Fallen Servicemen and Women

[2Lt Reynolds]

if its not ieds these days its the god damn anp! stand at ease lads, stand at ease.

[Evans D]

 

Corporal Brent John McCarthy and Lance Corporal Lee Thomas Davies.

 

On Saturday, 12th May 2012, Corporal Brent McCarthy (Royal Air Force) and Lance Corporal Lee Davies (1st Battalion Welsh Guards) were killed by rogue Afghan National Police officers at the local police headquarters near PB Attal in the Lashkar Gah area of Helmand Province as they were carrying out duties as part of the Police Advisory Team.

 

Corporal Brent John McCarthy, 25 years of age, from Hannover (Germany), but calling Telford his homestead when he moved to England, leaves behind his father, John, mother, Sarah, sister, Jodie, partner, Sarah, and niece and nephew, Miajay and Kyron.

 

His family said in a statement:

"Brent was a loving sensitive young man. He excelled at sport and had the whole world in front of him. He loved his family dearly and will always be a hero to his niece Miajay. Brent will be sadly missed not only by us but also by his loving partner Sarah and her devoted family. Life will never be the same for any of us. We will love you always. God bless."

 

Lieutenant Colonel Dino Bossi, Commanding Officer, Police Mentoring and Advisory Group, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, said:

"His intelligence, ready wit and his desire to muck in and take part in all aspects of communal life meant that he fitted seamlessly into an extremely tight team. Corporal McCarthy was extremely popular and hugely respected among the men with whom he lived and fought - not always an easy trick for a military policeman from another Service, but one he achieved with ease and some style.

"Ever to the fore and sharing danger and discomfort, his light-hearted approach to life, easy going nature and cool professionalism made him a natural advisor to the Afghan National Police."

 

Lieutenant Colonel Alex Potts, Commanding Officer, Combined Force Lashkar Gah, said:

"Corporal Brent McCarthy was doing a difficult and dangerous job and he did it well. He was a fine ambassador for The Royal Air Force and we will remember him for his professionalism, physical toughness, but above all, for his unbeatable smile and sense of humour."

 

Squadron Leader Carl Jeffery, Officer Commanding 7 (Royal Air Force Police) Squadron, Royal Air Force Brize Norton, said:

"Cpl Brent McCarthy was fiercely loyal and courageous, exemplifying the character of the Royal Air Force Police. Cpl McCarthy was a young man with huge potential: intelligent, determined and extremely capable, he was a highly popular figure within his Flight and was firmly on the path to great success in his career.

"Cpl McCarthy fully embraced all aspects of Service life, whether representing the RAF playing Hockey or getting his mates together for a beer, he was always a prominent figure who will be sorely missed by his friends, his colleagues and all those who had the honour of serving with him.

"Dynamic and with an enormous sense of fun, Cpl McCarthy's infectious enthusiasm could be relied upon to cheer those who were down, to inspire those who were lost and to comfort those in despair. It is great testament to Cpl McCarthy's character that despite a few brief years in the Service, he can claim so many friends amongst his Trade, his Station and the RAF as a whole."

 

Lance Corporal Lee Thomas Davies, 27 years of age, was from Carmarthen. His family have expressed wished to be left anonymous so they can grieve at this challenging time.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Dino Bossi, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, said:

"Lance Corporal Lee Davies loved being a soldier - it was who he was. He passed out from the Infantry Training Centre Catterick in April 2010. He swiftly made a name for himself for his enthusiasm, fitness and professionalism as an infantry soldier and in less than two years was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.

"To have made such a profound impact so early in his Army career speaks volumes about the quality of the man we have lost today. Lance Corporal Davies was very much the up and coming Junior Non-Commissioned Officer; he had big plans and the personal qualities to make his ambitions a reality.

"In his personal life Lance Corporal Davies was a live wire who enjoyed nothing more than a night on the town. He was the living embodiment of the Army's work hard, play hard ethos.

"On duty he was a consummate professional; whether 'strutting his stuff' on public duties in London or on operations here in Afghanistan. It is in Afghanistan that the depths of his talents became obvious to all."

 

Major Julian Salusbury, Company Commander, Number 2 Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, said:

"Lance Corporal Davies was an outstanding Welsh Guardsman. Newly promoted after little more than two years service, he made the jump from guardsman to junior non-commissioned officer with characteristic flair, professionalism and not a little good humour.

"And that marked him out as a man - cheerfulness in the face of adversity; a ready smile and a friendly word. His catch phrase, first heard by me in the pouring rain and cold of Aldershot training area, 'I love my job', was not only said to raise his friends' morale but it was also the truth. Lance Corporal Davies loved being a guardsman and was the proudest of proud Welsh Guardsmen.

"Committed, capable and thoroughly dependable, he well understood his role in Afghanistan. He could not have been more suited to helping the Afghan police achieve a better, safer life for the Helmandi people. Considerate and utterly selfless, Lance Corporal Davies accepted the inherent risks of being a soldier and has paid the ultimate price."

