Hundreds mourn Army 'victim of friendly fire'

Hundreds of people gathered yesterday to pay their respects to a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in a suspected friendly fire incident.

Family, friends and colleagues turned out for the funeral of Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, of 3rd Battalion The Rifles.

The 23-year-old from Sunderland died on December 22 of wounds suffered the previous day in Sangin, northern Helmand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leading the tributes at Holy Trinity Church in Southwick, Sunderland, was L/Cpl Roney's widow Lorna, 21.

Their baby son William was born just five months before his father was killed.

The funeral took place at the same church where the couple married in November 2007.

L/Cpl Roney's coffin, which was draped in the Union flag with a poppy wreath and his forage cap on top, was carried into the church by his comrades from his regiment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

L/Cpl Roney left behind siblings William, 30, who serves in the Royal Logistics Corps, Samantha, 21, James, 26, and sister-in-law Della, 27, as well as parents Michael and Denise, both 51.

He joined 3 Rifles in May 2006 and deployed to Afghanistan in October.

His platoon commander, Captain Nicholas Trowell, said: "He was the sort of rifleman that everyone wanted to be.He always wanted to go the extra mile and would soldier on until the bitter end. He epitomised the sort of non-commissioned officer that every regiment wants."

"Chris was a very, very proud family man. First and foremost he was a soldier but at every opportunity he had he would love to talk about his family.

"Clearly, it is tragic loss to his family.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The thing that will stick in my memory was that Chris would make me laugh. There were so many memories but all of them will be happy ones."

Speaking after her husband's death, Mrs Roney said: "Born a legend, died a hero."

Related topics: