Lt John Charles Sanderson ( photo above) of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), attached to 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group, was the solder who was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
These 'obituary' photographs always upset me, but every soldier has to provide one along with their Last Will and Testament. How often these days do they think they'll be used?
Another two British soldiers have died in separate incidents in Helmand Province. One served with Gurkha Reinforcement Company 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), was wounded during an incident involving a helicopter at a patrol base in the Nahr-e-Saraj district on Tuesday. He is understood to have been injured when the Chinook crashed at the base during a night-time resupply mission. The aircraft's rotor blades hit a lookout tower and knocked down a wall next to where he was sleeping, the Sun reported. The soldier was flown back to Britain for treatment but died two days later, with his family at his side, in Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The other soldier was from 21 Engineer Regiment, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin and was shot yesterday morning.
Lt Col David Southall, spokesman for Task Force Helmand said : "He was shot by small arms fire whist supporting the 40 Commando Royal Marines Battle Group.
"He died a Sapper doing his duty amongst his comrades as he sought to improve security for the people of Afghanistan".
The British death toll in this war now stands at 330.
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2 comments:
"These 'obituary' photographs always upset me, but every soldier has to provide one along with their Last Will and Testament."
Strange to hear this is the rule - if so, I've always managed to avoid it. And the Army has never had my Will - it insists on me signing to state I have one and it demands to know where it is. Never had to provide a photo specifically for my obit (and the photos I do provide are specifically passport standard.) I suspect the family are involved in the photo selection (thankfully, not ever been involved on that side.)
I sit corrected SE, you're right about the Will these days. Now it's only necessary to sign you've made one.
But yes, a photograph has to be provided for your file. Although, as you know I'm very out of date with somethings, I know this to be correct.
How else do you think the media could find a photo? By asking parents/friends?
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