 

 

Their deaths bring the total number of British casualties in Afghanistan to 414.

 

 

We will remember them...

[O'Dette]

Wow, that's pretty scary... A Sergeant Luke Taylor died? He seems a lot like our Taylor. I hope there's no relation.

 

We don't have a lot of news over here on American deaths. I think at a certain point everyone would just rather pretend there isn't a war on, so it's a fairly unreal situation. I say that everyone here is doing the men overseas no justice by forgetting that they're there. It would be nice to have the media report the war in other ways than saying, "A bomb went off in Afghanistan today, killing three and wounding ten." It'd be nice if they showed faces and names rather than just calling them "killing three".

 

However, if I do come across a news article on a recent US casualty, it'll be up here. I'm just hoping no one I know shows up. I've actually got two overseas, one of them a direct friend and the other a friend through relations. The first is a Dutch paratrooper by the name of Bas. I don't remember if he's schedualed for another tour, but here's hoping his time is up, as he's already been over there more than a few times before. The second is the husband of an old friend of mine, forgot his name. I think it was 'Gav', but I'm not terribly sure on that. Either way, I'm hoping that neither of the two are ever listed as casualties.

[Rifleman townsend]

Rest in piece lest we forget

[Evans D]

On the 26th May 2012, a soldier from 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh was killed in the Nar-e Saraj region of Helmand province. He was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in suffered and IED strike.

 

More information as I receive it.

[Evans D]

Captain Stephen James Healey

 

Captain Stephen James Healey, 29 years of age and from Cardiff, was killed as the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by an IED in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was commanding the Combined Force Burma reconnaissance platoon when the incident took place. He leaves behind his father, John, mother, Kerry, Brother, Simon, and girlfriend, Thea.

 

His family said in a statement:

"Stephen was all you could wish for in a son, brother, uncle and friend. He will be sadly missed by us all. He managed to do more in his 30 years than most people do in a lifetime."

 

His girlfriend said:

"Stephen will always be in my heart. I will miss him so much, he was my love, my life and my everything. Now he rests in peace, he was living the life he wanted to do with his men."

 

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Webb, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh said:

"Captain Stephen Healey will be remembered by the Officers and Soldiers of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh as one of the most charismatic and professional leaders any of us will have had the privilege of serving with.

"As the Recce Platoon Commander he cared deeply for his soldiers and they, in return, loved and respected him. And it was very easy to respect him. He had a calm, assured nature, an understated charm and the sort of personality that made it so easy to warm to him so very quickly ??? quick-witted and sharp his personality lightened any conversation.

"Tactically astute, clear-thinking and tremendously brave he was an excellent Platoon Commander. Already awarded a Mention in Despatches for his bravery on Op HERRICK 11, he was deeply committed to his role here on Op HERRICK 16 and he relished the challenge of bringing the best out of those around him, something he excelled at because he led from the front in everything that he did.

"As if all this wasn't enough, Steve was also committed to raising money for charity and in the latest of many events, only 3 weeks before deployment, he organised and took part in a blindfolded walk from our barracks in Chester to Llandudno to raise money for Blind Veterans UK. This was so very typical of him: generous of spirit and genuinely compassionate."

 

Major Charlie Carver, Officer Commanding A Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh said:

"Captain Steve Healey was a genuine pleasure to know. He was charismatic and full of life, always putting others before himself and as a result was loved by those he commanded. He was incredibly professional in all that he did and he was a natural leader. He was always to be found in the centre of the action, be that on the football field, leading his men or out in Cardiff.

"In his short time in the Battalion he demonstrated courage, determination and resolve whilst always getting the best out of each and every situation. In short he had become the epitome of a Royal Welshman."

 

He is the 415 British casualty of the Afghanistan conflict.

 

We will remember them.

[Simon]

Rest in peace, I can't express how greatful and how much sorrow I have in words.

[O'Dette]

Indeed, we shall remember.

 

In the meantime, I have a bone to pick with American media. As you all know, yesterday was Memorial Day in the US, and when I turn the television on what do I find? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Only one channel of several cable channels was running something worthwhile (Band of Brothers, not even on HBO's channel!), and the rest were running normal programming. Heck, even the History Channel was doing the Hatfield-McCoy feud. Pardon me, but how does that have to do anything with fallen veterans? All I see is an asinine little skirmish in backland America between two families.

 

Am I the only one who is frustrated by the lack of coverage here? Do they want us to forget we're fighting in a war?

[Evans D]

That's what this thread it about, O'Dette. It is, to put it bluntly, disgusting.

[Ronin_GE]

What else can one say :-(

At ease soldier, your service is done...and shall be remebered.

 

A place to follow the sad news would be here:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/afghanistan-144

 

There is an automated RSS-feed from the MoD about casualties.

Isn't it sad that you need something like that, and yet society as a whole doesn't seem to give a f***