> Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge. KIA

Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge, 51 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, killed in Afghanistan

31 Aug 07

It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge from C flight, 51 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment in Kandahar Province, southern Afghanistan on the morning of 30 August 2007.

Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge
[Picture: RAF]

A civilian interpreter was also sadly killed in the incident and two other servicemen received minor injuries. Shortly after midnight local time, C Flight was conducting a routine security patrol around Kandahar Airfield when the vehicle SAC Bridge was travelling in was caught in an explosion.

All the casualties were evacuated to the ISAF medical facility at Kandahar Airfield by emergency response helicopter. Sadly SAC Bridge was pronounced dead on arrival and the interpreter later died of his wounds.

Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge

SAC Christopher Bridge, aged 20, from Sheffield joined the Royal Air Force on 12 June 2005. After successful completion of his Trainee Gunner Course, undertaken at RAF Honington, he was posted to 51 Squadron RAF Regiment at RAF Lossiemouth on 18 November 2005. During his time on the Squadron he served in Southern Iraq between January and June 2006 providing Force Protection for Basra International Airport.

More recently, SAC Bridge had been deployed on Operation HERRICK providing Force Protection for Kandahar Airfield since April 2007. His role took him into the local community to deliver enhanced security, not only for the Airfield but also for the Afghan population. At the time of his death he was providing security for his colleagues as a top cover sentry for a mobile patrol.

SAC Bridge was an extremely popular and professional Gunner. He was relatively junior in rank; however, he was immensely dependable and hard working. His infectious sense of humour made him stand out amongst other Squadron personnel and he could be relied upon to raise a smile in adversity.

Squadron Leader Tony Brown, Officer Commanding 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, said:

"Senior Aircraftman Chris Bridge was a very competent Gunner, unassumingly professional and with a promising career ahead. Following operational service in Iraq, Chris had consolidated his position on the Squadron as a capable and enthusiastic Gunner whose likeable personality and witty sense of humour made him engaging to serve with. Passionate about travel, he had clearly made his mark on the Squadron and will be sorely missed."

Flying Officer Matt Jupp, Officer Commanding C Flight, 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, said:

"Chris Bridge was a very well liked, motivated and hard working member of the Flight. A once quiet young man he grew into an adventurous, charismatic and intelligent Gunner. He was a high calibre member of the Royal Air Force Regiment and a generally good bloke. I will miss him."

Sergeant 'Oz' Bailey Senior Non Commissioned Officer, C Flight, 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, said:

"Chris Bridge was a member of C Flight for the best part of 18 months. He was a quiet and confident young man and well liked by all on the Flight. His one outstanding trait was his dry sense of humour, which always had us in fits. Never one to complain he worked hard for everyone. He will be missed by me personally and the rest of the gunners on C Flight."

Senior Aircraftman 'Parky' Parkhouse, C Flight, 51 Squadron RAF Regiment said:

"He was a good mate and when we worked together, Chris was nothing less than totally proficient and hard working. He was liked amongst the whole Flight and Squadron. He will be missed so much by everyone and forever in our thoughts."

Senior Aircraftman 'Burky' Burke, C Flight, 51 Squadron RAF Regiment said:

"Chris was a top lad and liked by everybody. He was always happy in a quiet way. Very well known throughout the Squadron for his dry sense of humour. Chris was on C Flight as a specialist machine gunner and will be missed and remembered forever. He will always be with us in our hearts."

Ms Nicolette Williams, mother of Christopher Bridge, said:

"Christopher was my pride and joy; everybody is heartbroken who knew him. He touched so many lives. He died courageously serving his country and Queen and we are all very proud of him."

Defence Secretary Des Browne said:

"Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge was held in very high regard by his comrades and officers. His death is a tragic loss which is being felt by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and comrades at this most difficult of times."

Senior Aircraftman Bridge's family have requested that the media respect their need for privacy at this difficult time.         

Blood, sweat and fears in Afghanistan

Sgt Chris Homewood

Three Nato troops have been the latest casualties of the conflict in Afghanistan, where 73 British servicemen have already died.

Nigel Green joined men from Yorkshire serving with the Light Dragoons in Helmand Province.

I COULDN'T help thinking they were all mad. There we were, stuck in the desert, 7,000 miles from home, with the temperature hittingnearly 50C (125F).

These men are fighting in a war that many people back home do not even understand. Some of them earn less than the national minimum wage. Day after day, they put their lives on the line in a conflict in which 73 British soldiers have been killed.

And yet, the 100 members of the Light Dragoons still managed to laugh and joke as they sweated in the afternoon sun, repairing their Scimitar tanks, ready for their next battle.

As I chatted with these men - some just teenagers - I could not help but admire them - mad or otherwise.

There is a common misconception that squaddies are not that bright. My experience has taught me that nothing could be further from the truth. They all knew the reasons why British troops were fighting in Afghanistan, and they all knew the history of this far-flung land.

Some thought they should be in Afghanistan. Some did not. But they all agreed on one point: they had a job to do and they would do it.

They also all had dramatic stories from the 40 "contacts" the unit has been involved in with the Taliban in five months. Like most of his pals, Trooper Chris Hatton knows he has killed Taliban fighters.

Chris, 22, from Guisborough, said: "It's either them or us at the end of the day. Morale is always very high in our troop. But the view among the young lads is that we shouldn't be here.

"I think we should pull out. I think people are dying unnecessarily for a cause that nobody understands. I think our country needs sorting out before this one. There's been too much sacrifice."

Another soldier who has been in the thick of the action is Corporal Chris Williams, who is the commander of a Scimitar tank. The 27-year-old, from Hull, said: "We have contacts day and night.

"You can go through a village one day and it's full of women and children. You can go back a few days later and it's changed. You can feel the difference. The women and kids have moved out and you know something is going to happen.

"You have rounds whizzing past, and mortars landing nearby, but you don't think about it, you just react.

"A few weeks ago, we were hit from three sides and all I saw was dust flying and muzzle flash. I didn't see any of the people who were firing at me. But I would guess there must have been 20 to 30 of them.

"They know the ground like the back of their hand. They are in caves and ditches. They have tunnels underground. In all the contacts we've had, I've seen just two Taliban.

"Truthfully, I don't think we should be here. As fast as you kill them, they get replaced."

Chris's brother, Lee, is also serving with the Light Dragoons in Afghanistan. He is a sergeant based 20 miles away in Lashkar Gah.

"I've seen him just twice since we've been out here," says Chris. "He works in intelligence, so he knows when my troop has been hit. My mum and dad are nervous about us being out here, but they are used to it because my brother's done seven tours and I've done five.

"I tell my parents I'm in a tank with 10 tonnes of armour. I don't tell them about the mines that can rip through the vehicle."

Chris recalls one particularly close call, when their vehicle's engine stalled during fighting - and left them an easy target for the Taliban.

Trooper Ben Holmes, 20, from Leeds, was the driver, and he was under pressure to get the engine re-started.

Chris said: "I told him to reverse. He put his foot on the accelerator and it just stalled. I was panicking and screaming
and kicking the back of Ben's chair. Ben didn't panic. He's unflappable.

"It took a few minutes but eventually he managed to get it started again. We were just sat there as a big target for everyone. It was a miracle that we didn't get hit."

Ben laughs as he boasts: "I wasn't frightened. Chris is right. I am pretty unflappable."

Sergeant David Gray is the commander of a Scimitar tank which alone has fired 81,500 rounds.

