By Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay in Basra

Cracking open a can of Diet Coke, I was fantasising about a beer and surveying our cold tented accommodation in the British army's Basra airport camp when the first 'incoming' siren screamed its deafening, deadly warning.

"Get on the ‘effing floor now, now, forget your armour - get the 'eff down," screamed one of our military escorts.

Then the whoosh and explosion of a rocket smashing into the surrounding desert, quickly followed by the grinding sound of a 50 calibre gun firing in response. Next, the booms of British artillery targeting the firing point kilometres away.

Spread-eagled on the floor of the tent I pulled my flak jacket over my head and waited for the siren to stop. Actually, I was thanking my lucky stars I hadn't taken the shower I had been thinking of or I would now be lying stark naked outside the girls' tent next door.

Our escort was screaming at us to stay put: "Three minutes after the last bang you move to your beds."

I better explain here that the beds, known as coffins, are a square of blast blocks topped with a four inch metal sheet and covered over with sand bags.

"OK, move, move, get in, keep under." He had apparently determined three minutes were up. I put it nearer 53 minutes.

The sirens stopped and I relaxed. "Wait for the all clear," he shouted. But it didn't come, instead the incoming siren screamed into life again.

Seconds later came the first rocket, the response, a second rocket, the response, a third rocket screamed by, then another and another - thirteen in all - a cacophony of noise that for a few seconds even drowned out the siren.

"Shit," I thought as I pressed myself further into the corner of my coffin, its lid no more than five inches above my nose, "a direct hit and this is a bloody coffin. Mind you, it could be worse, I could be butt naked outside the girls' tent." Funny the thoughts that go through your mind at these high intensity moments.

Then silence, beautiful silence, and the all clear. We emerge from our beds grinning. It is scary but we are told hardly anyone gets hurt.

This week the Brits hand over power in Basra to the Iraqis. The security conditions are apparently so good that the handover is not just possible but actually essential. I wish they would tell the boys in town that the war is over.

Comments

[Chris, Paderborn 25 Dec 2007 13:14:50]

How quick the change from the iraqi people screaming their thanks and welcome to screaming hate. Thank whichever deity you hold dear that we are leaving the hot dusty hellhole that is iraq. bring all of them home as soon as possible. Mind you due to manning issues the only difference is that we will all go to afghanistan instead.

[Ruan Cape Town 21 Dec 2007 18:19:38]

I am not British, but I thank God for their courage and bravery. I still think moving out of Basra is way to early and the British will now allow the "forces of evil", namely Islamists radicalists into Basra. The Americans are having a tougher time in Baghdad. The British must STAY THE COURSE. Half a job can only restart the whole process of insurgency. I respect the British soldiers, but the task is not finished. Stay and protect!

[A.Gega, Dublin 18 Dec 2007 09:34:13]

I respect British troops who have put up all the hell that was going on Iraq. Now they are leaving and handing over security to the Iraqi forces. But to the British soldiers serving in Southern Afghanistan, they are going to be there for the next 30 years, like in Northern Ireland. And yet British soldiers still do their duty first, despite the critisism towards them. To me that is bravery and professionilism. BE THE BEST!

[David, tidworth 17 Dec 2007 20:05:19]

try waking up to that alarm going off at some daft time in the morning and it keeps going off now thats funny i'll tell ye. to me the iraq people can have Basra back we,ve done are job its time for them to stand on there own two feet.

[Chris in Fife 17 Dec 2007 09:03:22]

Maybe it isnt over but it is for our troops. Now that the Iraquies can stand on thier own two feet they can take pride in turning thier home into a peacefull place. Afterall that is thier job not ours.

[Khalid 16 Dec 2007 09:10:53]

Such is the "Kurupt" nature of the politicla war between the many a faction in the region, that no matter what, despite indeed the historical handover underway, the many an air head will just fire of rockets so as to gloat at the last minute.
The fact that these fanatics need to understand is that as the future now lies in the hands of the very people of the land, it will be their very own who will hunt them down and destroy the evil from within the ranks.
So, as many a beer fantasy may have been put on ice momentarily, Im sure you will enjoy the cold bubbles in the knowledge that "Its Over"
So as I lay here fully clothed, heres a message to all Iraqis, whether they be decent or otherwise,make life pleasent, and the future will be sweet, make life hard and memory will serve.
Cheers.