THE most senior British officer to be killed in action in Afghanistan was one of the two latest casualties in the country, the Ministry of Defence said.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and Trooper Joshua Hammond, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, were killed yesterday about 8km north of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province.
Lt Col Thorneloe was the most senior serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan since operations began in October, 2001.
The deaths took the number of UK servicemen and women who have died in Afghanistan to 171 and came as American forces launched a massive pre-dawn operation in Taliban-controlled areas of Helmand.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said Lt Col Thorneloe was “an outstanding commanding officer” who was at the “leading edge of his generation”.
“His courageous, thoughtful stewardship of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards since October last year has seen them superbly prepared for the demands of Afghanistan, both in terms of their professional capability and their unbreakable spirit as a team,” he said.
“At the leading edge of his generation, his loss will be felt deeply not only by his family but also by his soldiers and others, who like me, had the privilege to serve with him.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of both these highly capable and popular soldiers – as well as with the entire Battle Group, for whom the loss of their Commanding Officer will have been a particularly bitter blow.
“However, this tragic incident has only served to strengthen our resolve and commitment to succeed in bringing stability and prosperity to Helmand Province.
“We will remember them both.”
He went on: “The deaths of Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe MBE and Trooper Joshua Hammond, during Operation Panchai Palang, in Helmand Province, is a devastating blow to the Welsh Guards Battle Group and to the Army as a whole.
“Trooper Hammond was a first- class tank crewman who epitomised the spirited and determined approach to operations expected of Royal Armoured Corps soldiers.”
