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UK troops killed in Helmand named | UK troops killed in Helmand named |
(10 minutes later) | |
Two British servicemen killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday have been named by the Ministry of Defence. | Two British servicemen killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday have been named by the Ministry of Defence. |
They were Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, of the Royal Artillery, and Corporal Danny Winter, 28, of the Royal Marines. | They were Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, of the Royal Artillery, and Corporal Danny Winter, 28, of the Royal Marines. |
They died in an explosion while taking part in an operation against enemy forces in central Helmand province. Two other soldiers were hurt in the blast. | They died in an explosion while taking part in an operation against enemy forces in central Helmand province. Two other soldiers were hurt in the blast. |
Their deaths took the number of British forces to die since the start of operations in October 2001 to 141. | Their deaths took the number of British forces to die since the start of operations in October 2001 to 141. |
The MoD said Capt Sawyer and Cpl Winter were taking part in a joint operation with a Danish battle group and the Afghan National Army, north east of the town of Gereshk. | |
Their aim was to clear compounds in a known Taliban stronghold. | |
'Selfless legacy' | |
Capt Sawyer, from Hertfordshire, had been married for less than a year. His family paid tribute to him, calling him "loyal, loud and loving". | |
"Tom was the best husband, son and brother we could ever have asked for," they said in a statement. | |
"He will leave a big hole in all of our lives, but will always be remembered as our hero." | |
Capt Sawyer's commanding officer Lt Col Neil Wilson said he "excelled as an instructor and mentor". Brave, committed, extremely determined and operationally experienced, he had a gift for giving honest advice without raising hackles Lt Col Jim Morris, describing Cpl Danny Winter | |
"On operations, this selfless legacy, though immeasurable, has undoubtedly helped save the lives of both Afghans and British servicemen alike," he added. | |
Cpl Winter, who was from Stockport, was his company's mortar expert and had previously served in Northern Ireland and Iraq. | |
He was described as "an irreplaceable character" and a devoted Manchester United fan. | |
His commanding officer Lt Col Jim Morris said he was "an exceptional marine". | |
"Brave, committed, extremely determined and operationally experienced, he had a gift for giving honest advice and opinion without raising hackles and he was tremendously well respected by all ranks as a result," he said. | |
"He was killed right at the forefront of an operation whilst providing the measured and balanced advice to his commander that had become his trademark." |