In blazing sunshine, between 500 and 550 members of the Black Watch battle group stood to attention in a square surrounded by battle tanks at their base just outside the city of Basra.

"Welcome... to the Black Watch's final church parade," said Lieutenent Colonel James Cowan, commanding officer of the battalion, which comprises the bulk of an 850-strong contingent that will move northwards in the coming days.

Cowan acknowledged that his men had been the centre of intense media attention over the past fortnight as news leaked out about a US request to redeploy British troops to more dangerous areas.

"I understand the reasons that made this operation a subject of interest," he told journalists, while noting Black Watch's long history of combat. "This is just the latest chapter."

Washington asked top ally Britain to shift some of its 8,500-strong Iraq deployment, based in the south, closer to Baghdad as US troops focus on wresting the restive hub of Fallujah from rebel control -- possibly through an all-out military offensive.

Britain announced last week that it had agreed and would dispatch 850 soldiers for a limited time to the restive Babil province.

Despite operating in a US zone, the British soldiers remain under the overall command of Britain's most senior officer in Iraq, Major General Bill Rollo. The US Marine Corps will control day-to-day tactical operations.

This means that if the US military leadership wants to change the battle group's mission or tasks, they will have to obtain Rollo's agreement.

They will continue to use the British rules of engagement.

Their fate decided, members of the Black Watch -- an armoured infantry battalion based in Scotland -- appeared resigned to facing fresh dangers and were focused on getting the job done in order to return home to their families.

"I am a soldier, I have got work to do and then I want to go home to see my girlfriend," said Captain Tim Petransky, 29, from the southwest of Britain.

"We are going to do a new job in a new area," said the soldier, dressed in British army fatigues, with the olive hat and red feather of the Black Watch.

The battalion contains some of Britain's most battle-hardened troops who helped last year in the overthrow of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

But their latest mission to Babil province, an area under US marine-control south-southwest of Baghdad, promises to be the most challenging.

Iraqis call the northpart of the region spanning through Mahmudiyah, Latifiyah and Iskandariyah the "triangle of death" and it is believed to have strong ties to the Sunni Muslim bastions of Fallujah and Ramadi to the west.

British hostage Kenneth Bigley was reportedly beheaded in Latafiyah.

Despite the dangers, the soldiers put on a brave face.

"We were here last year when there was danger in Basra and Amara (a city in the neighbouring Maysan province). It is just a new experience and a new area," said Corporal Ally McNaughton, 34, from Scotland.

The men also brushed aside concerns about difficulties working under the day-to-day command of their American counterparts.

"Everyone is different but both (US and British troops) are professional and our aim is the same -- to bring peace and stability to Iraq," said Captain Alex Wilfon, 27, from Scotland.

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