WINSFORD soldier Gunner William Wray is one of more than 4,000 British troops who have been sent to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to be ready to move into Kosovo, should NATO decide on this course of action.

William, aged 20, is serving with the 88 (Arracan) Battery of the 4th Regiment, Royal Artillery.

"Initially we were busy practising our operating procedures," William said. "Now, with the NATO air strikes in progress, we have deployed into the field to be ready to meet any threat to our forces from the Serbs."

William was educated at Verdin High School and worked as an electrical engineer before enlisting in 1995. He has already seen service in Bosnia.

He comes from a military family, having two brothers already serving in the army. His parents, Marion and David, still live in Winsford.

The 88 (Arracan) Battery are normally based in Osnabruck, Germany, though they are considered to be a Sunderland-based regiment. Woolwich remains the home of the Royal Artillery.

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