Sir Galahad was forced to delay its docking for days

The Sir Galahad, which has about 650 tonnes of food, medicine and fresh water on board, has now docked after being delayed by storms and the discovery of mines.

Stuart Lloyd, from Swansea - a diver with the Royal Engineers, has been clearing mines in the area since Monday.

Meanwhile, troops from the Welsh Cavalry have been in serious fighting near the city of Basra.

At Umm Qasr, a British team has been preparing for the arrival of the Sir Galahad all week.

"We got here Monday morning and we were diving by Monday teatime," said Stuart Lloyd.

Stuart Jones helped to clear the docks

"Every force has its own area to search, and they wanted this jetty as a prioirty," he added.

The Army will now attempt to share out the food, water and supplies fairly among the local people by setting up 12 distribution points.

A Royal Marines spokesperson, Major Jeff Moulton added that it had only just become safe enough for the ship.

"As recently as last Sunday, there was still a lot of fighting going on in the town, but things have stabilised significantly," he said.

Meanwhile, troops from the Queen's Dragoon Guards - also known as the Welsh Cavalry - have been involved in several skirmishes close to Basra.

Scimitar light tanks from the unit have been involved in the operation to take the city.

Military forces reported earlier that more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians who were attempting to flee Basra were fired on by their own military forces.