Brigid Allagoa, a consultant paediatrician, took time out of her job at Dewsbury District Hospital to go to Afghanistan with the Territorial Army in 2007.

Based at the British Army Headquarters in Helmand, Brigid, 52, worked to save lives of soldiers and civilians alongside neurosurgeon Martin Christie.

The pair became firm friends – and when they returned to the UK, love blossomed.

They have now set up home together in West Yorkshire, and are planning their return to Afghanistan later in the year.

Martin, 63, who worked in Afghanistan with UK company Frontier Medical, said: "By chance we were sharing a desk, so during the slack time when there wasn't a lot of work, we got to know each other.

"It's an extraordinary, strange environment and some of the things going on around you can be horrific.

"Sharing the experience with someone can bring you together, but as far as romance goes, it's completely the wrong situation."

In Helmand, the medics endured weekly rocket attacks, and saw some of their colleagues injured while they battled to save lives.

Brigid said: "Looking back, I spoke to Martin more than anyone else, but there was no chance of romance in that environment.

"I had to wear the same uniform every day and all I thought about was the job I had to do.

"I treated lots of babies and children and we struggled, some of them we lost, many of them we saved, but everybody rallied together."

On their return to England, Brigid and Martin, who lost his second wife Barbara to breast cancer shortly before going to Afghanistan, kept in touch and romance blossomed during a weekend walking in the Yorkshire Dales.

They are now living together happily in Huddersfield.

Brigid added: "It was the first time we had been together where we weren't sleeping in tents, sharing toilets with hundreds of other people and facing water restrictions.

"We didn't have to worry about if we were coming under attack or if we had to try and save lives. We could just relax."

Martin has already returned to Afghanistan three times with Frontier Medical and Brigid is expecting to be called back this year.

"It's not the safest environment and I'd rather she stayed here, but she is very brave and determined," said Martin.

The couple praised brave British soldiers battling in Afghanistan.
Martin said: "I really respect the soldiers, they leave the relative safety of the camp and go out there to protect us."

Brigid added: "You are surprised at what you can do when put in the position and we did what we had to do. We were not there to fight, but to mend the people who were fighting. They are the real heroes."