By Aileen Robertson and Lars Niven

ONE OF THE two young Fife Black Watch privates who died in an insurgent attack in Iraq yesterday posted a message on his website shortly before his death saying he just wanted to go home.

Private Jamie Kerr (20), of Cowdenbeath, died with 20-year-old Private Scott Kennedy, from Oakley, by Dunfermline, and Corporal Paul Joszko (28), of 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh, who was from Wales.

They were killed while on patrol in Basra when a roadside bomb exploded.

Another soldier was seriously wounded, but has not been identified.

Private Kerr regularly updated his page on the Bebo website, keeping in touch with his friends back in Fife.

He visited it three hours before he died.

In one entry he said, “Missin’ all you guys back home...can’t wait to be back.”

In another he writes, “I am currently writing this at five o’ clock in the morning—2 o’ clock back hame! You ask why I am writing this, well...canny get any...sleep and a want to go hame!”

The three men died after they dismounted from their armoured Warrior patrol and came under attack in the Al Antahiya district of Basra city at about 1am local time.

The soldiers were returning from a re-supply mission to Basra Palace and had stepped from their Warrior armoured vehicle when insurgents set off an improvised explosive device.

Yesterday’s deaths bring the total of British military fatalities since the hostilities in Iraq began to 156.

Major David Gell, the MoD’s spokesman in Basra, said, “There are times during patrols that soldiers are required to dismount to conduct routine checks and this is what happened here.”

He said the injured soldier was being treated in the field hospital at the British base at the airport.

Maj Gell acknowledged there has been a recent rise in attacks against coalition troops, which he attributed—in part—to their success on the ground.

He said, “Regrettably, such attacks are not uncommon here.

“We are continuously striving to improve our tactics, technology and all our procedures to prevent this type of thing happening.

“To be honest, we expect that this will continue to happen in future.

“We believe this to be in part because of our success against rogue militia who are trying to destabilise the situation.”

Yesterday, Pte Kerr’s website was inundated with tributes from devastated friends who had just heard of his death.

One said, “RIP Jamie Kerr. I can’t believe you’re gone, hunnie. Sleep tight. Night night.”

Another said, “Love you mate. You were a great guy. Never forget your happy face.”

A friend called Chris wrote, “You were too good for this world. You were a good friend.

“Wish we could have stayed in touch more but the times we did spend together were great...just great.

“You’re in a better place now.”

On Bebo, Mr Kerr talked of going to his favourite haunts in Dunfermline and his local pub in Cowdenbeath.

He said he was happiest when out with his friends and enjoyed going to Life and Harlem nightclubs.

On his first full day in office, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the fallen soldiers, who died bravely serving their country,” he said.

Pte Kerr’s mother Pauline was too upset to talk about the tragedy and callers to the family home in South Street were politely turned away.

Locals at the nearby Woodside Hotel on Broad Street also declined to speak.

In Oakley, callers to Mr Kennedy’s father’s home in John Stuart Gait were also turned away.

The families issued a request through the MoD press office asking that their privacy be respected and they be given time to grieve in peace.

Neighbours of Pte Kennedy said he was the eldest of four brothers.

Jean Bedborough, who lives near the Kennedy family, said, “Everyone is feeling very bad because he is just a young lad. It is very sad for his family.”

Neighbour Christine Kellock added, “He was a lovely boy and his brothers are very nice boys, too. He only went out to Iraq about four weeks ago.

“Everybody is devastated. You see it on the telly and think it’s bad, but this brings it home because we’re just a wee mining village.

“His grandad was in The Black Watch and was so proud of him.”

People in Cpl Joszko’s home village of Abercynon said they were devastated at the news of his death.

Alwyn Gunter, secretary of Avondale Social Club, where he was a member, said “There is crying in the street—you would not believe it. People who knew him broke down crying.”

He said Cpl Joszko and his partner had a one-year-old son and a second child is due to be born later this year.

Seven Black Watch soldiers from Fife have now died while serving their country in Iraq.

In August 2004 Pte Marc Fearns (21), from Glenrothes, died in Basra.

In October the same year, Pte Kevin McHale (27) from Lochgelly, was killed.

He was at the wheel of a Warrior vehicle when it overturned in the desert south of Baghdad.

In November 2004, three soldiers from Fife became the first British troops to be killed in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq.

Sergeant Stuart Gray (31) from Dunfermline, Pte Scott McArdle (22) from Glenrothes, and Pte Paul Lowe (19) from Kelty, were all serving at Camp Dogwood in Iraq and died when a car bomber struck at a vehicle check-point they were manning.

Lance Corporal Barry Stephen (31), from Perth, was the first Scots soldier to be killed in Iraq during an incident near al-Zubayr in March 2003.