The 36-year-old, from Doncaster, said: "Some of the big ones have lasted four to five hours. In one of the contacts, the gunner fired 2,000 rounds. This has definitely been the hardest and busiest tour I've been on in my life.

"You have to give the Taliban some respect. They know the ground extremely well. It's their country. They know every inch of the ground. They've got an underground system of tunnels, rat-runs and bunkers.

"We've been lucky we've had no serious injuries yet. It's the infantry who've been hit hard. I wouldn't like to do their job."

David and his colleagues all have tales of close encounters with death.

"We were parked up on a bank," says David. "I heard a great big explosion to my right-hand side, and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) had landed about one foot from the vehicle.

"I heard the Apache helicopter above us radio back to say we had actually been hit. It was that close. I wouldn't say I was frightened. It was more shock. The other vehicle took the guy out. He was hard to see in the long grass but we got no more firing from him."

Sergeant Chris Homewood, 28, from Kendray, Barnsley, has also had a close shave.

He said: "We were on patrol and stopped in a position looking into a village that we knew the Taliban had been operating from. The place looked deserted. There didn't seem to be any civilians in the area. Then, suddenly, they attacked us.

"They fired mortars and RPGs at the same time. Four mortar shells landed around 20 metres away from me. I had my head out of the turret, and I was looking through my binoculars.

"They fired an RPG and it hit the back corner of the vehicle. The whole vehicle shook. I went deaf and my binoculars shattered. The vehicle filled with smoke. There was a heat-wave which burned the hairs off my gunner's arms and neck.

"I told the driver to fire some smoke. I ducked down into the vehicle to check everyone was all right but I had to go back up because I needed to see what was happening. I decided the best thing was to pull out.

"As we drove down the hill, I spotted the dust trail from the back-blast of the rocket. I told my driver to turn right and to come around the side of the hill to outflank them.

"We opened fire and we killed the three teams of men who'd fired the RPGs - I reckon eight to nine guys.

"My feelings went from shock to anger. I thought they've tried to kill me and my crew. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about myself. I'm in command, and it's my job to keep them safe. My driver had just got married before we came on tour. I wasn't pleased that they had to die, but I had to do it."

Chris, who has been in the Army for 12 years, is full of admiration for teenagers in his unit who, in many cases, have seen as much action as him.

"I've got lads who were  

literally boys just 12 months ago but are men now. They can stand up on their own two feet. They've got the lives of other crew members in their hands.

"They make the right decisions, and it shows the character of the lads coming through."

David said: "We never fire if there are women and kids in the area - even if there are Taliban around. Nobody wants to kill kids."

David, who has been in the regiment 18 years is twice-divorced - a fact he partly blames on Army life. "I can understand why the young lads don't like being away, but I joined the Army to get away and do some travelling."

Chris Homewood added: "At such a young age, it's always hard. I have young lads under my command who constantly look to me for help.

"It's a different culture from when I joined but I personally think that the ones that are joining now are better than ever. They know they're going to see action."

> Anger as injured troops' pay is docked

Anger as injured troops' pay is docked

MARK NICHOLLS

27 August 2007 15:21

Angry relatives and MPs have criticised the government for hitting wounded soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment and other units in their pay packets by snatching back battlefield benefits.

The outcry comes as the Royal Anglians suffer mounting numbers of dead and wounded in Afghanistan with the latest being the three soldiers killed and two severely wounded in a "friendly fire tragedy" after a US warplane accidentally bombed their units.

Troops serving in danger zones such as Afghanistan or Iraq qualify for an Operational Allowance of £12.75 a day but this stops as soon as they leave the war zone, either at the end of the tour...or if they are medically-evacuated home after being shot or blown up by enemy fire.

In some cases, it is costing injured troops hundreds of pounds as they lay recovering from bullet, shrapnel or blast wounds.

But campaigners say this is unfair and immoral to dock the allowance of injured and hospitalised troops while their comrades and their battalion are still on the front line.

The criticism also coincides with growing anger aimed at the government over the way it funds the military and rewards service personnel, and as more than 30,000 military families have signed a petition calling for a dedicated military hospital to treat wounded troops.

The issue of the docked benefits came to light with a growing number of troops from the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment suffering serious injury- believed to now be more than 50 of the 600 who were deployed in April. The battalion has also suffered nine fatalities during its deployment in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

Last night Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: "Soldiers who have been injured serving their country should be given awards, not penalised by penny-pinching bureaucrats.

"It is entirely outrageous that this money is being snatched back from them almost as soon as they are stretchered off the battlefield.

"At the very least, those lying injured through no fault of their own should retain all of their allowances until their battalion returns home."

The issue is also affecting scores of injured troops from other regiments serving in Afghanistan such as the Grenadier Guards, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment and the Swanton Morley-based Light Dragoons.

It also comes as forces charities such as the Royal British Legion feel that the government is failing to honour its commitments to troops through the Military Covenant, which guarantees soldiers fair treatment in return for forgoing other rights.

The 1st Battalion Royal Anglians - nicknamed The Vikings - recruits from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and has been involved in intense and close-quarters fighting with Taliban forces on a daily basis over the last few months and has been harder hit than any other battalion with a high number of casualties.

The father of one soldier who was wounded while serving with the Royal Anglians in Afghanistan spoke of his disgust at his son's pay being docked of the Operational Allowance.

"What more can you give for your country than your life," he said. "Nine of them have done that and about 10pc of those that are out there have very nearly done that and this is the way the government treats them.

"I would like to see the government that sends them out there in the first place do something to show that they support them. I think the Operational Allowance should be paid for the period that the regiment is on duty. The fact that somebody has been wounded and returns home should not see them penalised while the rest of the regiment that have not suffered an injury are still being paid it.

"It just shows this government's attitude towards out troops."

The Operational Allowance, paid to anyone serving in what is called a hazardous operational area, was introduced last October for UK forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans, though has since been stopped for Balkan service.

The decision followed a campaign to stop soldiers paying tax on their earnings while on deployment and bring them into line with US troops. The Operational Allowance now amounts to £2,320 for a typical deployment.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that the allowance is only payable to troops in Afghanistan for the time they spend in theatre and halts the moment they leave the danger zone.

"Soldiers are eligible for the Operational Allowance from the time they go into theatre and for the time that they remain there. If people feel that they are not getting the money that they are entitled to they need to take it up with their regimental pay department.

"The idea of the scheme is to compensate military personnel for the dangers that they are going through and the living conditions they are enduring while on operations."

The MoD points out that there is financial assistance available for injured troops who are hospital in-patients. They receive £5 a day and continue to receive the longer-service separation allowance, travel support for families and access to TV, library and comfort kits.

Mid-Norfolk Conservative MP and military expert Keith Simpson has called for a thorough review of the way the army compensates servicemen and women.

He said: "In the past two years the MoD has ended up having to retreat on various things due to public and media pressure.

"But what is happening is that the MoD is looking at this piecemeal but it now needs to look at the whole business of this covenant between the people and the army and look at this in the light of circumstances that have changed considerably. Part and parcel of that may be a recognition that the servicemen and women should be treated fairly. Britain has often been behind other countries in many of the things it has done for its servicemen and women.

"I think the government never expected the intensity of operations that the army was going to face in Iraq and Afghanistan, it underestimated how high the level of casualties would be and I do not think the system of allowances has caught up with that."

'Friendly fire' deaths have dented troops' moral

By Sean Rayment in Afghanistan, Sunday Telegraph

Last Updated: 1:42am BST 26/08/2007

Afghanistan

The commander of British troops in Helmand has spoken of his "absolute devastation" over the deaths of three of his soldiers, killed by American forces in a "friendly fire" incident.

