One centimetre from safety: Tragedy of Dales soldier in Taliban ambush

Private Matthew Haseldin, from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, had only been in the Army for a few months when he was shot and killed in Helmand province on November 3 last year.

Members of his platoon were commended at an inquest into Pte Haseldin’s death for their brave efforts to recover the soldier and try to save his life while under fire themselves.

Coroner Rob Turnbull said: “Pte Haseldin was fatally shot. He was killed by one single shot which had entered his chest and had penetrated the filler of his protective armour, missing the plates which could otherwise have saved his life.

“We heard then the efforts that were made, extremely brave efforts, by members of the patrol to recover Pte Haseldin and save his life when under fire themselves.

“They should be commended for what they tried to do at that time.”

Mr Turnbull told the inquest, at Skipton Magistrates’ Court, he was satisfied the patrol were all wearing the proper equipment on the day of Pte Haseldin’s death.

He said he was also satisfied that Pte Haseldin, who completed his training in August last year and joined the regiment in Afghanistan around a month after his colleagues, had received and completed the necessary training.

The inquest heard that Pte Haseldin’s platoon was tasked with the security of a route in the Nahr-e Saraj district.

This involved daily patrols to clear improvised explosive devices from the route.

On the day of Pte Haseldin’s death, he was one of eight men on patrol when the Taliban opened fire on the group.

Second Lieutenant Luke Beetlestone told the inquest: “We were aware there was a possibility of a Taliban sharp shooter in the area. There had also been incidents where Taliban who were better than an average shot were in the area.”

Lt Beetlestone said he heard a single gun shot before a burst of three rounds of gun fire and he saw Pte Haseldin drop to the floor.

Sergeant Mark Harris and Private Joe Blakey told the inquest how they went back to Pte Haseldin, while under heavy fire from guns and grenades, to carry his body to cover.

Pte Blakey said he applied a chest seal to Pte Haseldin’s chest before helping to carry him to a vehicle on a stretcher.

Sgt Harris said: “I noticed that he had an entry and exit wound. It had gone through him at an angle. Lt Beetleston had a look at his body armour and unfortunately it had just missed the plates.”

A post-mortem examination found Pte Haseldin died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

The bullet had entered his lung through the soft part of his body armour on the left side of his chest and exited through his back, where it hit the armoured plate.

Dr Martin Pearce, a scientist at the Ministry of Defence, said the angle of the bullet meant it had missed the front plate of the armour by around 1.5cm and gone into the body behind the plate.

“Had it struck the front surface of the plate then that plate would have stopped it,” he told the inquest.

Dr Pearce said the armour is made up of a cover, a soft filler which protects fragments from entering the body and four plates at the front, back and sides.

He said the plates are designed to cover the vital organs but cannot cover the whole body because the soldiers have to be able to move.

Mr Turnbull recorded a verdict that Pte Haseldin was unlawfully killed while on active service.

Pte Haseldin’s parents, Alan Haseldin and Jill Batty, said the family was determined to live life to the full in his memory.

They sat and listened to the inquest, occasionally wiping away tears, as details of their son’s death were told.

In a statement after the inquest, they said: “Matthew was a young man with his whole life ahead of him when he was tragically taken from us in Afghanistan whilst serving in the British Army.

“He joined the Army to make a difference, to work in a team and to do something exciting.

“Today’s inquest brings formal closure to Matthew’s untimely death and had answered many questions but there will always be questions.”

They added: “It is especially difficult as Matthew was an only child but as a family we are determined to take every opportunity to live life to the full in memory of Matthew.”

Pte Haseldin’s parents thanked their family, friends, local communities and the Mercian Regiment for their support.

Pte Haseldin, from Settle, near Skipton, was described by his colleagues as a confident, enthusiastic soldier who fitted in to the regiment.

Mr Turnbull described his death as a tragedy and offered his condolences to the family.