The most senior British clergyman in Iraq has criticised the lack of support for British troops from the public, calling for the Church and Government to do more to promote public backing for their role in the conflict.

Canon Andrew White, the vicar of St George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad, called for letter-writing campaigns like those of the Second World War to raise the morale of the service-men and women risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His plea, backed by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop to the Forces, David Connor, Dean of Windsor, echoes a similar call made by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the forces, Tom Burns.

Canon White contrasted the level of support given to British troops in Basra by the public to that shown by the American public for their forces.

Speaking to The Times yesterday in London on the eve of being awarded the the “Pursuer of Peace” award by the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, Canon White admitted that mistakes had been made in Iraq, but said that the former regime of Saddam Hussein could not have been removed by the Iraqi people acting alone.

“What really concerns me is that the British do not support their military in the same way as the Americans do,” he said.

“If you go around the American embassy in Baghdad it is full of letters and pictures written and sent by children to American soldiers.

“Among the British troops there is nothing. Apart from Armistice Day, when do we ever hear of the British supporting their military? I would like schools to do letter-writing campaigns. I would like people to be made more aware of how many troops we have serving in Iraq.”

In his comments, Canon White also added his voice to recent criticism of the “apalling” standard of some Armed Forces housing. Privately, many clergy working with the Services believe the constant criticism of the war by Church leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has undermined support for the troops.