The 4000 US soldiers killed in Iraq in the past five years were predominantly white and more than one in three came from poor southern states, according to a casualty analysis carried out by The Herald.

Almost one in 10 of the dead were officers, with a heavy toll of captains and lieutenants leading their men from the front. Overall, 97% of them died after the official end of hostilities in May 2003.

The fatalities included one Briton from Bedford and a Canadian, both of whom had joined the US Army to see action. There were also 40 native American tribesmen and 44 Pacific islanders.

The 36% of southern boys came from small towns such as Bauxite, Arkansas. There were also losses from Glasgow, Kentucky, and Midlothian, Virginia.

Texas was hardest hit of the old Confederate states, losing 371 dead and 2840 wounded, but California suffered 429 deaths, the highest number of fatalities from any home state.

By ethnic group, the dead were 75% white, 11% Latino and 9% black. Between 40% and 55% were killed by roadside bombs, although rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire accounted for many of the 137 who fell during the assault on the insurgent-held city of Falluja in November, 2004.

US special forces also took heavy losses. Although the Pentagon does not comment on clandestine operations, two naval commanders, five lieutenant-commanders and 52 petty officers - most believed to be members of the US Navy Seals - have been killed.

Four colonels and 14 lieutenant-colonels from the army and Marine Corps were the most senior officers to die, joined by 36 majors and several hundred platoon and company commanders.

The vast majority of losses were in the 20 to 30 age group, with just 83 of the total aged over 45 and only 33 aged 18.

Despite the prohibition on women in combat, there were 98 female deaths, mainly in support units. The mortality rate for women soldiers is 2% of those given Iraq duty.

A US officer with Iraq experience said yesterday: "You'll find that the backbone of the US Army has long been poor, white and southern. Small-town rural Dixie has always been a prime recruiting area because there's a shortage of jobs and southerners have a proud military tradition. Sadly, that translates into casualties."