Heroes of Afghanistan: The men. The lives. The waste
The young soldiers who died in Afghanistan last week believed in their roles. But their families are distraught
Digg
del.icio.us
Facebook
Reddit
Google
Stumble Upon
Fark
Newsvine
YahooBuzz
Bebo
Twitter
Independent Minds
The Ministry of Defence last night began releasing the names of some of the latest casualties at the end of a week of unprecedented bloodshed in combat for British troops in Afghanistan.
In only 10 days, 15 British soldiers lost their lives in a conflict that experts increasingly say is "unwinnable". Eight were killed in a single day: five were trapped in a Taliban bomb ambush on a foot patrol and a further three lost their lives in fighting. Their deaths sealed the bloodiest 24 hours since a Nimrod plane crash killed 12 in September 2006 and took the death toll of British forces to 184 – five more than during the Iraq conflict.
Last night two of the soldiers killed on Thursday were named as Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, from 4th Battalion the Rifles and Private John Brackpool, 27, of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
Rifleman Hume was killed in what the MoD called a contact explosion on Thursday afternoon while he was on a foot patrol near Nad e-Ali, Helmand province. Pte Brackpool was shot dead while on sentry duty, guarding a compound. He was on attachment with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The incident took place as part of Operation Panchai Palang (Panther's Claw) during fighting with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, on Thursday evening.
Rifleman Hume, from Maidenhead in Berkshire, had only arrived in the Battalion at the end of April, having just passed out from Catterick where he was the top student. In a statement, Rifleman Hume's parents, Adrian and Wendy, said his death had left "a huge void" in their lives.
"Daniel passed out of Catterick as top recruit and since joining the Army he was the happiest we had known him. He had truly found his place in the world", they said.
"He believed in what the British Army was trying to achieve and was confident. He was proud to serve his country and was planning to move battalion when he returned, so that he could guarantee a speedy return to Afghanistan.
"We have lost a son and a best friend. His death has left a huge void in our lives. We are fiercely proud of him."
Colleagues described him as "exceptionally gifted" and said they were "robbed of a future leader". Before joining the Army he was a keen downhill mountain biker, and in 2002 had been ranked third in the country for the sport, with six wins to his name.
His commanding officer, Lt-Col Rupert Jones, said he was a "true professional" with "boundless energy" and "exceptional motivation". He had been the epitome of the "thinking rifleman". Lt-Col Jones said: "He was an exceptionally gifted young man who wanted to genuinely do something with his life and it would have been a brave man to bet against him to achieve his ambitions."
The Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth , said: "The loss of this soldier comes as terrible news for everyone in the armed forces, and I was very saddened to learn of the incident. Rifleman Daniel Hume gave his life fighting bravely to protect British national security and to make life better for the ordinary Afghan people."
Lt-Col Charlie Sykes, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said the recent toll of British deaths was uppermost in many soldiers' minds. He said: "We have gone through a torrid time in Afghanistan in the last week or so, there is no shadow of a doubt.
"A very good friend of mine was killed recently, the commanding officer of the Welsh Guards. On top of that was announced the death of someone who was a member of this battalion, serving with the Welsh Guards.
"There was a personal aspect to the deaths that have happened recently both for me and the battalion. Therefore when I spoke to the battalion this morning I said that we need to remember that although we are celebrating, we are also commemorating."
On Friday, five soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Rifles were killed in two separate explosions in the same patrol near Sangin, Helmand Province in the morning. A soldier from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment was also killed as a result of an explosion during an operation near Nad-e-Ali, central Helmand Province.
Already July 2009 has proved to be one of the deadliest in Britain's operations in Afghanistan. British casualties have escalated since troops became involved in Panchai Palang, a major British assault against the Taliban in Helmand ahead of next month's Afghan elections. The UK army have been joined by about 4,000 US and 650 Afghan troops.
Tributes flowed in for the fallen soldiers yesterday. Lt-Col David Rhodes, commanding officer of 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, said yesterday: "Our hearts go out to all the families of those who have died since the conflict began. The important thing is that the troops out there are getting on with the job.
"This was a difficult and dangerous task and there was the ever-present threat of roadside bombs and suicide bombers in the city. I am proud of each and every one of my soldiers.
"The majority of these soldiers have civilian jobs and they put these and their family lives on hold for six months to serve their country. They richly deserve this honour and their friends and families are justly proud of them for the role they played."
After a march for the armed forces in Worthing yesterday, mayor of Worthing, Councillor Noel Atkins said: "My hearts go out to the soldiers but they are doing a tremendous job in effectively preserving our freedom from potential terrorist threat.
"They are keeping terrorism at bay by being in Helmand and in Iraq. It's a critical time in Helmand, so at this stage we have to keep the Taliban at bay otherwise we risk a greater threat of insurgency."
