Tributes as senior Army officer and soldier die in Afghanistan
Top soldier ‘destined for greatness’
Published:
THE most senior British Army officer to be killed in action since the Falklands War was today described as “a born soldier” who was “destined for greatness”.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.
An improvised explosive device was detonated under his Viking armoured vehicle.
The Prince of Wales, who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, was “deeply saddened” by his death, a Clarence House spokesman said. It is understood Charles knew him well.
Lt Col Thorneloe, of Kirtlington, near Oxford, was killed along with 18-year-old trooper Joshua Hammond, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, who was described by senior officers as “a superb soldier”.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said the 39-year-old commanding officer was at the “leading edge of his generation”.
Lt Col Thorneloe’s wife Sally said the dad-of-two was her “very best friend” who would be “missed so much”, and added that he was “an inspiration”. She said: “I know he led from the front and would not have had it any other way.”
The two deaths came as nearly 4,000 newly-arrived US Marines and 650 Afghan troops launched a massive pre-dawn operation in Taliban-controlled areas of Helmand.