Brigadier John Lorimer described the botched bombing by an American F-15 fighter jet as a tragedy that left him "mortified". He admitted that it had dented morale among troops in southern Afghanistan.

Speaking from his headquarters in Lashkar Gar, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Brig Lorimer said: "It was a ghastly incident and the pain was felt right across the whole of the force. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy."The Ministry of Defence in London has released details of the three soldiers killed. Private Aaron James McClure, 19, from Ipswich, Suffolk, and Pte Robert Graham Foster, also 19, from Harlow, Essex, joined the Army last year and this was their first operational tour. While Pte McClure was called "a rising star" by his Platoon Commander, Pte Foster was described as an "accomplished rifleman". Pte John Thrumble, 21, from Chelmsford, Essex, a machine gunner who was the third soldier killed, had been in the Army for three years. The deaths are a bitter blow for the men of the Royal Anglians, who have now lost nine soldiers in fighting since May, the highest number suffered by a single battalion since Operation Herrick, the codename for the war in Afghanistan, began in 2001.

The last member of the regiment to die had been on August 11, when Captain David Hicks was killed during an attack on his patrol base, north-east of Sangin, in Helmand province.

Thursday's "friendly fire" incident occurred when a patrol of 60 soldiers from the Royal Anglians set off from their base in Kajaki, northern Helmand, to hunt Taliban fighters known to be operating in the area.

As the patrol moved through farmland it was ambushed by Taliban. The soldiers from B Company - who after months of frontline action are now hardened fighters - returned fire immediately and called for close air support. Two F-15 combat jets, which were already airborne and conducting a routine combat air patrol, flew to Kajaki to assist the British troops.

Forward air controllers sent the enemy co-ordinates to one of the pilots and a 500lb bomb was dropped. Instead of hitting the enemy, it landed among the British troops, killing three men instantly and leaving two others wounded, one of whom is described as being very seriously injured.

The deaths brought to 73 the number of British fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001.

Last night, however, Brig Lorimer was adamant that the incident would not affect relations with the United States military. He said he "trusted implicitly" the American pilots who fly on "close air support" missions and who have saved hundreds of British lives.

"This incident was all the more devastating because we have been using US aircraft for the last five months on a regular basis and their support has been fantastic and on many occasions my soldiers' lives have been saved by US aircraft dropping bombs," he said. "We are here to fight cunning and cruel enemy and that is what we are doing."

Brig Lorimer disclosed that he had already visited the colleagues of those killed and that all had accepted it was a tragic accident.

"I was up at Kajaki this morning and it was really quite humbling," he said. "Yes, they had been affected by this incident, their morale had been dented, albeit temporarily so, but they were thoroughly determined to carry on with job. I went out on patrol with them and they were as professional as ever and for me, as a commander, I could not ask for more."

Brig Lorimer denied the suggestion that his men were not properly equipped to fight the Taliban or that a sophisticated combat identification system would have made a difference.

He said: "I am happy with the equipment and procedures we have in place. It will be up to the investigation to find out whether all of the equipment and procedures that were in place and were being used at the time were correct. As far as I am concerned, we will continue using close air support in the same way. We used it again last night and US aircraft were involved."

---

British deaths by US friendly fire

February 1991: Nine soldiers from Royal Regiment of Fusiliers killed when US A10 "tank-buster" attacks stationary tank

April 1994: Two Army officers among 26 Nato delegates killed in Iraq when American F-15s shoot down US Blackhawk helicopter

March 2003: Lance-Corporal Matty Hull dies in Iraq after American A10 attacks his armoured vehicle

March 2003: RAF Tornado crew Flight Lieutenant David Williams and Flight Lieutenant Kevin Main killed by US Patriot missile battery near Iraq-Kuwait border after being mistaken for Iraqi missile

December 2006: MoD investigation launched amid reports that Royal Marine Jonathan Wigley was hit by Allied fire in Helmand

August 2007: Three soldiers from 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment killed in Helmand by bomb dropped by American F15s

> Gordon Brown attacked over Forces fun...

Gordon Brown attacked over Forces funding

By Gethin Chamberlain, Sunday Telegraph

Last Updated: 1:42am BST 26/08/2007

Gordon Brown has come under fire on both sides of the Atlantic for starving the Armed Forces of funding, leaving them struggling to fight on two fronts, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

	Robert Foster, Aaron McClure and John Thrumble

The Prime Minister was attacked by Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, and a White House adviser over ten years of "underspending".

He was accused of refusing to give British troops the money to defend themselves as they combat insurgents in southern Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The claims came as the three soldiers killed by a US jet in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan were named as Privates Aaron McClure, Robert Foster and John Thrumble.

Critics said that the men, who were hit by a 500lb bomb in Helmand, should have been protected by high-tech systems to identify them to friendly forces.

Dr Fox said that cuts in defence spending demanded by the Treasury had left the Army unable to invest in equipment that could have saved the soldiers' lives.

"Gordon Brown showed no interest in the Armed Forces in his time as chancellor," said Dr Fox. "We know what he thinks about casinos and cannabis but we have heard scarcely a word from him on Afghanistan. When it comes to people putting their lives on the line there is a deafening silence.

"As chancellor, Gordon Brown never gave defence much priority and now the skies are black with chickens coming home to roost."

Since Mr Brown became Prime Minister on June 27, 13 soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and 15 in Iraq.

Frederick Kagan, an adviser to President George W Bush and the architect of the US surge strategy in Iraq, said the special relationship between Britain and America was under threat because defence cuts had left the Army unable to sustain simultaneous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Britain has a lot of problems, principally that their ground forces are too small and are now paying the price," Mr Kagan said.

He disclosed that 3,500 US troops would have to be taken out of the surge to step into the breach when the British leave southern Iraq. "I do worry about the short-term effects on the relationship between the two countries. It will create bad feeling with American soldiers if they can't go home because the British have left."

The commander of British forces in Helmand last night paid tribute to the three soldiers from 1 Bn, the Royal Anglian Regiment, who died in Thursday's blue on blue attack. Speaking in Lashkar Gar, Brig John Lorimer said that their deaths were a tragedy that had dented morale.

The incident is under investigation and serving officers were at pains not to lay the blame on either the American pilots or on shortages of combat identification systems designed to reduced the chances of such tragedies.

	Liam Fox: 'Gordon Brown never gave defence much priority'

But a powerful Commons committee and the National Audit Office have publicly condemned the Government for its failure to invest in equipment to prevent blue on blue, or friendly fire, incidents. In 2003 the public accounts committee criticised the MoD for diverting billions of pounds that should have been spent on battlefield recognition technology into other projects.

In May this year, the committee's Conservative chairman, Edward Leigh, said: "At the moment, pretty well the only solution to avoid being shot at by an American aeroplane if you're in a war... is to have a great big Union Jack flying on top of your tank."

An MoD spokesman said: "We take the risk of fratricide very seriously and continue to invest in combat ID technologies to help prevent it."

The Government claims that defence spending has risen, but its critics say it has fallen compared with other areas.

The Conservatives say that the proportion of GDP spent on defence is at its lowest since 1930. Spending on health and education has more than doubled since 1999 while defence has risen from £22 billion to £32 billion.

Col Clive Fairweather, a former deputy commander of the SAS, said that it was cuts imposed by Mr Brown that had reduced the Armed Forces to having to call in the Americans when they needed close air support in Afghanistan.

"It is the fault of Gordon Brown's Treasury that the Army is under-resourced," he said. "We don't have enough aircraft, troops or equipment".

