Op Telic Casualties & Fatalities

[bigjarofwasps]

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Major Paul Harding from 4th Battalion The Rifles in Basra City on Wednesday 20 June 2007.

Major Paul Harding, a company commander in the 4th Battalion The Rifles, died after coming under mortar fire on the Provincial Joint Co-ordination Centre in Basra.

Major Harding had served in the army for 30 years

Maj Harding, 48, who lived in Winchester with his wife and two sons, had served as a rifleman for 30 years.

His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Sanders, said: "The Rifles lost one of its most senior, long-serving and admired riflemen, and the country lost a veteran soldier of deep personal integrity, professional excellence, wisdom, experience and simple decency."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6227978.stm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...illedInIraq.htm

[bigjarofwasps]

A soldier died after being injured in a roadside bomb attack in Basra. The soldier, from the 4th Battalion The Rifles, was evacuated for medical treatment after the blast hit a British forces patrol returning to base. The next-of-kin were informed.

[eitze]

Referring to the way Cpl Wilson died, he said: "It was a supremely selfless and brave act - he would not have thought twice - and he gave his life that one of his beloved riflemen might live.

Will there be a posthumous decoration for this act of bravery ???

greetings

eitze

[bigjarofwasps]

Corporal John Rigby, from Rye, East Sussex, died on his 24th birthday after being injured in a roadside bomb attack in Basra.

Corporal John Rigby was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra

The soldier, from the 4th Battalion The Rifles, was evacuated for medical treatment after the blast hit a British forces patrol returning to base, but died from his injuries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6234512.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6923579.stm

Edited August 6, 2007 by bigjarofwasps

[bigjarofwasps]

Three British soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in the southern Iraqi city of Basra and a fourth soldier was also injured.

The explosion happened early in the morning on Thursday in the Al Antahiya district in the south-east of Basra.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6247960.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

Three troops killed in Iraq named

Privates Kerr and Kennedy both served in The Black Watch

The three British soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in the southern Iraqi city of Basra have been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Private Scott Kennedy, 20, Private James [Jamie] Kerr, 20, and Corporal Paul Joszko, 28, died in the attack at about 0100 local time on Thursday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6250974.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

UK soldier dies in Iraq fighting

A British soldier has been killed and three others wounded in three separate incidents around Basra, the Ministry of Defence has said.

About 1,000 troops are said to have been involved in the fighting.

Soldiers came under attack from machine gun and rocket propelled grenades, and encountered several roadside bombs.

The dead soldier was part of a Warrior vehicle patrol in the Tuninah district of the city, a spokesman said. Next of kin have yet to be informed.

Operations involving searches in the Jumhuriyah district are said to have resulted in a number of arrests.

[bigjarofwasps]

A British soldier died on 7 July during an operation in Basra involving 1,000 troops.

The dead soldier - in a Warrior vehicle patrol in the Tuninah district - was hit by an improvised explosive device.

Three other soldiers were injured in separate incidents during the operation targeting individuals suspected of other attacks.

On 6 July, a soldier from 4th Battalion The Rifles died in an accident at the Basra Palace base. The Ministry of Defence said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Two British soldiers die in Iraq

Evidence of the clashes could be seen in the morning

Two British soldiers have died in separate incidents in southern Iraq, the MoD said.

One soldier died during fighting in Basra which involved 1,000 troops, the other died in an accident at a British base in the city.

The UK deaths come as a bomb attack in northern Iraq killed 105 people.

The soldier who died in the fighting in Basra was in a Warrior vehicle patrol in the Tuninah district which was hit by an improvised explosive device.

The fatal accident involving the second soldier, who was from the 4th Battalion the Rifles, took place at the Basra Palace base on Friday.

Field hospital

In the fighting in Basra, troops faced machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades as British forces launched an operation targeting groups thought to be behind recent attacks.

The operation was the largest of its kind to be carried out in Basra this year, said UK military spokesman Major David Gell.

Its focus was individuals thought responsible for attacks on the Iraqi Provincial Joint Co-ordination Centre in the city, home to both Iraqi security forces and multi-national forces.

A number of locations were searched and arrests made, Major Gell said.

The soldier killed in fighting was on patrol just after midnight local time. Next of kin have yet to be informed.

Three soldiers are being treated at the British field hospital in Basra after unrelated incidents during the operation.

One soldier suffered serious injuries and another minor injury from small arms fire, and a further member of the armed forces was injured by an improvised explosive device.

The next of kin of the soldier who died in an accident have been informed.

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage," an MoD spokesman said.

Market attack

The blast in northern Iraq destroyed the market in the small town of Amirli, killing many people instantly and trapping dozens.

It was the most deadly single attack in Iraq since April, correspondents say.