The casualties
Christopher Whiteside
Age: 20
Rank: Trooper
Date of death: 7 July
The young trooper from Blackpool, of the Light Dragoons, died in a blast from an improvised explosive device near Gereshk in Helmand. His fencing coach, David Varey, remembers: "Christopher loved the Army, completely lived for it. As soon as he picked up a sword, he wanted to fence for the Army. He was a dream to teach. everyone at the club loved him. I was his coach but I would call him my friend."
Rupert Thorneloe
Age: 39
Rank: Lt-Colonel
Date of death: 1 July
Died alongside 18-year-old Trooper Joshua Hammond near Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province. An improvised explosive device was detonated under their Viking armoured vehicle. A close friend, Tom Gadsby, said: "We were friends for more than 20 years, best men at each other's weddings and I am the godfather to his eldest daughter Hannah. It is very hard to lose such a good friend. We're all heartbroken."
Robert Laws
Age: 18
Rank: Private
Date of death: 4 July
Having only finished his army training less than a year ago, Pte Laws was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Helmand Province. His father, Steven, said: "I regarded him not only as a son but as a brother. He knew what the consequences were. Hopefully, you think you are coming back. His day was not to be."
David Dennis
Age: 29
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Date of death: 4 July
Killed by a roadside bomb explosion in Helmand Province. The bomb was detonated as he was helping bring back casualties from an earlier incident. His father, Roger Dennis, said: "My boy went out there to do a job and make the world a better place. He made the ultimate sacrifice... I don't want to think he wasted his life for nothing."
Daniel Hume
Age: 22
Rank: Private
Date of death: 9 July
The rifleman from 4th Battalion the Rifles was killed in a what the MoD called a "contact explosion". The incident took place whilst he was on a foot patrol near Nad e-Ali, Helmand province, on Thursday afternoon. He was a talented snowboarder and mountain bike racer, and described as a "rising star" by his platoon commander.
Ben Babington-Browne
Age: 27
Rank: Captain
Date of death: 6 July
Having previously served in Iraq, Ben was killed in a helicopter crash alongside two Canadian soldiers in the southern Zabul Province. Lt-Col Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "This soldier gave his life for the security of his own country and the freedom of the Afghan people – there is no greater sacrifice than this."
Joshua Hammond
Age: 18
Rank: Trooper
Date of death: 1 July
He and Rupert Thorneloe were taking part in Operation Panther's Claw, a major assault against the Taliban ahead of next month's Afghan elections. Emma Green, his fiancée, said: "He was and still is my childhood sweetheart. The last thing he said to me was that he loved me and he promised he would come home safe."
John Brackpool
Age: 27
Rank: Private
Date of death: 9 July
The soldier, from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed as a result of a gunshot wound. The incident took place as part of Operation Panther's Claw in an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, on Thursday evening.
Dane Elson
Age: 22
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Date of death: 5 July
Serving in the Welsh Guards, he was patrolling north of Lashkar Gah in support of the Light Dragoons armoured group when an improvised explosive device detonated. His grandmother, Anne Smith said: "He was a gorgeous young man but should not have been there, none of our boys should be there. It's for what? So they can have elections? It's terrible. My grandson has died for nothing."
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP logged and may be used to prevent further submission. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by the Independent Minds Terms of Service.
- Print Article
- Email Article
-
Click here for copyright permissions
Copyright 2009 Independent News and Media Limited
Comments
No, they are not. They are dying for no logical purpose whatsoever. Most of us would rather live with the 'threat' from Afghans than have these young men die needlessly.
In reality, they are mugs and this is what should be written on their gravestones to discourage others.
They died in vain. They were a bunch of losers. They were duped and foolish. Even so, they were some poor woman's son or husband and it's hard not to feel pity for those they left behind.
Better prepare yourself for the inevitable avalanche of: "How dare you insult our brave boys!" and "They're protecting you from the evil Muslims! Have some respect!" etc.
This would have been about 10% of an action in WW2 and they were mostly conscripts.
The road deaths in 2007 were nearly 3000, of which nearly 700 were pedestrians men, women and children.
I do not see much attention from the media on this largely preventable toll. On average this is 250 month. People not engaged in a very hazardous profession but people going about their daily lives (except DUIs of course) I never see headlines about the bloodiest week for road deaths, in fact the majority of cases are not even mentioned in the major dailies.
Pictures are shown on the media of exhausted troops, conditions were much more exhausting and much worse in WW2, Korea and Vietnam, of course they are exhausted doing a stressful dangerous job in 40 C. You may as well show pictures of exhausted runners after a marathon. Just states the obvious.
Soldiering is the most dangerous job you can ask for, even in peace time there are deaths. I would wish not one man had died in Afghanistan but it is unrealistic. If you volunteer for the forces you are volunteering your life. All honour to you.
History: we have had defeats in Afghanistan but victories also which the critics ignore. The Russians were defeated with much help from the CIA (USA) The mistake we are paying for now is the abject failure of the USA and the west to engage in the reconstruction of the country after the USSR withdrew.
