A YORK soldier, who was part of the same battle group as the six military police killed in Iraq, was today celebrating after being reunited with his family.

Howard Gill, of the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment, enjoyed a family party last night at his home in Corban Lane, Wigginton, after spending five months in Iraq.

Although he was not involved in events which saw the six men shot dead in the southern town of Al Majar Al-Kabir, he was one of about 1,000 solders in the same battle group.

Howard, who is in the Territorial Army based in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, was posted to Iraq in February, leaving behind his wife, Helen, and two children, Ethan, two, and Ellis, one.

Initially, he went to Camp Eagle in Kuwait, but moved to different areas before ending up in Amara when the war was over.

One of the hardest things the couple had to cope with was when they were unable to have any contact at all for about a month during the war.

Helen said: "There was no contact for about three to four weeks when the war was on. So I wrote every day and got nothing back.

"So many people have said: 'How do you cope?' You have to get on with it."

When the six men were killed last month Helen had no idea whether he had been caught up in the firefight.

She said: "I knew he was near there, but I did not know whether he was involved."

Helen was given three different dates when Howard was supposed to come home - all of which were then changed.

When she finally got word he would be arriving home she waited anxiously for the phone call to say he was back in the country - but got the biggest shock of all when he turned up on the doorstep.

He said it was great to be back with his family, and he was particularly proud of Helen, who had managed so well during his absence.

Howard said: "We would not have been able to cope without the support of Helen's parents, and my dad - they have got us through."

Updated: 09:50 Saturday, July 05, 2003