In April dozens of service and civilian medical staff deployed to Afghanistan – many for the first time.

It’s fair to say without the treatment administered by these people on the battlefields, in helicopters and ambulances travelling to hospital, many servicemen and civilians would die.

Here Defence Reporter Tristan Nichols, right, who has spent three months embedded with 3 Commando Brigade, talks to Plymouth-based medical staff about their life-saving roles in Afghanistan.

MEDICS, nurses and hospital staff from Plymouth have been witnessing the horrors of war first-hand.

With the Taliban's 'fighting season' now in full swing, casualty rates have increased "dramatically" according to servicemen.

As well as injuries to British servicemen and other NATO forces personnel, whole Afghan families and children have been caught up in the fighting.

And Plymouth's service and civilian medical staff, many based at Derriford Hospital, have been treating the injured – who also include Taliban fighters.

Royal Naval Medical Assistant, Brian Playfair, is a member of the Ambulance Response Troop at Camp Bastion.

The 30-year-old married father-of-one who lives in Crownhill, said: "It's my first deployment to Afghanistan and I have seen some serious injuries out here.

"It varies but, as a father, when you see injured children coming in in a bad way, it's difficult.

"We trained with Amputees in Action before we deployed and it prepared us as well as we could expect.

"We do feel like we're making a difference and that is why it's a rewarding job."

Morwenna Nichols, another Royal Naval Medical Assistant – who has deployed to Afghanistan for the first time – said she has found the job hard at times.

"One on my friends from home was injured here recently," said the 22-year-old who works at Derriford Hospital and lives at HMS Drake.

"He sustained serious injuries in an IED blast, but it could have been worse. It brings it home to you, and makes you realise how important and valuable everyone is in looking after each other out here."

Sergeant Matt Weites, a Royal Marines bandsmen and ambulance driver in Afghanistan, said: "We have been here since mid-March now and it has been busy. Initially it was quiet because of the poppy season.

"But over the last four weeks the tempo has picked up dramatically. Casualty rates have therefore increased.

"Sadly the locals get caught up in it too. Seeing the children with horrific injuries is the worst part. It's horrible.

"We also see sniffer dogs coming off the helicopters with injuries."

Leading Naval Nurse Claire Steele, who lives in the city centre and works at Derriford Hospital, said she feels proud to be able to look after the troops.

"It feels like I am doing exactly what being in the military is all about," the 29-year-old said.

"It can be difficult at times but the military humour helps.

"We treat everyone here at the hospital including Afghans and the language barrier can be a problem. The Afghans are grateful all the same."

It's also Petty Officer Naval Nurse, Cheryl Lindup's first deployment to Afghanistan.

"I served in Iraq in 2007 and this is a lot different," said the 36-year-old who lives in Eggbuckland and works in theatres at Derriford Hospital.

"It's just the pace of it really in terms of the amount of injuries we have to treat.

"The IED is certainly the weapon of choice and that has been common in the injuries we have seen.

"I enjoy my work but the pace of it has been the most challenging thing."

Brigadier Ed Davis, the Brigade Commander of Stonehouse-based 3 Commando Brigade, previously told The Herald that the number of attacks on his troops had leapt from three or four a day before May 19 [when the Taliban announced its spring offensive] up to 46 across Helmand Province on that one day alone.

3 Commando Brigade – and it's 6,500 Royal Marines, Army and Royal Navy servicemen and women – took over security in the Helmand Province region of Afghanistan in April for a six-month tour.