LYNEHAM'S Hercules planes might be helping to take on Taliban troops in the middle of Afghanistan.

But the giant planes, also dubbed Fat Alberts, are also being used to help bring home servicemen and women to be with their families in the quickest possible time.

The last of four Hercules transport aircraft, pictured, departed the Wiltshire airbase last month for the war-torn country to help support the thousands of British troops who are now patrolling the dangerous Helmand region, known to troops as Afghanistan's bandit country.

But as well as dropping supplies, ammunition and mail, they are also used to re-unite forces personnel overseas with their loved-ones, for compassionate reasons.

Squadron Leader Graham Thorne, the operations officer for the Hercules detachment based at Kandahar airfield said: "Most people in the British armed forces are aware that we are able to assist in the transportation of servicemen who need to be compassionately reunited with close family.

"But not so many are aware of the lengths that the military will go to ensure that families are reunited as swiftly as is possible.

"In the last three weeks for example, we have been directly involved, to a greater or lesser extent, in the compassionate return of servicemen on three separate occasions."

Recently the Hercules were involved with the return to Nepal of a soldier from the Ghurkha Regiment and even though he had only been on duty for a few hours, he was located quickly.

Plans were then put together to get him back to Nepal using both the Hercules and civilian airlines and the soldier was back home almost a day and a half earlier than planned.

Sqn Ldr Guy Clayton said: "The Hercules has proved itself time and time again and Afghanistan is no exception.

"Despite difficult conditions, the aircraft continues to come up with the goods, allowing us to deliver men and equipment where and when we need to."