SCHOOLBOY William Wilson, aged 10, was back in his West Somerset classroom this week after becoming the youngest person to take medical supplies and other aid for frontline troops in war-torn Ukraine.

William, who lives near Stogursey and attends Otterhampton Primary School, travelled 1,400 miles with his mother Clare Wilson and her nephew Sam White in a convoy to Lviv.

They delivered a pick-up truck packed with medical and other supplies which was immediately taken to the front lines of the war with Russia to be used as a combat ambulance.

The family met and shared a meal with soldiers of the 24th Assault Battalion returning on leave from the fighting.

They endured a series of air raid alerts during three days in-country and saw first-hand how everyday life had changed since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.

Mrs Wilson said: “It was a humbling, emotional experience, but one we would do again in a heartbeat.

“It was actually quite scary. I do not think I had quite taken it in that we were going to a country that was at war, which sounds so obvious.”

The drama started immediately the Pick-ups for Peace convoy crossed from Poland with a police escort under an air raid warning.

Their first night in Lviv saw another air raid alert with everybody sheltering in an underground bunker, after which sleeping became difficult because of anxiety.

Mrs Wilson said the soldiers could not believe a 10-year-old would be so brave, and they tore off their unit badges to give to William in appreciation.

She said: “It was just heartbreaking to hear their stories.

“One had been a farmer, one was a plumber, and another was a bricklayer, just ordinary people not trained to fight.

“The one message that came over again and again was ‘thank you for not forgetting us’.