> killed in Afghanistan on Thursday 23 August 2007

Private McClure, Private Foster and Private Thrumble killed in Afghanistan

25 Aug 07

It is with profound sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of Privates Aaron James McClure, Robert Graham Foster and John Thrumble from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment who were killed in Afghanistan on Thursday 23 August 2007.

Private Aaron James McClure
[Picture: MOD]

The three soldiers, all serving in 7 Platoon B 'SUFFOLK' Company, were killed when the platoon came under accurate fire from a determined Taliban force during a fighting patrol to disrupt enemy activity and reassure the local population north west of Kajaki, in northern Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

During the ensuing fire fight air support was requested from two US F15 aircraft to engage the enemy positions and it was then that a bomb tragically struck the compound where the three soldiers and their section were located. An emergency helicopter was tasked to assist, however, sadly Privates McClure, Foster and Thrumble were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other soldiers were also injured in the incident which occurred at approximately 6.30pm local time. The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the medical facility at Camp Bastion for treatment.

The events surrounding the incident are subject to an investigation.

Private Aaron James McClure

Private McClure, nicknamed 'Troy', enlisted into the British Army in March 2006 and having completed training as a rifleman at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in October the same year. He had recently participated in exercises in the UK and Kenya.

As a rifleman in 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company Private McClure had been serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan since March 2007 on his first operational tour. During this time he had been involved in numerous fierce engagements with the Taliban frequently at close range, often in dangerous situations and in the most demanding of environments. 'Troy' quickly established himself as a highly capable, motivated and brave soldier.

His quiet, unassuming nature was founded on an inner confidence that saw him excel at a very early stage in his career; he was a rising star within the Company who had a bright future. Widely regarded as a first-rate soldier, notable for his complete reliability and commitment, it was in contact with the enemy where he displayed his true ability working selflessly to support the remainder of his platoon without complaint; characteristics he will be remembered for. Private McClure's friendly, modest exterior belied a soldier who was focused, physically and mentally tough, and intent on doing the utmost for his team-mates. His presence will be missed immensely by all within the Company.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Carver Commanding Officer 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment said:

"At 19 years-old, Private Aaron McClure was already a veteran of over forty engagements with the enemy. It is tragic that where the Taliban had failed, it was an accident that has taken him from us. Loyal, hard working and highly professional, he constantly surpassed the standards expected, and his loss is a bitter blow to the whole Battalion. We will never forget him, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this most difficult of times."

Major Tony Borgnis, Officer Commanding B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private McClure, although relatively new to the Company, was an exceptionally professional and highly motivated soldier. He rapidly established himself as one of the hardest working and most dependable soldiers I have. He consistently carried out even the most demanding tasks to the highest of standards. His actions epitomised the very best qualities of the British Infantry, in general, and the Royal Anglian Regiment in particular. He was a true and loyal friend to all those he served with, always placing the needs of others above his own. His loss is tragic and deeply felt by all members of the Company. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones."

Lieutenant George Seal-Coon, Platoon Commander 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private Aaron McClure was a rising star of the platoon. As a soldier, he displayed the greatest levels of professionalism and dedication in the most arduous and dangerous of environments. As a friend he was utterly selfless and reliable. His strength of character was ever an inspiration to those who worked and lived alongside him. We are all devastated by his loss."

Sergeant 'Woody' Woodrow, Platoon Sergeant, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private 'Troy' McClure was an amazingly robust soldier with potential beyond his young years. He was always helpful and dependable in the thick of things. We will miss him deeply and he will never be forgotten."

Lance Corporal Stevie Veal, Section Commander, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Troy as most people knew him was a smart and intelligent soldier whose aspirations inspired his peers and even his commander. He was more than capable of becoming a fine junior non commissioned officer, which is what he wanted above all. He was a model for the British Army. We will always remember him, and it was more than a privilege to serve with him."

Private Aaron 'Ronnie' Barker, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"McClure known to most of his mates as 'Troy' was a hard working and very determined member of 7 Platoon who would 'work his socks off' to achieve the best results he could. 'Troy' had a lot of ambition and would have gone far in the Army. He will be missed very much by all of us in 7 Platoon and the Company. Rest in peace mate and my thoughts are with your family."

Aaron's family said:

"Aaron was a wonderful son to Lorraine and Karl and grandson to Vi, Allan, Linda and Lenny. He was loved by his aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous friends alike. He was also looked up to by his brothers, Lewis, Daniel and Ryan.

"Aaron loved the army life to which he was dedicated and had aspirations for promotion. He was never happier than when with family who knew Aaron as a bright, happy, handsome lad who would do anything for anyone.

"Aaron was a light in our lives now extinguished, always loved, never forgotten.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with other families affected by this tragic incident."

Private Robert Graham Foster
[Picture: MOD]

Private Robert Graham Foster

Private Foster enlisted into the British Army in April 2006 and after completing training as a rifleman at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in October the same year. He had recently participated in exercises in the UK and Kenya.

Private Foster had been serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan since March 2007 as a rifleman in 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company. It was his first operational tour and like Private McClure, he saw significant action during his short time with the Battalion, being involved in numerous, often close quarter, engagements with the Taliban in the most demanding circumstances. In these situations he fought with a strength and courage that belied his relative inexperience, testament to his unswerving commitment to his fellow soldiers.

Private Foster was one of the Company's real characters. An extrovert by nature, his gregarious approach was a refreshing relief from the stresses of combat; unsurprisingly he was hugely popular within his platoon and the wider Company. He had the rare quality to always see the bright side of any situation, irrespective of the severity of events. His confidence and excellent sense of humour shone through at every stage, lifting the morale of all those around him.

An accomplished rifleman who worked hard for his mates, Private Foster clearly enjoyed Army life and being amongst his fellow soldiers. He had a bright future in a career that he loved. His absence will be felt deeply within the Company.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Carver Commanding Officer 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment said:

"As a junior soldier, Private Robert Foster settled in remarkably quickly and was a highly respected Viking. Fiercely loyal to his friends, he had seemingly limitless reserves of courage and strength of character way beyond his years. He had a rare quality of always seeing the bright side of any situation and a mischievous sense of humour which made him hugely popular. Never to be forgotten, our sympathy and prayers are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."

Major Tony Borgnis, Officer Commanding B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private Foster joined the Company only six months before deployment to Afghanistan and yet he immediately became an integral part of the team. His consistently high morale was infectious across all ranks with which he served. His apparently unlimited capacity for carrying out courageous acts was an inspiration to the rest of the Company. As a soldier he was utterly dependable and professional even through the darkest of times. As a friend he was compassionate, kind and lifted the spirits of those around him. He will always be remembered by those who were close to him and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends. We will never forget him."

Lieutenant George Seal-Coon, Platoon Commander 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private 'Fozzy' Foster was a beacon for the platoon: his courage, character and sense of humour made him a close friend to those around him. At all times, he carried out his tasks, with the highest professionalism and great personal strength, making him ever steadfast amongst his team. His highest quality was his loyalty, to his platoon, section but above all his friends. He will be sorely missed."

Sergeant 'Woody' Woodrow, Platoon Sergeant, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private 'Foster Child' was a fun loving, hilariously funny and enthusiastic young soldier. He was one of the true characters within the Platoon and a very competent and dependable operator. He was a true team player that was loved and will be truly missed by all".

Lance Corporal Stevie Veal, Section Commander, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Fozzy as he was known by all will be remembered for never turning a dare down. He was up for anything and kept the comedy value of the section up when it was most needed. He was a model for the British Army. It was a privilege to serve with him and we will never forget him."

