'True meaning of courage' in soldier's death

A Yorkshire soldier murdered in a roadside blast in Afghanistan died a hero and "showed the true meaning of courage," the Army said yesterday.

Trooper Ashley Smith, 21, from York, was on patrol in Helmand Province when he became the 299th British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan on Friday afternoon.

He had volunteered to go into an area known to be laced with booby traps and paid the ultimate price for his bravery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His parents, Sandra and Dave Smith, said: "Everyone that knew Ashley loved him and he was the best son any mother and father could have wished for and a loving brother to his brothers and sisters."

Trooper Smith joined the Royal Dragoon Guards in 2008 and served in Canada before being posted to Afghanistan.

His parents said he was "passionate about what he was doing and proud of all he had achieved".

They added: "He cared deeply about his family and the many friends he had in the Army and in his home city of York.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Ashley will be sorely missed and we are immensely proud of our son."

Major Denis James said Trooper Smith had volunteered to join a patrol in an area known to be sown with Improvised Explosive Devices. He said: "The most fitting epitaph for Trooper Smith is that he died a brave death.

"We feel for his family at this difficult time; however, we in the Viking Group will mourn him when we return home.

"Until then, his sacrifice will inspire us. It has stiffened our resolve to defeat the insurgency and to help the people of

Helmand. We will remember him."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lieutenant Nicholas Chew said Trooper Smith had a "good natured heart" and enjoyed the "smallest pleasures in life".

He said: "He always wanted to do the extraordinary things because he had an outlook on life that said it is 'not worth being unhappy over'.

"He wanted to do all the interesting jobs from play basketball professionally to being a fireman to becoming a military dog handler.

"It is only now that I understand the true meaning of the word courage; Ash never complained and just kept smiling. He was the best son any mother and father could have wished for."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Trooper Smith was attached to 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles battle group and was protecting his patrol as they cleared land around a checkpoint when tragedy struck.

Several tribute groups have been set up on social networking sites in memory of "our hero Ashley Smith".

Among those paying tribute was school friend Lynsey Marie Ellwood who wrote: "Ashley was an amazing person, a great soldier and a brilliant friend.

"This has hit everyone's lives so hard and he will be so sadly missed. Sleep tight hero. You're an angel in the sky now."

Fellow soldier Greg Wilson wrote: "Many men have fallen at the hands of these terrible people. But when it's one of your own you honestly feel like you have lost a brother."

Related topics: