Op Telic Casualties & Fatalities

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Soldier dies after Iraq accident

Sgt Stansfield's family were at his bedside when he died

A British soldier has died following a forklift truck accident in Iraq.

Mark Stansfield, 32, of Oxfordshire, who was soon to be a father, had been flown to a Birmingham hospital after Wednesday's Basra Air Station accident.

Sgt Stansfield, of 32 Close Support Squadron, UK Logistic Battalion, was described as "a first class soldier" with a "bright career ahead".

Defence officials said he was carrying out security checks at a supply point to the base when the accident happened.

Operation

Doctors operated on him at the base's field hospital before he was flown the following day to Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham, for further treatment.

His condition deteriorated soon after his arrival and he died with his family at his bedside on Friday.

He was admired by the soldiers he led and respected by everyone

Lt Col David Roberts

Sgt Stansfield joined the Army at the age of 17 and trained to become a driver.

He went on to serve in the Balkans, Northern Ireland and Iraq.

As a keen footballer, he helped set up an army football team while in Iraq and had been in Basra almost four months.

'Respected and admired'

Lt Col David Roberts, Sgt Stansfield's commanding officer in Iraq, said: "He was a first-class soldier and a very fine senior non-commissioned officer, with an extremely bright career ahead of him.

"He was admired by the soldiers he led and respected by everyone."

His squadron commander in Iraq, Maj Dave Poole, described Sgt Stansfield as "a diligent man, who never accepted second best" and said he had been looking forward to returning home to his pregnant wife Joanne, whom he married last Christmas.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said Sgt Stansfield had been a "hugely brave, dedicated and ambitious soldier" who would be "sorely missed".

He added: "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."

Sgt Stansfield's death takes the total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq to 170 since the US-led invasion of 2003.

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Lance Corporal Sarah Holmes dies from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident in Qatar

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

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Two UK military personnel have been killed and two seriously injured in an RAF Puma helicopter crash near Baghdad in Iraq, defence officials have said.

The deaths on Tuesday take the total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to 173.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7105224.stm

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Thursday, 13 December 2007

Guardsman Stephen Ferguson has died following a road accident in southern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence has said.

A member of 1st Battalion The Scots Guards was involved in the accident in Basra province on Wednesday.

He had been flown to the UK for treatment after the accident involving a Warrior Armoured Vehicle.

The soldier's next of kin have been informed of the death, which takes the number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq since 2003 to 174.

He was initially taken to the field hospital at the UK base at Basra Air Station.

There will be a 24-hour period of grace for the soldier's family before more details are released by the MoD.

The death comes just three days before British forces are due to hand over control of security in Basra province to the Iraqi authorities.

The 4,500 UK troops in Iraq will focus on the training of Iraqi security forces. Numbers will fall to 2,500 from next spring.

Last month, two military personnel died when their Puma helicopter crashed near Baghdad. An inquiry will investigate the incident.

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Sergeant Duane 'Baz' Barwood, attached to 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force died as a result of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base in Basra on Friday 29 February 2008.

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

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It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the

death of a British soldier in Iraq today, 26 March 2008.

The soldier died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a

firefight in the early hours of this morning.

The soldier's family have been informed, and have asked for privacy

from the media as they come to terms with their loss.

The MOD will not be providing any further updates in line with the

wishes of the family, who are in our thoughts at this difficult time.

British soldier killed in Iraq

A BRITISH soldier was shot and killed in Iraq today, the

Ministry of Defence said.

The soldier died in a firefight in the early hours of this morning, a

spokesman said.

It brings the total number of British military casualties in Iraq

since hostilities began in March 2003 to 176.

The family have asked that no further information about the soldier be

released, the MoD said.

The MoD spokesman said: "It is with deep regret that the MoD must

announce the death of a British soldier in Iraq.

"The soldier died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a

firefight in the early hours of Wednesday March 26 2008.

"The soldier's family have been informed, and have asked for privacy

from the media as they come to terms with their loss.

"The MoD will not be providing any further updates in line with the

wishes of the family, who are in our thoughts at this difficult time."

There was no indication of where the incident took place.

UK soldier killed in Iraq firefight

A soldier has been killed in a firefight in Iraq

A British soldier has been shot and killed in Iraq.

The soldier died in a firefight in the early hours of Wednesday

morning, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

It is understood the soldier was not killed in Basra, the main base of

British operations. Sources said he died in Baghdad.

His next of kin have been informed and have asked for their privacy to

be respected.

The death brings the total number of British military casualties in

Iraq since hostilities began in March 2003 to 176.

The family have asked that no further information about the soldier be released.

Officially, British soldiers are not involved in combat operations in

Iraq. In December British forces withdrew to an airbase outside Basra,

which they had patrolled for nearly five years.

But in recent days US and Iraqi forces have been engaged in fierce

fighting against Shiite militia both in Baghdad and Basra.

The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on whether special forces

troops were engaged in these operations.

The attacks have left 15 dead in Baghdad's main Shiite district of

Sadr City in recent days. Nationwide, some 300 people have been

wounded, 200 of them in Basra.

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A British soldier has died in southern Iraq after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, the Ministry of Defence said.