Private Aaron 'Ronnie' Barker, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Foster was a very funny member of 7 Platoon and will be missed a lot. I remember the first time I met him. It was at the ranges, after a long day shouting, we went to sleep, only to be woken by more shouting. It was Foster sleep-talking. He will be missed a lot by me because he was hard working, down to earth and just a likeable guy who got on with everyone. You will be missed a lot by the whole of 7 Platoon and the Company. Rest in peace mate, my thoughts are with your family."

Robert's family said:

"To us Robert was the most wonderful son; he was the life and sole of the party and had a very loving and caring nature. His family and friends now feel a very big gap in their lives. The only consolation is that he died doing the job he loved. We have been overwhelmed by the love and the support we have been shown by everyone since we received this heartbreaking news.His sister Lauren says he was a great brother: He always looked out for me, even though he was younger. I'm so very proud of him and always will be.

"Our thoughts are also with the other families affected by this tragedy and we pray for a full recovery for the two injured soldiers."

Private John Thrumble
[Picture: MOD]

Private John Thrumble

Private Thrumble enlisted into the British Army in April 2004 and joined the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in July 2005 after completing his training as a rifleman at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick. In the same year he completed a tour with the Battalion in Iraq, on Operation Telic 6, where he served with distinction. He had recently participated in exercises in the UK, Canada and Kenya.

As a machine gunner in 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company Private Thrumble had been serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan since March 2007. During this time he had been involved in numerous, close quarter engagements with the enemy where he had proven himself to be a brave, tenacious and steadfast soldier who would not yield irrespective of the circumstances - in a fight he was always there for his mates.

Private Thrumble was a unique character, known by all within B (Suffolk) Company for his quirky sense of humour and unshakably high morale. He had the rare ability to 'light up' any situation with a well timed, good humoured remark or gesture that would always raise the morale of his fellow soldiers. A kind-hearted and sincere soldier, he had developed into a highly competent and professional infantryman who loved his job and Army life; he revelled in the operational challenges of service in Afghanistan. He talked enthusiastically of the upcoming promotion course where he aspired to succeed and gain promotion to Lance Corporal. Sadly his significant potential will go unrealised.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Carver Commanding Officer 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment said:

"Private John Thrumble was one of the mainstays and leading characters within the Battalion. An inspirational model to others and a caring and compassionate friend to many, he will be sorely missed. Proven in combat on countless occasions - his raw courage and ability to raise a smile were invaluable in these testing times. He joins the ranks of his fellow fallen Vikings but his reputation will live on and he will never be forgotten. The most sincere condolences of the entire Battalion are with his family and friends at this tragic time."

Major Tony Borgnis, Officer Commanding B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private Thrumble was one of the B Company characters. He was utterly dedicated to his job and in particular, fiercely loyal to his platoon and protective of his friends. This attitude was shown countless times during operations, where he was frequently under heavy enemy fire. His courage and professionalism were always evident during the most demanding periods, where he was often a 'rock' for the younger members of the platoon. His loss is felt deeply throughout the Company, he will be sorely missed. All our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time"

Lieutenant George Seal-Coon, Officer Commanding 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private John Thrumble was a stalwart member of 7 Platoon. He was always professional, taking great care in all aspects of his work. He was courageous and determined, proving himself on numerous occasions. He was an inspiration and a friend to all, putting the welfare of others before his own and showing compassion at all times. His sense of humour, high morale and character set him apart as a great soldier and a great friend. He will not be forgotten."

Sergeant 'Woody' Woodrow, Platoon Sergeant, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Private hMumbles' was a true character within the platoon, with a great outlook on life. He was a real team player with a heart of gold. We will miss him deeply and he will never be forgotten."

Lance Corporal Stevie Veal, Section Commander, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"Thrumble was a very strong member of the section. Being the most senior private, he will be remembered for his random sense of humour which most of the time only he could understand. But still he always managed to raise a smile on anyone's face in the worst of times."

Private Aaron 'Ronnie' Barker, 7 Platoon B (Suffolk) Company said:

"John was the joker of the platoon and even the Company, and always managed to make you laugh whatever the circumstances. Although he was hard as nails, he had a soft side to him which most people did not know. He had some ambition and wanted to stay in the Army and work his way up through the ranks. My thoughts are now with his family, his brothers and his girlfriend who he loved very much. Rest in peace. I am going to miss you very much, mate."

Mr Stephen Thrumble, Private John Thrumble's father said:

"John was well known and well loved by all that new him, he leaves behind parents Stephen & Pearl and a younger brother Luke and foster Brother Semicjan Dalti. Although John loved his family dearly he had become attached to his second family, B Company, 'the Vikings', and was proud to serve alongside the friends he had made on the way. All the family are very proud of John and what he had achieved on the way whilst with the Vikings."

Poem from Mum Pearl Thrumble:

"Our son the soldier, how great a man he must be.
To be joined in the fight to set another world free.
Our son the soldier, so very proud of you we are.
To all of us who love you, you will always be a shining star
Our son the Soldier so far away from home in a foreign place
Just close your eyes to see a familiar smiling face
Our son the soldier so very far away
We will be waiting with open arms on your coming home day."

Author unknown

Defence Secretary Des Browne said:

"It is with profound sadness that I learnt of the death of Privates John Thrumble, Aaron McClure and Robert Foster of 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan. Although it appears that their deaths are the result of a tragic incident involving allied forces, it is important to remember that they died participating in an operation vital to the security of the British and Afghan people. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families, friends and colleagues of those killed or injured at this most difficult of times.

"The investigation which has now begun will be thorough and undertaken with the utmost urgency."

Brigadier John Lorimer, Commander Task Force Helmand, said:

"I am extremely saddened by the death of three soldiers from Task Force Helmand in what we believe to be a tragic accident.

"The death or injury of every solider affects us all deeply. But as professionals we must carry on with the job in hand - fighting a determined, cunning and cruel enemy with the clear goal of bringing peace, security and stability to Afghanistan on behalf of its Government.

"We continue to work very closely with US Forces in Helmand and their contribution is instrumental to the success of our joint mission. Our track record speaks for itself - our partnership is highly effective and we have the insurgency on the back foot. This incident is all the more devastating because on numerous occasions, bombs dropped by US aircraft have saved the lives of British troops on the ground.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the soldiers killed or injured at this deeply distressing time."

> Three British soldiers killed in Afgh...

Three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

24 Aug 07

It is with profound sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of three soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment who were tragically killed in what is believed to be a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan yesterday, Thursday 23 August 2007.

MOD Announcement

Two other soldiers were also injured in the incident. All of the soldiers were taking part in a fighting patrol to disrupt Taliban activity and reassure the local population north west of Kajaki, Helmand Province, when the incident occurred at approximately 6.30pm local time.

Their patrol was attacked by Taliban insurgents and during the intense engagement that ensued, close air support was called in from two US F15 aircraft to repel the enemy. One bomb was dropped and it is believed the explosion killed the three soldiers.

The three soldiers were declared dead at the scene. The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the medical facility at Camp Bastion for treatment.

The events surrounding the incident are subject to an investigation.

The soldiers' next of kin have been informed and have requested a twenty four hour period of grace before further details are released.

