Officer killed in blast 'insisted on leading role'

Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, the most senior Army officer to be killed since the Falklands War, died after his Viking armoured vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device (IED).

Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, from Plymouth, also died in the explosion on July 1 last year, near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.

A coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing for both soldiers at an inquest at Wiltshire Coroner's Court, sitting at Trowbridge Town Hall.

Following the inquest, Lt Col Thorneloe's father, Maj John Thorneloe, said he hoped his son's death had led to improved funding and equipment for the armed forces.

The inquest heard Lt Col Thorneloe, 39, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was out on the patrol to "inspire" his men, the inquest heard.

Maj Andrew Speed, Lt Col Thorneloe's second-in-command at the time of the incident, told the inquest: "He wanted to demonstrate that, despite being a commanding officer, he wanted to show his troops he was prepared to do what they were doing, and by showing them that they can be inspired."

The coroner asked Maj Speed what he knew about a memo Lt Col Thorneloe, who lived in Aldershot, Hampshire, sent to the Ministry of Defence raising concerns about lack of helicopters in Afghanistan.

Maj Speed said: "I was aware he had sent an e-mail, I was not aware of its contents.

"He had his own mind. He was bright and intelligent and wanted to share his views with someone else outside Afghanistan."

Asked if he was aware Lt Col Thorneloe was concerned about the lack of helicopters and the safety of his troops, Maj Speed replied: "Yes."

But Maj Speed added that he felt he had sufficient helicopter support to carry out his duties, and helicopters would not have been used on the fatal patrol.

Cpl Kevin Williams, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, survived the blast – caused by a 20kg homemade bomb – in the lead Viking, and was the first to attend to Lt Col Thorneloe.

He told the inquest that on the day of the incident, Lt Col Thorneloe chose to take "top cover" position in the rear of the Viking, despite the role being handed to another soldier.

Lt Col Thorneloe remained on board the lead vehicle throughout the patrol, which comprised 10 Viking vehicles, tasked to escort four large "drops" vehicles to a check point.

Cpl Williams said the Viking had received an armour upgrade to its front section, but not to the rear cab, where the blast struck.

The Vikings would later go on to receive an armour upgrade to the rear section.

Dr Nicholas Hunt, a Home Office forensic pathologist, recorded the cause of death as blast injuries caused by an explosion.

It was previously reported that three weeks before his death, Lt Col Thorneloe complained bitterly in an e-mail to his bosses that helicopter support for troops was "very clearly not fit for purpose".

Lt Col Thorneloe went on to detail how he had "virtually no" helicopters of the type which would allow him to move troops by air rather than road.