The next of kin have been informed of the death of the soldier, who was serving with 9 Regiment Army Air Corps.

The MoD also said no enemy forces were involved in the incident and that there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the incident.

This latest death means the total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq has reached 177.

The incident happened at 0900 local time (0600 GMT).

The MoD said medical assistance had been provided immediately, but the soldier had been declared dead at the scene.

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British combat operations in Iraq will come to an end on Thursday lunchtime with a handover to American forces.

The move, a month ahead of schedule, ends a six-year UK military presence.

A memorial service has taken place in Basra for the 179 British personnel who have died during the conflict, attended by Defence Secretary John Hutton.

The focus was a memorial wall featuring the names of the 234 UK and foreign troops who lost their lives while serving under British command in Iraq.

The official end of operations will come when the UK's 20 Armoured Brigade hands over to an American brigade at 1215 BST.

British forces began their official pull-out last month when the UK's commander in the south of the country, Maj Gen Andy Salmon, handed over to a US general.

They took a step closer to withdrawal at the start of the year when Basra International Airport - used as a UK military base during the conflict - was passed to full Iraqi control.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is holding talks with Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki at Downing Street, said: "Today we are taking steps to strengthen and deepen our relationship and to make it a long-term partnership of equals.

"Today marks the closing chapter of the combat mission in Iraq. The flag of 20 Armoured Brigade will be lowered as British combat patrols in Basra come to an end and our armed forces prepare to draw down."

'Ultimate sacrifice'

The names of those who died on the UK's Operation Telic were read out at the memorial service, which included Italian, Dutch, Danish, American and Romanian troops.

Army chaplain Father Pascal Hanrahan, who opened the ceremony, said: "Today is about remembrance and thanksgiving

"We remember by name and acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice paid by the 234 men and women who lost their lives during Operation Telic."

The last post was sounded by a bugler and prayers were said. There was also a roar overhead as a lone Tornado aircraft conducted a fly-past in tribute.

Lt Col Edward Chamberlain, commanding officer of Iraq-based battalion 5 Rifles, said: "We've been slowly working, as part of a coalition together over the six years, to achieve an end-state which is an Iraq which is secure, happy, at peace with itself and its neighbours.

"We're slowly but surely transitioning towards that."

Mr Hutton said the UK should be proud of what its troops had achieved.

"It's been a long and hard campaign. There's been no question about that, and we've paid a very high price," he said.

"And the families of those who've lost loved ones here today will be thinking very hard about that - and we should all as well.

"But I think when the history is written of this campaign, they will say of the British military 'we did a superb job', as we would expect them to, and we should be very proud of what they have done here."

Inquiry call

Opposition leader David Cameron has called for an immediate full inquiry into the Iraq war, similar to the one carried out by the Franks Committee into the Falklands conflict.

He said: "The departure of British forces from Iraq is now imminent.

"Now, after years of foot dragging, I believe it is the time for the government to announce a proper Franks-style inquiry. Instead of starting in many months' time, it should start right now.

"There are vital lessons to learn and we need to learn them rapidly and the only justification for delay can, I'm afraid, be a political one."

BBC News defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says there is a sense of relief for many British servicemen and women that their final tour of Iraq is winding down.

Some are now serving on their fourth tour, taking them away from home for two years out of the last six.

Our correspondent says many of them will look back with mixed emotions.

Southern Iraq is more peaceful than it was a year ago but when British forces invaded Iraq as part of the US-led coalition in 2003 few people imagined troops would still be in the country six years later.

As British forces prepare to leave Iraq, senior commanders admit they have learned lessons from the campaign.

It was a conflict that showed the strengths and weaknesses of the British armed forces.

There were acts of great heroism but also a force that came under great strain, fighting on two fronts - in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Asked about the UK presence in Iraq, the country's president, Jalal Talabani, told BBC News: "This is a mission of liberation. For the first time British forces in Iraq are playing this role.

"In the past the British forces came to occupy against the will of the Iraqi people. This time they came here to liberate Iraqi people from the worst kind of dictatorship."

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Iraq: A Tribute to Britain's Fallen Heroes

"Iraq: A Tribute to Britain's Fallen Heroes" tells the stories of the 176 UK personnel who have so far died serving with British Forces in Iraq, the most controversial conflict to have involved Her Majesty's Services for a century. Who are these brave men and women, how and why did they die, and in whose name? With no statue or memorial in place, this book is their only collective testimony. Every soldier, sailor and airman who has perished is recalled here by those they left behind and the colleagues who saw them die.The youngest were aged just 18 and barely old enough to be deployed, while the oldest fatality to date was a 55-year-old fireman. Author Mark Nicol weaves cherished memories from families and friends with analysis of the policies that shaped the British military experience in Iraq. Particular attention is paid to some of the largest single losses of life, such as the deaths of the six Red Caps at Majar al-Kabir and the shooting down of an RAF transport aircraft. This book is a comprehensive chronology of the conflict from the British perspective and a scrupulous work of contemporary military history. It is as emotive as it is incisive and evidential, and as such is an essential read.

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Service honours UK Iraq personnel

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8295868.stm