"Situational awareness" is an essential part of every soldier's training, and for those working in Helmand province, it's second nature.

A few days ago, Sergeant Craig Williamson, of B Company 1 SCOTS, was on patrol in the Wishtan area of Sangin. His platoon were accompanied by Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers who discovered a large improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a busy road, outside a mosque.

A specialist bomb clearance team was called in, and as they set to work the 1 SCOTS and ANA soldiers spread out to warn locals and reassure them about what was going on. It was then that Sgt Williamson realised the damage that the bomb would have caused, for as he entered a neighbouring compound he found a Mullah teaching the Koran to 50 children.

He says: "I was shocked and appalled that the insurgents would place such a deadly device so close to all those children."

As soldiers spent time handing out school books and playing with the children, others looked out over the rooftops. Sgt Williamson himself was on a roof with two of his soldiers when he noticed something suspicious. He takes up the story:

"I noticed a guy paying particular attention to our patrol. He peeped out from behind a wall about 150m away, 5 or 6 times, and seemed to point us out to someone else in an alleyway out of our sight. I got my guys on the roof to watch that area. Suddenly, a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at the ANA soldiers, who were about 20 yards away from us. Seconds later, a guy popped his head out of the alleyway we had been watching, and then stepped out with a weapon in his hand ready to fire at us. But we were too quick for him - we fired before he could. He toppled backwards into the alleyway and disappeared."

The enemy did not return that day, and the large IED, which was actually two bombs linked by wire, was successfully cleared.

This isn't the first time that Sgt Williamson has found himself threatened by insurgents while on patrol near a mosque. In October his platoon came under attack while chatting with a young Mullah - but they didn't return fire on that occasion, for fear of hitting civilians.

For Sgt Williamson and the boys of 6 Platoon, it's just another day on the job...