Post by cammy on Jul 9, 2009 13:22:36 GMT 1
British soldier killed in Afghanistan had hoped to compete in 2012 Olympics Comrades pay tribute to Trooper Christopher Whiteside, who had planned to push for place in British fencing team
The seventh British soldier killed in Afghanistan within a week had hoped to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, his comrades said today.
Trooper Christopher Whiteside, of The Light Dragoons, died when an improvised explosive device went off near Gereshk, in Helmand province, on Tuesday night.
Whiteside was a talented swordsman who had hoped to begin training for a possible place in the British fencing team on his return from Afghanistan.
The 20-year-old's friends in the Light Dragoons recalled him demonstrating his fencing skills at a squadron barbecue using a broomstick.
Whiteside was the 176th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in 2001.
He endured four days of some of the most intense fighting ever experienced in the country before his death, his commanding officer said.
Whiteside – known as "Norm" to his friends after former the Manchester United footballer Norman Whiteside – was born in Blackpool.
He joined the army in 2005 but was discharged a year later following a serious knee injury. He signed up again as a soldier in March last year and started his first tour in Afghanistan this year.
He had been taking part in Operation Panchai Palang (Panther's Claw), a US-led assault against the Taliban in the central Helmand river valley, prior to next month's Afghan presidential elections.
His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Gus Fair, said today: "Trooper Whiteside had only been in the regiment for a short time, but had established a reputation as an excellent soldier.
"Norm had been tested in some of the most intense fighting ever experienced in Afghanistan for four days prior to his death, and had never been found wanting.
"He will be remembered as a soldier at the top of his profession, who gave his all for his friends and who has been cruelly taken from us."
The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, who yesterday warned that more soldiers would die in Afghanistan where the conflict would be "hard and dangerous", paid tribute to Whiteside.
"He was a courageous soldier who fought back from injury to rejoin the army, and it is clear his fitness, determination and sense of humour were hugely admired by both his comrades and his commanders," he said.
"Their thoughts, and mine, are with his grieving family at this difficult time."
Six other soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the start of July.
Captain Ben Babington-Browne, of 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, died in a helicopter crash in the south of the country on Monday.
The other five soldiers died in combat in what the MoD described as the "main push" of Operation Panchai Palang, said to be one of the largest British soldiers have made.
Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed by an explosion on Sunday.
Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, of the Light Dragoons, and Private Robert Laws, 18, of 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, died on Saturday.
Dennis was killed by an improvised explosive device while patrolling on foot. Laws was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
May God Bless and Keep them All....
The seventh British soldier killed in Afghanistan within a week had hoped to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, his comrades said today.
Trooper Christopher Whiteside, of The Light Dragoons, died when an improvised explosive device went off near Gereshk, in Helmand province, on Tuesday night.
Whiteside was a talented swordsman who had hoped to begin training for a possible place in the British fencing team on his return from Afghanistan.
The 20-year-old's friends in the Light Dragoons recalled him demonstrating his fencing skills at a squadron barbecue using a broomstick.
Whiteside was the 176th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in 2001.
He endured four days of some of the most intense fighting ever experienced in the country before his death, his commanding officer said.
Whiteside – known as "Norm" to his friends after former the Manchester United footballer Norman Whiteside – was born in Blackpool.
He joined the army in 2005 but was discharged a year later following a serious knee injury. He signed up again as a soldier in March last year and started his first tour in Afghanistan this year.
He had been taking part in Operation Panchai Palang (Panther's Claw), a US-led assault against the Taliban in the central Helmand river valley, prior to next month's Afghan presidential elections.
His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Gus Fair, said today: "Trooper Whiteside had only been in the regiment for a short time, but had established a reputation as an excellent soldier.
"Norm had been tested in some of the most intense fighting ever experienced in Afghanistan for four days prior to his death, and had never been found wanting.
"He will be remembered as a soldier at the top of his profession, who gave his all for his friends and who has been cruelly taken from us."
The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, who yesterday warned that more soldiers would die in Afghanistan where the conflict would be "hard and dangerous", paid tribute to Whiteside.
"He was a courageous soldier who fought back from injury to rejoin the army, and it is clear his fitness, determination and sense of humour were hugely admired by both his comrades and his commanders," he said.
"Their thoughts, and mine, are with his grieving family at this difficult time."
Six other soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the start of July.
Captain Ben Babington-Browne, of 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, died in a helicopter crash in the south of the country on Monday.
The other five soldiers died in combat in what the MoD described as the "main push" of Operation Panchai Palang, said to be one of the largest British soldiers have made.
Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed by an explosion on Sunday.
Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, of the Light Dragoons, and Private Robert Laws, 18, of 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, died on Saturday.
Dennis was killed by an improvised explosive device while patrolling on foot. Laws was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
May God Bless and Keep them All....