It was not seen as a Western problem, foresight is not a regular sense. We did not go blindly into Afghanistan we supported our oldest and staunchest ally
Vietnam is another false parallel. The US were not defeated, they withdrew because of political pressure at home. The attrition rate for the N Vietnamese (who were supported massively by China, as in Korea earlier) would have led to their collapse eventually. Different conditions, different strategies and different weapons.
The hi tech weapons and body armour used today would have amazed the soldiers of the 1970's
Lastly: Why are we there? well the recent experience of the Pakistanis in Swat should tell us something.
The Taliban did not even make a pretence of lulling the rest of Pakistan into a sense of security by reasonable behaviour, (you see we are really not bad) but immediately imposed harsh Sharia law, blowing up schools, shutting down any business they don't like, executing 'criminals', beating women, forbidding them to shop in the market, denying education for girls etc,etc. Even forbidding music and TV. Just lke they did when they had full control of Afghanistan They even made clear their intention of taking over the whole country. They behave like kids let loose in a toy shop. They are so obsessed with imposing their warped view of Islam they cannot see anything else.
If you do not care what happens to the people of Afghanistan,('a little country of which we know little' to quote N Chamberlain 1938) the ones who want to live free of coercion, study for a career, have a job, live life the way we take for granted. Think about the self interest angle. Handing the country back to the Taliban (we saw what appeasement produced in Swat) would not only put the people back in a religious hell of oppression but I can forecast that the country will immediately become a safe haven and international training base for every terrorist from Al Queda on. There is plenty of money available and the Taliban will have another source of income to add to their opium crop.
Also given that the Taliban hate every vestige of western influence, no aid agencies will be able to set foot in the country for fear of kidnap and/or murder. All the aid the people so badly need would be closed off to them and I don't think the Taliban will fill the gap.
We beat the Nazi War machine and the Japanese who were also fanatical and far and away better military forces than the Taliban. We can beat them too, nobody says it will be easy, but defeatist talk, which we get from many quarters would have got you in a lot of trouble in WW2 especially if you were a German or a Japanese!
Also to suggest that Britian wonn the WW2 is an even bigger joke.
If that's the case why did you give eastern europe to the USSR and have to pay the Americans shit loads of money for decades after? You could only come to that conclusion if the only book you ever read about WW2 was, How Britian Won the Second World War! In all the books I read the British get their ass kicked untill the USSR (mostly) and the USA win the war for them. I dare you to dispute these facts.
Also the Taliban don't grow opium, farmers do, the Taliban buy it and sell it just like the Afghan government officials do, well the Americans and British keep telling us they are corrupt, so they must be getting a bit of the action. It's not like the Taliban have a franchise or anything. I know British soldiers who have patroled through Poppy fields with no orders to destroy the crops. How do you explain that?
Your perspective is firmly set in the 1940's I'm afraid, the empire is gone get over it.
As for strategy it is not clear. We went there because OBL was there. He has not been found. This was Bush rushing to war without first knowing what victory would look like.
We now find ourselves propping up a corrupt bunch of local politicians about to have another election.
We are now fighting - the Taliban - they are not OBL. And they are a pretty unattractive bunch. But if the Afghanis don't want the Taliban then that is their issue not ours.
Can someone in charge please decribe what victory is here so we can all see if it is deliverable.
And no cliches about fighting terrorism please. If we believed that we would not let extemists into the Uk in the first place.
Any normal human would be a tad upset and want blood payback for being duped into murdering and dying based on lies. But then they'd have to stand up and buck popular belief...much easier to let 'em hustle you into it, hope you get back in one piece, then bask in the "hero" worship of those who went before you.
When I found out the Gulf of Tonkin was a lie I was a bit pissed....So I don't really see the glory in being labeled a "hero" for invading a country for Israel,...murdering MILLIONS, (when you include the FIRST invasion you were lied into and the dead in Afghanistan), especially when the imminent threat you all so bravely stood up to is about the size of ONE STATE.
I'd be a bit pissed to know that I very may well have horrible nightmares seeing the faces of all those humans I slaughtered leering back at me every time I try to sleep and it was ALL FOR ISRAEL and a lying government.
So, before you saunter into your neighborhood tavern and let ANOTHER dummy that was lied into a war before yours pat you on the back and buy you one, you might want to pause a moment and remember all the INNOCENT victims of your government and your blind faith. Then get set to "defend" Israel and our poor helpless country from those EVIL Iranians. But,...when Israel gives us orders to invade and murder in Iran, you best hope to hell Russia and China don't get involved. They're WORLD class armies that you may not fare too well with. The last 5 or so "wars" this country got you involved in were tiny little nations that were no threat to anyone and Israel? bother yourself to educate yourselves about the Khazars...historically they do their BEST work against women, children and the infirm AFTER they sucker others into bringing them to their knees....good luck, drones.