Showing posts with label Soldier killed in Afghanistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soldier killed in Afghanistan. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

New British 'friendly fire' death in Afghanistan probed


A second British soldier has died after being wounded in a suspected "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, has not been named but his family has been told.

He died on Tuesday, having been wounded in a fire fight near Sangin, central Helmand Province, on Monday.

A soldier killed in a separate suspected friendly fire incident has been named as L/Cpl Michael Pritchard.

L/Cpl Pritchard, 22, a Kent-born Royal Military Policeman who lived in Eastbourne, Sussex, died as a result of "small arms fire" - also near Sangin - on Sunday.

Both deaths are under investigation and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) says no firm conclusions will be drawn until after the men's inquests.

Some 105 British soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year, bringing the total killed since operations began in 2001 to 242.

The MoD said "initial reports" suggested the latest death "may have resulted from a friendly fire incident".

Task Force Helmand spokesman, Lt Col David Wakefield, said the soldier's "courage and his sacrifice will not be forgotten".

The BBC's Adam Mynott said that to have two friendly fire deaths on consecutive nights was unusual.

However, he said Sangin was one of the "hottest" areas of conflict between British forces and the Taliban.

"In these shooting incidents where there's a lot of gunfire, it's very hard to tell what's happening," he added.

L/Cpl Pritchard was born in Maidstone, Kent, and joined the Royal Military Police (RMP) in 2007. He had been in Afghanistan since October.

His family said: "With great sadness we say goodbye to our beloved son, a lover of life who has lived life to the full and has brought great joy to all those who are lucky enough to know him.

"A light that shines brightly, our precious son, brother, grandson, boyfriend and special friend to all, we are very proud of you in all that you have done and achieved and you will always be in our hearts now and ever more."

'Unbearable grief'

The soldier's commanding officer, Lt Col Debbie Poneskis, described him as "everything you would want in a military policeman".

"He was a professional and robust soldier and one who was both physically and morally courageous," she said, adding that he was "a cheeky chap, whose laughter was infectious".

"L/Cpl Pritchard's death has hit us as a regiment very hard, at a time when we thought we had already suffered unbearable pain and grief."

Several Royal Military Policemen have been killed in recent months.

They include Acting Cpl Steven Boote and Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith, who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman in November, and Sgt Robert Loughram-Dickson, who died in a gun battle in the same month.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said he was "deeply saddened" at L/Cpl Pritchard's death.

"He was hard-working and dependable and was showing great promise as a junior non-commissioned officer," he added.

Source:bbc.co.uk

Friday, December 18, 2009

Emotional tributes paid to Leeds soldier killed in Afghanistan

By Paul Robinson
Emotional tributes were today paid to a heroic Leeds soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporal David Kirkness, a 24-year-old dad from Morley, died trying to stop two Taliban suicide bombers blowing up a busy marketplace.

* CLICK HERE TO READ AND LEAVE YOUR TRIBUTES TO DAVID.

He was manning a vehicle checkpoint with his platoon, 3 Rifles Reconnaissance, when the insurgents tried to strike at a bazaar near Sangin in Helmand province.

Rifleman James Brown, 18, from Hampshire, also died in Tuesday's incident, along with two Afghan soldiers.

* Click here for latest Leeds United news.

Today L/Cpl's Kirkness's parents, Christopher and Margaret, led the praise for their brave son.

In a statement, they said: "If you knew David you had to love him – it was impossible not to.

* Click here to become a fan of the YEP on Facebook.

"In David's own words 'If you didn't know me, hard luck'. He will always be in our hearts."

* Click here to follow the YEP on Twitter.

L/Cpl Kirkness's younger brother, Christopher, has posted touching messages about his loss on social networking website Facebook. One, written in 'text speak', says: "There's not a day tht will go by tht i wont think of you love you bro."

The Union flag at Morley Town Hall was yesterday flying at half mast. A Royal British Legion wreath was laid in the town hall entrance and a book of condolence will be available to sign at the building from Monday.

L/Cpl Kirkness, who had a three-year-old daughter, Brooke, joined the Army in 2003.

He completed a sniper training course and studied the local Pashto language before being deployed to Afghanistan in October.

The sports-loving former Morley High School pupil celebrated his birthday last Friday.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, commander of 3 Rifles Battle Group, today described him as a "first class leader".

He said: "L/Cpl Kirkness balanced courage and grit with compassion and consideration, winning trust, admiration and friendship wherever he went.

"We take comfort and pride from the fact that he and the soldiers who died with him averted a much larger tragedy."

Major James Richardson, officer commanding B Company 3 Rifles, said: "(L/Cpl Kirkness] was always at the centre of things, not because he craved attention or the limelight, but because people naturally gathered around him, such was his warmth.

"He had a massive heart which was often worn on his sleeve and, perhaps unusually for someone in his profession, was never afraid to show his emotions."

Warrant Officer Class Two Paul Kelly, also from 3 Rifles, "Kirky was a professional young man with a clear career path in which he would have excelled.

"His love for rugby and football was a source of banter within his platoon and he always struck me as a larger-than-life character.

"He will be irreplaceable among his peers and his mates."

A spokesman for Morley High School said news of L/Cpl Kirkness's death
had been "devastating" for staff, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

A fellow former pupil at Morley High described David as one of the most handsome and popular boys in her year.

The deaths at Sangin took the number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 239.

Other local victims include Rifleman James Backhouse and Bombardier Craig Hopson, both of Castleford, and Signaller Wayne Bland, from Gipton, Leeds.

Source:yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/