Family questions Army's version of events over blast death of son

Signaller Wayne Bland, 21, from Leeds, was fatally injured in an explosion in Kabul on August 11, 2008 – only 11 days before he was due to return home.

Soldiers who served alongside Signaller Bland told the inquest in Leeds he had been travelling in a Saxon armoured personnel carrier when a car driver pulled alongside and detonated a bomb.

However, in statements read to the court yesterday, relatives of Signaller Bland said they had suspicions about the Army's report of the incident.

Grieving mother Maureen Bland said: "I am not satisfied with the explanation of the injuries given by the Army."

She added that her son had spoken of plans to leave the forces after his deployment in Afghanistan.

"Wayne did express to me that he was not enjoying his life and that he would leave the Army at some stage," she said.

"He said he would leave the Army when he got home."

The inquest was told that Signaller Bland's Saxon had been one of three vehicles travelling in convoy when the explosion occurred.

The soldier's family said they had heard two versions of the events – one in which his vehicle was stationary when a "Taliban" suicide bomber struck and another in which the attacker got in between the moving convoy.

Signaller Bland's sister Carla questioned why he had sustained an injury to his neck, which was supposed to have been protected by Kestrel body armour.

But three of the soldier's colleagues and an expert witness all told the hearing that he had been wearing the Kestrel armour, fully done up to his chin, on the day of the blast.

Signaller Bland, of 16 Signal Regiment, joined the Army at 18 and was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2008.

At the time of the explosion, his regiment was in the process of handing over duties to 22 Signal Regiment and demonstrating what the role involved.

The inquest heard that the three vehicles were travelling past a black Toyota Corolla on a main road when the blast happened.

Sergeant Paul Pierrepoint, who was in the first Saxon, told the inquest: "I motioned to the driver of a black Toyota Corolla to allow room to pass. I used a sign in a chopping motion to instruct him.

"The driver obeyed his direction and moved slightly to the right and slowed down his vehicle just as I would have expected."

Signaller Luke Brereton, in the second vehicle in the convoy, said the car driver, an Afghan man with dark hair and a long black beard, did not seem suspicious or fit the description of a typical suicide bomber.

He said that as the Saxon that was carrying Signaller Bland passed the Corolla, the car swerved towards it.

"The front of the Corolla came within two feet of the right rear wheel of the Saxon when it suddenly exploded."

Signaller David Backhouse, who was in Signaller Bland's Saxon, said: "I may have lost consciousness for a minute and I came to. I couldn't hear and my vision was blurred for a few seconds.

"I saw Wayne on the floor. I rushed over and dragged him to the seat where I had been sitting to take his armour and helmet off."

Suffering from brain damage, Signaller Bland was taken to a nearby Czech field hospital and then flown to a US Air Force hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The hearing continues.