Britain's neglected wars

Aug 16th 2007
From The Economist print edition

The strange quiescence of Britain's anti-war movement

ON THE Ministry of Defence's website is a growing list of the young men and women who have died fighting for Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their photographs, which show tanned soldiers smiling into the camera against clear skies and dust, give little indication that Britain is fighting some of its fiercest battles since the Korean War. But the frequency of their posting points to the rising price that is being paid for an honourable exit from Iraq, and to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

British casualties in both conflicts have jumped from a monthly average of five between 2004 and 2006 to eight so far this year. More servicemen and women have already died in 2007 than in all of 2003, when Iraq was invaded (see chart).

But rising casualties have not been translated into the public displays of discontent that might have been expected. The most vocal campaigns have been mounted by soldiers' organisations, which, though they do not oppose the wars, argue that Britain is letting its soldiers down. On August 15th the Royal British Legion, a venerable veterans' charity, spoke of a "growing sense of disillusionment among service personnel and veterans about their treatment by the state".

Strangely, Britain's once-vociferous anti-war movement has become more muted as ever more flag-draped coffins return home. While the troops were preparing to invade Iraq, between 750,000 and 2m protesters gathered in London for Britain's biggest demonstration against anything ever. But by 2005 organisers were struggling to mass more than 10,000, according to police estimates (organisers claim more), and their most recent big event, in February 2007, drew no more.

So why has anti-war sentiment been relatively muffled in Britain when in America it is defining the presidential elections, and in Canada, Italy and Germany it has prompted heart-searching national debates about whether to bring the troops home? The wars are no more popular in Britain than they are among its allies: far fewer Britons than Americans have ever thought the war in Iraq a good idea. Support in Britain peaked at 60% right after the fall of Baghdad in 2003, and at 73% in America. It has since dwindled to 30%, against around 40% in America.

One difference between the two countries is the scale of the involvement. As America has built up its forces in Baghdad to about 160,000 soldiers, Britain has cut its troops back to around 5,500 (from a peak of 46,000 in 2003). Fewer soldiers in harm's way has meant fewer anxious families back home and kept British casualties much lower than America's.

The war feels distant for most Britons for another reason too. Pollsters at the Pew Research Centre discovered that 27% of Americans have a close family member or friend who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan, whereas a recent YouGov poll found that only 18% of Britons have friends or relatives doing anything at all in the military. That may reflect not just Britain's smaller army but also its recruiting. Almost a tenth of the British Army is composed of soldiers from 57 different countries, with some 3,500 Nepalese Ghurkas, 2,000 Fijians and 975 Jamaicans filling the ranks.

Britain's steady withdrawal from Iraq has also played a role in dampening active dissent. Why march to bring the boys home when Gordon Brown, the prime minister, is already expected to cut the forces in the field?

Fewer Britons oppose the involvement in Afghanistan, where British forces have more than doubled in the past 18 months, to 7,700, and casualties are also rising. This may be because a plurality (at least of those who talk to pollsters) think Afghanistan can still be won, compared with an outright majority who think the effort is failing in Iraq. Public support, it seems, hinges less on whether soldiers are dying than on whether they are winning.

> Afghanistan medal petition set up

Afghanistan medal petition set up

Mr Myers says soldiers deserve more recognition

A Shropshire man has set up an online petition calling for a special medal to be awarded to British forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Andy Myers, of Shrewsbury, has started a petition on the Number 10 website.

Campaigners complain the Ministry of Defence still offers soldiers the same medal as it did to those involved in peacekeeping duties in 2002.

Mr Myers said the new award would recognise the extra intensity of the armed conflict in Helmand province.

Mr Myers said the current medal was designed to recognize "peacekeeping role and is the same medal as was awarded to troops immediately after the Taliban were deposed".

'Deserves recognition'

He added: "The current campaign can be considered to be anything but a peacekeeping role with our troops currently facing a 1 in 36 chance of dying during a 6 month deployment in Helmand province.

"Their bravery and loyalty deserves recognition above and beyond that awarded in general and individual acts of bravery."

Seventy UK troops have been killed while on operations in Afghanistan since 2001.

But the Ministry of Defence has rejected calls for a new medal to be awarded, saying the current award is not for peacekeeping but general operational service.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said earlier this week there "should be no doubt that our people are getting the recognition they deserve", adding that it was the Army commanders that decided "whether a medal is deserved".

Mr Myers' petition has been signed by 46 people since it was set up on Tuesday.

> Demand for military hospital grows as...

Demand for military hospital grows as UK's only war ward struggles with casualties

By MATTHEW HICKLEY - More by this author >> Last updated at 00:00am on 17th August 2007

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Demand for a dedicated military hospital grew yesterday amid an overcrowding crisis at the country's only ward set aside for soldiers.

MPs and veterans spoke out as rising casualty rates put intolerable pressure on the single NHS ward at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.

It has just 14 beds - yet, in the last month alone, 145 personnel have been flown back from Afghanistan and Iraq for treatment.

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• Taliban shrapnel is still in my heart

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Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham has just 14 beds on the ward for soldiers

The dedicated "military-managed" ward, with uniformed military nurses working alongside NHS staff, was set up before Christmas following complaints from soldiers who found themselves on ordinary wards, isolated from their comrades and surrounded by civilians with no understanding of the terrors of war.

But now officials admit the unit is too small for the numbers of battlefield casualties, and the overflow has had to be treated on ordinary mixed NHS wards.

The revelations come amid claims from the Royal British Legion that Britain's "military covenant" - which supposedly guarantees fair treatment for fighting troops - is being broken.

Campaigners last night said that wounded heroes - many of whom have lost limbs or eyes - are being left with "the crumbs from the NHS".

Selly Oak has been the main receiving centre for casualties since 2001 as the closure of the old dedicated military hospitals gathered pace.

The last, at Haslar near Portsmouth, shut earlier this year.

Ministers claimed the move would improve care by giving troops access to more highly-skilled NHS staff.

But at Selly Oak, one soldier described waking up to find himself surrounded by "old women and drug addicts", while there were reports of a Para being confronted by a Muslim man who accused him of "killing my Muslim brothers".

The head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, declared mixed military-civilian wards to be unacceptable.

Falklands veteran Simon Weston said yesterday: "We should build a bigger unit for these people, and ideally it should be a separate military wing or building.

"If in years to come we no longer need it, then fine - give it back to the NHS. But our boys shouldn't be living off the crumbs from the NHS like this."

Major General Patrick Cordingley, who led the Desert Rats in the 1991 Gulf War, said: "When I visited Selly Oak recently, I found there was no space for wounded men to sit together and 'decompress', as the military call it - to let off steam as soldiers do without worrying about offending anyone, to share their experiences and draw strength from each other.

"Selly Oak is a model that could be made to work much better, but it needs proper money spending on it."

Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: "The men and women of our Armed Forces deserve the best medical care. Anything less will be seen as yet another breach of the military covenant."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that some troops are housed outside the Selly Oak ward, but said each one still has a dedicated military nurse.

The "overflow" space is close to the military unit, he added.

Plans are being considered to increase the number of dedicated beds from 14 to 34, he said.

* Suicides in the U.S. army soared to 17.3 per 100,000 soldiers last year, up from 12.8 in 2005, the Pentagon said. That is more than 50 per cent higher than the rate among civilians.

Nearly 30 of last year's 101 suicides were in Iraq or Afghanistan. There were two suicides in the 100,000-strong British Army in 2006.

Concern mounts over rising casualty rate

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

Last Updated: 2:07am BST 15/08/2007

The casualty rate among front line units fighting in Afghanistan has now surpassed the average suffered by troops in the Second World War, it can be revealed today.

	Soldiers of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters regiment carry an injured colleague

Privately Whitehall sources are admitting that the high casualty rate is becoming a source for concern.

