IT goes without saying that putting your life on the line in a warzone is a harrowing experience for any soldier.

But for some the level of stress is ramped up to another level.

Members of the Didcot-based 11 EOD Regiment have gained praise for defusing roadside bombs in wartorn Afghanistan and have taken more than their fair share of casualties.

Last night a campaign was launched to ease pressure on troops from the team, dubbed the real Hurt Locker after the Hollywood film about bomb disposal squads.

The aim is raise £1m to help stressed soldiers when they return to the UK.

Major Karl Frankland, second-in-command at Vauxhall Barracks in Foxhall Road, has defused 34 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on 70 tasks and knows more than anyone the pressure his men are under.

He said: “It can take four to six hours to defuse one device, and sometimes you are trying to do that while being shot at. It can be incredibly traumatic and our soldiers are facing a very high level of risk for a protracted period of time.”

Maj Frankland, 40, a father-of-three, completed a six-month tour in Helmand Province last year and is due to start another this month.

He added: “My immediate four-man team all came back safely but one of my search team lost his legs at the end of the tour.

“He is 21 and is precisely the sort of person we are looking to help through this fund-raising campaign.”

Major Frankland said the £1m would help to pay for week-long “normalisation breaks” for bomb disposal experts after six-month-long tours.

It will also give long-term support to injured servicemen and their families, and pay for better internet links for soldiers abroad so they can contact their loved ones.

The regiment, part of the Royal Logistic Corps, has already received support from people in the Didcot and Abingdon areas.

This includes the £6,500 raised by 19 boys at Abingdon School who were sponsored to take part in a 24-hour sportathon in July.

The effort encouraged organisers to launch the Felix Fund, which was officially backed last night by Lord Ashcroft at the House of Lords. Guests at the launch included bomb disposal experts and their families.

The call has gone out for other Oxfordshire fundraisers to get behind the effort.

Maj Frankland explained the breaks would allow soldiers to break away from the army routine.

He said: “We fully adhere to the Ministry of Defence’s post operational stress management and trauma risk management programmes but we thought our guys might need additional help.

“As a result, we are sending about 12 to 16 soldiers on week-long normalisation breaks where they can do adventure pursuits like rock climbing and sailing in a laid-back environment.

“We also provide professional psychological assessments to see if they will face problems further down the line.

“These breaks can cost about £10,000 a time for up to 16 soldiers for a full week, which is why Felix Fund has set this fund-raising target.”

Lord Ashcroft wrote on his website: “Bomb disposal experts are not only brave and hard-working but they also have to witness some quite horrific scenes when men, women and children are killed or seriously injured by explosive devices.

“I urge everyone to give their backing to a group of men and women who have constantly risked their own lives for the sake of others.”

l The work of 11 EOD Regiment is being featured in a TV documentary called The Bomb Squad, with the second episode on Tuesday on BBC1 at 10.35pm.

To make a donation or find out how you can help, visit felixfund.org.uk