Oil worker back from Libya after rescue by Americans [Edition 3]

RESCUED from the oil fields of Libya in a fraught flight forfreedom, Ian Kirkland is at last safely back home with his family atConnor Downs.

A high-speed desert crossing, missing passports and pilots undergunfire all played their part in the oilman's frantic escape - andit was not British special forces who got him out of the country,but the Americans.

Mr Kirkland, a self-employed oil consultant, says he intends towrite to President Barack Obama expressing gratitude for his rescue.

The oil camp where Mr Kirkland was based is in the middle of thedesert, about 500 miles from Tripoli. He was faced with gun-totingLibyans while he and fellow workers were stranded, not knowing whatwas going on.

The normal means of transport is an aircraft from Tripoli to anearby airfield but the Gaddafi regime grounded all internalflights. Then it pulled the plug on the internet, mobile phone andsatellite communication.

Trucks were being seized at gunpoint, as well as food and, in onecase, 40 workers, who were driven 40 miles farther into the desertand dumped.

"We had four trucks left, which was just enough to get us out butI had no doubt that allied forces would successfully extract us," hesaid.

Mr Kirkland said he and colleagues were then told a charteredinternal aircraft was 25 minutes from landing at the nearestairfield, which was 25 miles away.

"I have never driven at that speed across the desert," he said."It was mind-blowing."

He and his colleagues arrived just as the aircraft was preparingto take off again.

Embassy They flew to Tripoli, not to the international airportbut to a smaller one on the other side of the city.

There was no sign of anyone there from the British Embassy, butin the corner of the building were American Embassy staff. They werewaiting for an aircraft to fly out their own personnel, but agreedto give the oil workers a lift.

The only problem was that their passports were at theinternational terminal and all the roads between were blocked.

Eventually they were delivered, five minutes before the plane wasdue to depart, though the vehicle bringing the passports came underfire and the driver himself was within moments of being shot byLibyan guards. Mr Kirkland said: "As the aircraft took off fromTripoli it erupted in shouts and cheers.

"Our rescue was 100 per cent due to the Americans."

A week ago, his wife Glynis and family were expressing theirfears for what might happen to him but on Saturday they were allwaiting at Heathrow when he finally touched down on British soil.

Back home, he said: "Fortune smiled on us. In the end it was likea fairytale: the right time and the right place.

"I'm going to take a few weeks off and have a rest beforethinking about the future. I'm just so delighted to be home.".British special forces have rescued 300 stranded oil workers in twoseparate operations, flying them to safety in Malta.

The SAS landed in Hercules transport aircraft at a number of oilcamps to bring out British personnel and workers of several othernationalities.