Soldier husband's tribute to 'hero' wife

Jun 19 2008

THE soldier husband of a Liverpool-born woman who has become the first British female to die on active service in Afghanistan has paid tribute to his "amazing" wife.

Intelligence Corps Corporal Sarah Bryant, who grew up in Carlisle, was one of four soldiers to die in an explosion on Tuesday.

The other three soldiers have been named by the MoD as Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin and Paul Stout.

Mrs Bryant's husband Corporal Carl Bryant said: "Although I am devastated beyond words at the death of my beautiful wife Sarah, I am so incredibly proud of her.

"She was an awesome soldier who died doing the job that she loved. My wife knew the risks, she was there because she wanted to be, and she wouldn't have had it any other way."

Mrs Bryant spoke the local Pashtu language, and her work involved monitoring Taliban telephone and walkie-talkie communications.

Speaking from his home in Cotehill, near Carlisle, Mrs Bryant's father Des Feely said: "There are so many people, both in the military and locally where she grew up, that are not only going to be touched by this but also devastated at the loss of such a beautiful girl.

"Nothing much seems to have changed since the days of Churchill's famous speech. Never have so many owed so much to so few.

"We truly have lost the 'Angel of the North'."

Mrs Bryant had attended paid Caldew School. She was a talented horse rider and joined the Army after passing her A-levels in Sociology, General Studies, and Environmental Science.