Amid headlines comparing casualty figures in strife-torn Helmand Province to those in the Second World War, General Sir Richard Dannatt said it would be a "tragedy" if the public did not realise the significance of what soldiers are doing there.

Visiting troops at Camp Price in Gereshk, the Chief of the General Staff also gave his personal backing to the idea of a special bar to be added to Afghanistan campaign medals for those who served in the south, recognising the intensity of fighting in the area.

But he stopped short of supporting a separate medal for frontline troops, called for by a campaign in the UK.

He also said he would push for further pay rises for soldiers and urged an increase in the "danger bonus" received by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The past 10 days have seen two more soldiers killed in action against the Taliban in Helmand taking the total number of British personnel to have died in Afghanistan since 2001 to 70.

"Yes of course this is tough, and in a tough fight we are bound, from time to time, to have fatalities and of course that's tragic," he said.

"But I think it is even more tragic, doubly tragic, if people back home don't really understand what the Army is doing, and what the Army is doing here is absolutely critical for the future of Afghanistan."

Britain is expected to retain a military presence in Afghanistan for decades. Sir Richard said more needed to be done to make the public better informed about the struggle in the country.

Fighting in Helmand has been described as some of the most intense since the Second World War or Korea but Sir Richard said comparisons could be meaningless.