WHILE his classmates were celebrating their A-level successes this week, 18-year-old William Phillips was serving on the front line in Afghanistan.

He suspended his A-level studies and took a year out from college to join fellow Territorial Army squaddies on a tour of duty.

Rather than raising a glass to toast exam success, he will today be patrolling the dangerous Helmand province as a fusilier with the 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

His mum, Sue Phillips, aged 48, said: "There was a compulsory call- up of TA troops. I think William could have got out of it on education grounds, but he wanted to go. When his college told him that he could take a year out from his A-levels, that was it.

"We knew it was what he wanted and we supported him, but it is very hard.

When the news is on, our ears prick up when Afghanistan is mentioned, but I try and block it out and not to think about it. It is my way of coping."

Fusilier Phillips has been stationed at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan since March.

He joined the TA nearly two years ago, fulfilling a boyhood dream and following in the military footsteps of his grandfather, Frank Lowe, who was in the RAF in the Second World War.

The teenager was a pupil at St James RC High School in Farnworth for five years, before moving to Holy Cross College in Bury where he was studying A-Levels in history, economics, politics, psychology. He will resume his studies next year, and hopes to study politics and international relations at the University of Lancaster. He then hopes to secure a place at Sandhurst.

While it is not unheard of for college students to carry out tours of duty in war zones, it is not a regular occurrence. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "We have had young soldiers in this situation before, but it is certainly not the norm. TA soldiers serve shoulder to shoulder with members of the regular army."

Fusilier Phillips had dreamed of being in the army since childhood. At the age of 13 he joined the 80 Bolton Squadron as an air cadet before joining the Bolton Army Cadets. At 16 he was made a sergeant and at 17 signed up to Bury Territorial Army.

Dad Tony, aged 51, said: "Since he was young he has had an interest in the military and its history. He even cut short a family holiday for army commitments.

"I believe we need to keep politics out of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts and give our backing to the troops.

"William has asked for champagne and apricot biscuits when he gets back - and they are all waiting for him. Among the things we have sent him are the latest Harry Potter book and two water pistols because the only thing he complains about is the heat."

Since the start of his tour, Fusilier Phillips has seen unspeakable horrors.

He has witnessed comrades being killed and in one incident rushed to help a young Afghan girl whose legs had been blown off.

He has also suffered injury himself. At the beginning of May, Fusilier Phillips was on night patrol when his vehicle was involved in an accident. He was hospitalised with neck and shoulder injuries, but released after a few days.

Mrs Phillips said: "I know it is a cliché but he went to Afghanistan as a boy and when he came home for R&R in May he was a man."

Fusilier Phillips' girlfriend Sam Ellis, aged 17, hopes to follow in his military footsteps and become an army vet. The two have been friends since they met in the cadet force, but only started dating in May when he was on R&R.

Miss Ellis, who lives in Blackley said: "I am proud of him but miss him a lot. I worry, but know he can look after himself. We keep in touch all the time. I am looking to go in to army as a vet or veterinary technician."

Fusilier Phillips is now asking for local people to write to him. He said: "It can get very lonely being away for such a long time."

He can be contacted by writing to 25219430 Fus Phillips WJ, Somme Company, London's, Camp Bastion BFPO 792.