The three infantry battalions which have been involved in substantial battles with the Taliban have seen their casualties mount since deploying to Helmand province four months ago.

In particular the 1st Bn Royal Anglians has lost a fifth of its troops to battlefield wounds, disease and injuries with 131 soldiers, most of them front line veterans, becoming casualties. Six of the 650-strong battalion have been killed, 54 wounded and 71 have suffered broken bones, malaria or severe heat stroke. A total of 64 have been evacuated back to England.

These figures compare with a casualty rate of almost 11 per cent in the Second World War. More than 11 million troops served in the British Commonwealth then, with 580,000 killed or missing and 475,000 wounded.

The loss of troops in Helmand since April has been the equivalent of an entire fighting company. "It has been a tough few days but we will get through it," said regiment sources. "However the progress that has been made in Helmand over the past four months is significant." Morale was still "remarkably high" and there was an "underlying determination that these sacrifices won't have been in vain".

However, there is deep frustration among British Forces that the public at home has little understanding or interest in Afghanistan.

The other infantry battalions in Helmand have had a tough mission. The Grenadier Guards have had five soldiers killed and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters have suffered three fatalities. Both have had scores wounded.

Last November, only three British soldiers were wounded in Afghanistan by the Taliban, compared with 38 in May.

The Anglians, nicknamed the Vikings, have also sustained a number of minor casualties treated on the front line, which are not included in official statistics.

The high casualty rate comes after it emerged that deaths in Iraq could exceed the 53 servicemen killed in the year of the 2003 invasion.

> Officer killed as pressure for new aw...

Officer killed as pressure for new award grows

By Thomas Harding, Brendan Carlin, Stephen Adams and Martin Beckford

Last Updated: 2:43am BST 15/08/2007

Frontline troops who put their lives at risk in Iraq and Afghanistan are being failed by the government, according to forces charities and campaigners.

Have your say: Should British troops be honoured for fighting in Afghanistan? Full coverage: Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan In pictures: British troops in action There is growing anger amongst the service community that the historic Military Covenant, which states soldiers and their families should be properly looked after in return for the sacrifices they make in the line of duty, is not being upheld.   Capt Dave Hicks had been on tours of Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan Some of the most influential organisations in the armed forces have condemned the current treatment of soldiers and are calling for the government to provide the armed forces and their familes with proper care. According to the newly-founded British Armed Forces Federation, Baff, the covenant is "now a dead letter". At the same time, the Royal British Legion, which holds an annual poppy appeal to raise money for former servicemen, is to launch a campaign to demand that the government witholds the covernment and ensures soldiers and their families are properly looked after. The criticisms come at the same time as the most senior British officer to be killed on the front line was named by the Minsitry of Defence as Capt David Hicks. He died on Saturday defending an outpost in Helmand province against a substantial Taliban attack, despite being mortally wounded. He was hit by rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire as he lead a counter-attack against the terrorists. According to officers he refused morphine because he wanted to get back up on to his watch tower to carry on fighting. As his regiment mourned yet another death, MPs from all three main parties joined forces to push for a special award for those fighting the insurgency. The MPs' calls followed yesterday's front page story in The Daily Telegraph calling for a separate medal to be awarded to soldiers fighting in Helmand Province, the most dangerous region in Afghanistan. Labour defence committee members Kevan Jones and David Burrow called for the troops' sacrifices to be recognised. Two Labour members of the Commons' defence committee called on the MoD to recognise the intensity of the current conflict with a special honour. At the moment soldiers fighting against the Taliban - the most intense battles the British Army has engaged in since World War Two - are honoured with the same medal given to forces who took part in what were essentially peace-keeping operations in the country five years ago. Now Douglas Young, the chairman of Baff, has rounded on the government saying that soldiers were not being properly recognised for the sacrifices they were making on the front line. He said: "If the military covenant is anything other than spin and hot air, then it has to be at the forefront of policymakers' minds whenever defence policy is being formulated and not just trotted out when there's a good news story. "The sacrifices made by members of all three armed services in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the past few years have been immense and in return they need to be recognised with the special consideration that the covenant appears to promise." This Autumn, the British Legion will launch a campaign to highlight medical care, military inquests and iniquities in the compensation system for injured troops. The campaign aims to "address the growing sense of disillusionment among service personnel and veterans about their treatment by the state". A spokesman for the Legion spokesman said: "This is not an Iraq/Afghanistan campaign. "It is for the whole of the service community. However, it's true that the service charities have seen an increase in their workload as a result of certain operations." Ernie Stables, of the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association, said: "We have got about 43 people who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have either lost their limbs or the use of limbs, or an eye. Probably about 26 of those have come to us in the last year."

then and now

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:39am BST 14/08/2007
The contrast between the current conflict in Afghanistan and the original deployment five years ago could hardly be sharper. The first British soldier to die in the Afghanistan campaign was L/Cpl Darren George of 1st Bn Royal Anglians. At the time troops had been welcomed into Kabul and, with the Taliban routed the previous year, they were patrolling in berets and little body armour on a peacekeeping mission. L/Cpl George, 22, was the unfortunate victim of an accidental discharge from a weapon in April 2002. In the last four months six Royal Anglians have been killed by enemy fire in an operation that is all-out war.
British forces in Helmand have now surpassed at least two million rounds fired in anger - a long way from the former defence secretary John Reid's assertion that they might not fire one. Fighting is at times so intense it has been said to be the fiercest fight in which the British Army has been engaged since the Second World War. It is the huge amount of hard fighting that the British troops are now doing that is causing some resentment in the ranks. A number of soldiers want the hardships that they have faced to be recognised by a medal separate from the one awarded during the quieter days of service in Kabul in 2002. Fighting a long way from home with little news of the heroism and difficulties of the front line being reported in the press, some would feel a new medal would be a more fitting tribute to the dead and those wounded and mentally scarred by the Helmand fighting over the past year. While their wishes are unlikely to be granted by the Ministry of Defence, there is a strong argument for a bar with "Helmand" written on it being added to the Afghanistan campaign medal. It is a place after all, that has seen British troops experience the hardest and most sustained fighting and casualties for more than 60 years.

> Captain David Hicks of 1st Battalion ...

Captain David Hicks of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment killed in Afghanistan

14 Aug 07

It is with profound sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Captain David Hicks from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment on Saturday 11 August 2007.

Captain David Hicks
[Picture: MOD]

Captain Hicks, aged 26, was killed during a violent attack on his patrol base north east of Sangin, in Helmand Province. At 1320 hours local time the patrol base came under attack from small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades, and indirect fire. It was during this engagement that Captain Hicks was injured. An emergency response helicopter took him to the medical facility at Camp Bastion for treatment, but sadly he did not survive.

Captain David Hicks, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

Captain David Hicks was commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 2002 into the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment. After two years commanding a rifle platoon he went to Bosnia for two months as a Company Second in Command with The Grenadier Guards. He then went to the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, for just over a year where he trained recruits, before going to Iraq as a Company Second in Command for the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment - 'The Poachers'. He then returned to the 1st Battalion towards the end of 2006 where he took over again as Company Second in Command for C (Essex) Company.

Captain Hicks had been deployed on Operation HERRICK 6 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, since March 2007. He had been involved in numerous engagements with enemy forces. At the time of his death, he was acting as Company Commander, and had commanded a number of fighting patrols deep into Taliban territory, always leading from the front and setting the example for the remainder of the Company. He died commanding C Company from the front as he coordinated the response to the attack on their patrol base.