It came as 29 people were killed in separate violence, including 22 who died overnight in Diyala province when a suicide bomber hit a cafe that was hosting a funeral.

And police said a family of seven sleeping on a Baghdad rooftop died when a mortar hit the building.

The total number of UK troops killed in Iraq since hostilities began in 2003 now stands at 158.

Most of the 5,500 British troops in Iraq are based in Basra

Of those who died, 122 are classed as having been killed in hostile action.

Most of the 5,500 UK troops in Iraq are stationed in Basra.

The bases frequently come under mortar fire from Shiite militants involved in a power-struggle in the city.

The BBC understands all personnel are shortly to be moved to a single base at Basra airport.

It is thought the plan over the next 12 months is to then reduce the number of troops to just 1,500.

[bigjarofwasps]

Lance Corporal Ryan Francis, 23, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, from Llanelli, south Wales, was killed in Basra on 7 July when his Warrior armoured vehicle was hit by a bomb.

Lance Corporal Ryan Francis

The soldier died in fighting involving 1,000 troops who faced machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades as British forces launched an operation targeting groups thought to be behind recent attacks.

Lt Col James Swift, commanding officer of the battalion said he was a "professional, brave and committed soldier who was the heart and soul of his platoon".

A second soldier who was seriously injured in the heavy fighting in Basra died from his wounds on Saturday. He has not been named but he is from 3 Regiment Royal Military Police.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3847051.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

Rifleman Edward Vakabua, 23, died following an accident at a military base in the city on 6 July.

Rifleman Edward Vakabua

Rifleman Vakabua, a Fijian national from Suva serving in Mortar Platoon attached to 7 Platoon, B Company, died at the Basra Palace base.

The Ministry of Defence has not given any details of the accident, but said an investigation had begun.

Rifleman Edward Vakabua was a "shy and pleasant" character, a spokesman said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3847051.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

Third UK soldier killed in Iraq

Soldiers were involved in a large-scale operation in Basra

Three British soldiers have died in two days following a major operation against insurgents in southern Iraq

[bigjarofwasps]

Corporal Christopher Read, 22, from Poole, Dorset, of 158 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police died in hospital on 7 July.

Cpl Read was injured by small arms fire while returning in the early hours of the morning from an operation in Basra targeting groups thought to be behind recent attacks.

Lt Col Simon Miller, commanding officer 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police, said Cpl Read was a "rising star".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6284172.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

Three RAF servicemen were killed after encountering an "indirect fire attack" in Basra on 19 July.

Two of the men were from 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, while the other served with 504 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Next of kin have been informed. The dead men have not yet been named.

[bigjarofwasps]

Three RAF servicemen were killed in a mortar attack in Basra on 19 July.

They were Senior Aircraftsmen Matthew Caulwell and Peter McFerran, from 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, and Senior Aircraftsman Christopher Dunsmore, of 504 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

The men had been on a break at a base when it came under fire.

Squadron leader Jason Sutton, commanding officer of the 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, said SAC Caulwell, 22, from Birmingham, was "loyal and unfailingly dependable".

He said SAC McFerran, 24, of Flintshire, was "every inch the epitome of a regiment gunner - robust, strong, dedicated and loyal".

SAC Dunsmore, 29, from Leicester, had "put 100% into everything he did" since his attachment to the squadron last year, he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6909893.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

A British soldier was killed when the Basra Palace base came under rocket or mortar attack on 21 July.

The MoD said that for operational reasons, it was not able to give details about the soldier's death.

[bigjarofwasps]

Lance Corporal Timothy Flowers was killed when the Basra Palace base came under rocket or mortar attack on 21 July.

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, who served with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, had been working on a vehicle when the site was hit.

Major Fabian Roberts MVO, commander of the Irish Guards Company to which L/Cpl Flowers was attached, said he was a quiet, modest man with an intellectual depth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6910361.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

The total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq has risen to 164 after a soldier was killed by a roadside explosive device in Basra.

[bigjarofwasps]

British soldier killed in Basra

A Warrior armoured vehicle came under attack in Basra

A soldier from the UK's 2nd Royal Tank Regiment has been killed in Basra, southern Iraq.

The soldier, whose family have been informed, died after being injured by an improvised explosive device, the Ministry of Defence said.

He had been with a Warrior vehicle patrol carrying out routine duties in the Mustashfa district of Basra City on Tuesday night.

His death takes to 164 the number of UK soldiers killed in operations in Iraq.

Of those killed since the 2003 invasion, 128 have died in combat.

[bigjarofwasps]

Corporal Steve Edwards of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment was killed in a roadside bomb attack on a Warrior armoured vehicle in Basra on 31 July.

Cpl Edwards was 35 and had served in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and an 18-month-old son.

