IT SEEMS churlish to distinguish between the bravery of the soldiers defusing roadside bombs and those engaged in other military duty in Afghanistan.

For all the arms of our military, they constantly face scenarios very few of us would have the fortitude to and even fewer could understand. They all live, while on active service, with the threat of being killed.

Sitting here in safe old Britain, most of us will be unable to fathom how the members of the Didcot-based 11 EOD are able to undertake their duties — to approach a bomb that has a good chance of killing or horrifically maiming you and to clear it so other troops can carry out their work.

As the Felix Fund is launched to help bomb disposal experts and their families, just think about the case highlighted in our story by Major Karl Frankland.

Near the end of a six-month tour, one of this team — a man aged just 21, a baby in so many ways — lost his legs.

Gone. Just like that. His entire life immeasurably altered in a split second.

All our service personnel are heroes and deserve our respect and support.

But we sincerely hope the Felix Fund touches the public and achieves all it sets out to. The men and women of 11 EOD deserve it.