Captain Hicks was an extremely dedicated, conscientious and professional officer. He planned everything with incredible attention to detail, always ensuring he achieved the best possible result. He had a real passion for soldiering and thrived in the operational environment, where he had the opportunities to practise the profession he so loved. He was a true advocate of the 'work hard - play hard' ethos of the infantry and was a real character in the mess.

"Captain Dave Hicks was an outstanding officer who will be sorely missed by all members of the Battalion."

Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Carver

He was supremely fit, and enjoyed all physical aspects of the Army. His hobbies included skiing, and he was already planning the Battalion skiing trip for early 2008. He had been with his girlfriend Nicola since late 2006 and was planning to buy a house with her in Surrey following his operational tour in Afghanistan.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Carver, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"Captain Dave Hicks was an outstanding officer who will be sorely missed by all members of the Battalion. It is typical of him that he had led from the forward position during the attack on his Company, in order to best direct the battle and provide an inspiring example to his men. Even after being mortally wounded his only concern was to get back into position to control the fight. Highly professional with a genuine concern for his soldiers, he typified the highest standards of leadership and commanded genuine respect from all who served with him. Our sincere condolences are with his family and friends at this most difficult of times."

Major Phil Messenger, Officer Commanding C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"Dave Hicks was the most professional and dedicated fellow infantry officer I have ever had the privilege of working with. He had a true affinity with the soldiers he so enjoyed working alongside and he commanded their respect due to his firm but fair leadership style. He was an infantry officer of the highest order, totally dedicated to his work and determined to give 100 per cent in everything he did. He will be sorely missed by all officers and soldiers of C (Essex) Company and will always be remembered as a first class officer and dear friend."

Capt Alex Maclay, Regimental Signals Officer, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"Words cannot describe what the loss of Dave means. Whether it was his shoulder to cry on, as a partner in crime, or just comradeship, we shared many good times, the memories of which I will always cherish."

"Captain Dave Hicks was a good friend and a good leader of men. To me he was a calming influence who would be able to see through tough situations and find a positive side. His humour was unique and he always knew what to say to cheer people up."

Sergeant Matthew Waters

Lieutenant Marni Olivier, Officer Commanding 11 Platoon, C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"I have had the honour to serve with Dave since the start of this operational tour. His calming influence and willingness to make time to listen to our concerns always impressed me. I trusted his judgement and thoughts. He led us extremely well in some very dangerous situations. I will miss my friend."

Sergeant Matthew Waters, 11 Platoon, C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"Captain Dave Hicks was a good friend and a good leader of men. To me he was a calming influence who would be able to see through tough situations and find a positive side. His humour was unique and he always knew what to say to cheer people up. Dave stepped up to Company Commander and used his intelligence and experience to do what was right for him and the men. He was a good friend but hopefully he has gone to a better place. Dave will be sorely missed by all in C (Essex) Company and across the Battalion. He was a true star."

Private Benjamin Emmett, C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, said:

"Captain Hicks was a very hard working and understanding Second in Command. He was a funny, caring man and would always put a smile on your face. He was always willing to give advice and would never put you down. He always had time for everyone from private soldiers to the Company Commander. He will be missed greatly by all that knew him."

Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence, said:

"Captain Hicks' death is tragic. The loss of such a dedicated and talented officer is truly sad and I would like to express my sincere condolences to his family. My thoughts are also with the men of the Royal Anglians who Captain Hicks led so courageously in battle."

> BBC Video - 2 recent Anglian's killed in Action

Click here to view

> Britain's frontline soldiers have 1 i...

Britain's frontline soldiers have 1 in 36 chance of dying on Afghan battlefield

Fran Yeoman

Britain's frontline troops in Afghanistan are being killed at such a rate that, were it to continue, one in 36 would not survive a six-month tour of the country.

In Iraq, as many as one in 100 of all service personnel could die during a six-month stint if the death rate there continues as it has in the past month.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a serviceman from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment was killed on Saturday during an attack on a patrol base in Helmand province. His death brings to seven the number of British troops in Afghanistan killed in action or from wounds sustained in battle since July 12. This is compared with a monthly average of 0.7 since the conflict began in November 2001. All seven fatalities were members of a 1,500-strong frontline force primarily charged with fighting the Taleban.

If the death toll continued at this rate, 42 battle-group personnel would be killed in the next six months and a frontline soldier embarking on a typical tour of duty in the country would stand a one in 36 chance of being killed.

In Iraq, five personnel on frontline duties have died in the last month. If such a rate were to continue, 30 personnel from the roughly 1,500-strong "battle group" in Iraq would be expected to die in the next six months, giving a fatality rate of one in 50.

But as British troops in the southern Basra region begin to scale down their patrols in preparation for the planned handover of control to Iraqi forces this year, it is not only the "battle group" troops who are finding themselves in the firing line.

Last month three RAF men were killed in a rocket attack on their base at Basra airport, where British troops will soon be concentrated. A fourth man, Lance Corporal Timothy Flowers, died when the Basra Palace base was fired upon two days later.

New figures released this weekend reveal that the two bases have been hit by more than 300 rocket and mortar attacks in the past two months, more than the previous four years put together.

With all types of service personnel vulnerable to this kind of attack, the overall death toll of nine for last month, out of 5,500 troops based in Iraq, would mean that approximately one in 102 of all personnel would be expected to be killed during a six-month tour of duty.

The average number of troops killed every month in action or from wounds sustained in battle in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003 is 2.5.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, said that it was imperative that the Government should urgently review its policies in both Iraq and Afghanistan "before the death toll rises further".

He said: "These statistics are deeply saddening. Above all because they represent personal tragedies for hundreds of British families. But they are also an indictment of a government which has no clear idea how to get British Forces home without further heavy loss of life."

Patrick Mercer, a Conservative MP and a former commanding officer of The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, who have lost three men in Afghanistan, said that the Army faced a severe challenge. "Battalions are now taking very serious casualties - where every man will know every single person that is killed. This is an experience that the Army as a whole hasn't had since World War Two," he said. "The penalty you have to pay is that men will be extremely tired emotionally and physically, which is in no way a reflection on them. Six months is a long time to spend on an operation when you are suffering these kinds of losses.

"Meanwhile, three battalions have recently been disbanded and cuts mean that you have a smaller pool of men to send to do these very difficult tours. That means they will come round more and more frequently."

A spokesman for the MoD said that it was "oversimplistic" to draw conclusions from a monthly death toll.

"Fatalities over a short period of time do not provide an accurate reflection of the overall death rates of British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. These numbers represent people's lives and should not be taken out of context," he said.

"UK personnel have performed magnificently during a prolonged period of extensive operations. They have put their lives on the line and we cannot pay high enough tribute to the job they are doing."

The MoD said that the soldier who died on Saturday was killed when his patrol base, northeast of Sangin in Helmand, had come under attack from small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

The injured soldier, who has not been named, was taken by helicopter to Camp Bastion but did not survive. Five other soldiers received minor injuries in the attack.

On Friday, Private Tony Rawson, 27, was killed when his patrol was attacked by Taleban fighters on its way to check a local irrigation project.

Four servicemen were killed last week in Iraq, bringing the death toll so far this year to 41. This is compared with the 53 who died during the whole of 2003, the year of the invasion and fall of Baghdad.

A YouGov poll published this weekend found that 53 per cent of British voters believe that UK troops are failing in Iraq. Three quarters want them brought home immediately or within the next year. Only 6 per cent felt that Britain is winning in Afghanistan.