-trapped roads. Didcot-based Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid, of the Royal Logistic Corps, was killed last weekend while trying to clear bombs from a road so an Army convoy could use it safely.

In August, Sqn Ldr Biggadike, 36, piloted the last Merlin to return to Benson from operations in Iraq. Now he will be among those heading to Afghanistan.

He said: “We knew it was coming. We will deploy on slightly different timescales, within a short period of time. Our families are fairly used to these sorts of situation.

“People at Benson know what to expect, and more than that, they relish it. The mood is one of being keen to get out there and to support the troops – even more so with recent events.

“It makes the job more important, and very worthwhile.”

Since August, the crews have been training in the US at the El Centro base, in California, to ready both the Merlins and themselves for the heat, dust and high altitude of Afghanistan.

Master Aircrew Gareth Attridge, 39, said: “As well as the aircraft, there’s a human factor. We need to be able to operate in temperatures of over 50C (122F), and for some people that was quite an eye-opener. We’re going to experience extremes – hot days, and very, very cold nights.”