TWO East Yorkshire brothers are both fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan.

Lance Bombardier James Burke, 20, and Gunner Adam Burke, 19, are both working in Fire Support Teams (FST) in Helmand Province with the Chestnut Troop of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

The soldiers, who are from Driffield, are following in their father Ray’s footsteps who has served with the regiment for the majority of his career.

The brothers, although doing the same job, are in different locations; James is based in Kajaki and Adam in Sangin.

James said: “I am a fire support team signaller, so it means every day I go out on patrol with my company and if we come into contact with insurgents I am the one who must send the requests for artillery support.

“While I am doing this the rest of the team are sending orders for mortars and jets down their radios and trying to pull it all together so that we can protect our company.

“Also, when the FST moves separately from the platoons I am the lead man and have to search for roadside bombs ahead of the team.”

Adam and James, who are talented squash players, attended Driffield School, before joining the Army.

Adam explained what his family thought of them being deployed together. “I know that they are proud of us and respect us for what we are doing and my father especially understands as he is also serving with the regiment though back in the UK,” he said. “It’s hard to stay in touch as we never know when we are going to be back in our Forward Operating Base each day, but when we get the chance we email each other to find out how it’s going.”

James said: “We don’t get our two weeks rest at the same time – I get mine first so I can bag the big bedroom. It will be strange not to see him and it will be the longest we have ever been apart.”

For James this is his second tour having previously served in Iraq.

“It’s been great finally getting to put our training into action and to actually fire artillery and mortars for real”, he said.

“It has made it all worthwhile.

It can be a bit of a rollercoaster here. You see Improvised Explosive Devices and then there are times when you are not under any pressure and you can relax; it is really surreal how the two things can exist together”, he said. “It is difficult also keeping in touch with people out here like my brother who is only down the road in Sangin.

The brothers look forward to meeting up after the tour seeing their dad, and mum, Tracey, sharing experiences and a few beers.