Yorkshire Regional Newspapers, which published the Free Press, along with other newspapers in Britain had agreed to a news blackout on the Prince's tour of duty.

This is his account of being in Helmand at the same time as Princy Harry.

In all my various reports to the Free Press and its website I agreed not to endanger his life in the Taliban heartland by making the fact known.

One point while I was I was with the Royal Artillery at a forward base his regiment was just over the hill.

I lost count of the number of times my editor told me not to mention "you know who" in any of my reports from front line and I was well aware of the consequences if I did.

Flying into Kandahar in a blacked-out aircraft I was wondering what I had let myself in for. It was a trip I had wanted to make for a few years but when you are flying into a warzone it is a different story.

I had heard of the capture of the former Taliban stronghold of Musa Qal'eh and that soldiers from our area had helped in the operation. I wanted to get there to see the town for myself.

And by Christmas Day I was walking through its dusty streets on patrol with British and Afghan troops. It was strangely quiet and the town's people were friendly but still a little suspicious.

At one point I was kept well back because a suspect explosive device had been found at the side of the road. It turned out to be harmless which is probably a good thing because the Afghan soldiers had investigated it by kicking it.

I did not know it at the time but I met Corporal Damian Lawrence while on patrol. He was in the other group and all I knew was that he was a Whitby lad. He was killed in action recently and when you hear news like that it really brings home the danger of the situation.

The following day, as I was preparing to leave Musa Qal'eh we heard the whine of a couple of mortars go overhead. They landed about 1,000m away but it was a nerve-racking wait for the all-clear.

I never actually met Prince Harry but I feel I endured the same conditions as him. Having left my washbag in Musa Qal'eh I then spent four days in the dessert without washing and had to clean my teeth with chewing gum. Never has a shower been more welcome.

It was a Christmas I will remember but by New Year I felt it was time to come home. I did just two weeks – where the British lads do six months and the Americans do a 15 month tour – you have got to admire them for that.