Prince leads tributes to Yorkshire soldiers killed by Taliban bombers

Corporal Liam Riley, 21, of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, was trying to extract a member of his team when he was killed by the roadside bomb near Malgir, Helmand Province.

His was one of two deaths in the regiment on Monday as Huddersfield soldier Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, also of 3 Yorks, was killed in a bomb blast while leading a base security foot patrol. He had turned 27 on Sunday. Both were single.

Prince Harry, who served with Corporal Riley at a military training unit in Canada in 2007, led tributes to the pair. He said: "I remember Liam Riley so well from the time we spent serving together at the British Army Training Unit at Suffield in Canada.

"He was a legend. A really special man who got us all going and heading in the right direction. It was a privilege to have worked alongside him.

"It is incredibly sad also to hear that Liam died alongside his friend, Lance Corporal Graham Shaw. My heart goes out to their loved ones, and to their many, many friends in their regiment and the wider Army."

The soldiers were part of the 1 Coldstream Guards Battle Group. Corporal Riley, from Sheffield, was an avid Sheffield Wednesday supporter and held a season ticket until joining the Army. His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings, said he had volunteered at short notice to serve in Afghanistan and the loss "has hit us hard".

"He was a strapping soldier from Sheffield and at only

21-years-old had been identified as one of our stars of the future.

"He was an inspirational leader of men and was the youngest corporal in the Battalion. I have little doubt he was heading to the top of his unique profession.

"He led by example, with boundless energy and an infectious smile that would spur his team on when life got tough.

"He was killed by an improvised explosive device in Helmand, while heroically returning fire to extract one of his team.

"He personified all the very best qualities of a Yorkshire soldier – brave, tough, honest and proud."

Lance Corporal Shaw was also hailed a hero by relatives and comrades. Lieutenant Colonel Vallings said he was "totally selfless". "You would want him on your team whatever the task.

"Lance Corporal Shaw was at his best on operations where he thrived under the added pressure and difficult conditions.

"He would brighten your day with his sense of humour and determination to get the job done. A great soldier and a great bloke who served his country and his friends, making Afghanistan a better place."

The deaths bring the total since the Afghan campaign started in 2001 to 253 – two short of the number who died during the Falklands War in 1982.

Corporal Riley's family said in a statement he had taken to Army life "like a duck to water" and described him as a "wonderful son". They said: "We were very proud of him and what he achieved both in life and in his Army career. He loved and respected his family and friends and was very close to his siblings, Jonathan and Olivia.

"He was a bubbly, fun-loving lad and all his family and friends loved him – no one will ever replace him."

A statement on the Sheffield Wednesday website said the club was "distressed" to hear the lifelong fan had died.

Lance Corporal Shaw was described as a beloved member of his family who was "taken away in the prime of life".

In a statement, Lance Corporal Shaw's parents Russ and Karen and other members of his family said he had been taken from them in the prime of his life.

They said: "Graham enjoyed life to the full, running everywhere. He ran to visit relatives in Calderdale and often ran on the moors near his home.

"He was very active and took part in many different sports from sky diving last summer to skiing with the Army in Canada and even surfing on the south coast – he was up for anything."

"He was proud to be a member of the British Army like his father before him. He knew the danger that he was to face while serving in Afghanistan.

"He lost his life doing the job he liked and enjoyed. We are all very proud of our hero. We ask that the family be left to grieve in peace."