His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel David Catmur said: "I have known Eddy for several years and have many fond memories of him, particularly our two years together in 2002 and 2003 when he commanded my squadron's ambulance.

"His years of experience and kindhearted nature will be a great loss to us all."

[bigjarofwasps]

Private Craig Barber, of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, was killed during an operation in the Al Fursi district of Basra on 6 August.

Pte Barber, who was 20 and from Ogmore Vale in Bridgend, was taking part in a night operation when he died.

He was married with a three-year-old son and had recently qualified as a Warrior tank driver.

His company commander, Major Steve Mannings, said: "He was a huge physical presence in his platoon, but was the epitome of the gentle giant."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6936826.stm

[bigjarofwasps]

A serviceman from 1 Squadron RAF Regiment was killed in Basra City on 7 August.

The airman died in a small arms attack which occurred at about 2030 hours local time during an operation in the Karmat Ali district.

A serviceman killed separately in Iraq on Tuesday has been named as Leading Aircraftman Martin Beard, of No 1 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment.

LAC Beard, 20, was taking part in a routine foot patrol in the Al Waki district north of the British base at Basra air station.

He sustained a gunshot wound when the patrol came under attack as it moved through Al Waki market, and was evacuated by helicopter to the field hospital.

LAC Beard, of Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, leaves a family and a fiancee.

LAC Martin Beard was described as a credit to his regiment

His commanding officer, Sqn Ldr Jason Sutton, said: "Strong, fit and an exceptionally gifted infantryman, he had such a bright future and had already set his sights on selection for special forces.

"I have no doubt whatsoever he would have succeeded in that as he did in all else.

"He was due to marry upon his return from Iraq and we all feel so deeply for his fiancee, Nic."

Defence Secretary Des Browne expressed his condolences to LAC Beard's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr Browne said: "Leading Aircraftman Beard was a very popular and highly promising young man who was a credit to the Royal Air Force Regiment."

[bigjarofwasps]

Two British soldiers have been killed in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said.

The soldiers died when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated next to their patrol west of Basra, southern Iraq, just after midnight on Thursday.

The next of kin of the two dead soldiers, who were from 1st Battalion the Irish Guards, have been informed.

The deaths come amid concerns over the security situation in the south of the country as responsibility is increasingly transferred from British to Iraqi troops.

British forces have suffered 41 fatalities in Iraq so far in 2007, including four this week, compared to 29 in the whole of 2006.

The latest deaths bring the total number of UK personnel killed while in Iraq to 168.

Another two soldiers were seriously injured in the attack, which happened north of the Rumaylah oil fields.

[bigjarofwasps]

Lance Sergeant Chris Casey and Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated next to their patrol west of Basra just after midnight on 9 August.

L/Sgt Casey, 27, from London, and L/Cpl Redpath, 22, from Romford, Essex, were both in the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.

Another two soldiers were seriously injured in the attack, which happened north of the Rumaylah oil fields.

[bigjarofwasps]

British Soldiers Killed In Iraq Named

Updated: 17:38, Friday August 10, 2007

Two British soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Thursday have been named.

Lance Sergeant Chris Casey and Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath died in an attack on their patrol, the Ministry of Defence said.

Lance Sergeant Chris Casey and Lance Corporal Kirk RedpathThe men from 1st Battalion Irish Guards died, and another two were seriously injured, when an bomb exploded just after midnight local time.

The soldiers were travelling in a convoy to the north of the Rumaylah oilfields, which is to the west of Basra City.

Sgt Casey's Platoon Commander, Captain Stephen Wolseley, paid tribute.

He said: "It is so difficult to write about Lance Sergeant Chris Casey at this time of great sadness as in my mind he was the most jovial and up-beat person I knew, the one person I could rely on to raise a smile or a laugh from the Platoon at a difficult time; his laugh and banter were totally infectious."

Paying tribute to Cpl Redpath, Captain Tim Rogers said: "Where does one begin when trying to write about a chap who meant so much to so many people?

"Lance Corporal Redpath had the ability to amuse and entertain whilst sticking to his core business of delivering the daily intelligence picture to the Squadron."

[bigjarofwasps]

Para killed during Iraq mission

A British soldier serving with the Parachute Regiment has been killed during an operation in central Iraq.

The MoD said the soldier died on Wednesday during an operation "in support of ongoing coalition activity".

It has been reported that he was on a special forces mission and was a member of the Special Air Service (SAS).

The soldier has not been named, but next-of-kin have been informed. Forty-two soldiers have died in Iraq this year.

Further details are expected on Saturday.

The death brings to 169 the number of UK armed forces personnel or MoD civilians who have died in Iraq since the start of the campaign in March 2003.