Private Matthew Symmans works on his mural of the Royal Rifle Volunteers [Picture: Corporal Will Craig]Amid the heat, rain and cold of Iraq a young soldier from the Isle of Wight has been using his painting skills to create a lasting tribute to the work of his colleagues. Private Matthew Symmans, 21, from Newport, has recently completed a mural denoting the tour of duty undertaken by his unit.

When walking into the Allenby Lines barracks at Basrah Air Station in south west Iraq, many different murals depicting units who have been based there can be seen. The murals have set a timeless footprint in the sand where units have been deployed over recent years. Creating these masterpieces does not come easy to most people.

Nevertheless, hunched under a waterproof sheet as he cleans his brushes, Matthew mixes just the right amount of paint and begins the next Royal Rifle Volunteers mural.

Matthew, a soldier who has served in the Territorial Army for three years, currently serves with 'C' Company of the Royal Rifle Volunteers. A keen artist since he was at school Matthew found the mural, depicted on a concrete blast wall, presented several challenges to his artistic talents. To begin he draws his images in pencil, before carefully continuing with different size paint brushes, the tools with which he cleverly illustrates his blank canvas.

Matthew explained how he became responsible for leaving the mark of his unit at Basrah Air Station.

"When I was mobilized back in March this year, I had a bit of spare time on my hands and got into sketching. That is where I got the nickname Sketch from. So when I got over to Iraq my name got mentioned in a Company meeting and I was given the project."

The result is a stunning 2 x 1 metre mural that shows three soldiers kneeling in the desert after they have dismounted from one of their patrol vehicles. The mural adds to a line of earlier artwork left by other departing units.

Matthew, a former pupil of Carisbrooke High School in Newport, is an assistant pharmacist in civilian life. He is deployed in Iraq as part of the British effort to assist the Iraqi government as it strives to build a democratic and stable future.

The Royal Rifle Volunteers comprise different regiments from within the British Army. Private Matthew Symmans is a member of No 9 Platoon, a small detachment of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. The Royal Rifle Volunteers are responsible for the force protection of key assets at Basrah Air Station, a task which will be taken over by a company from the West Midlands Regiment shortly.