Captain Thomas Clarke, W.O Spencer Faulkner, Cpl James Walters and LCorp Oliver Thomas [PA]The men, who included comrades of Prince Harry, died when the Lynx they were flying in crashed in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar, 30 miles from the Pakistan border on Saturday.
They were Captain Thomas Clarke, 30, from Cowbridge, Wales; Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, 29, from Birmingham; Warrant Officer Class 2 Spencer Faulkner, 38; Corporal James Walters, 36, and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas, 26, of Brecon, Powys.
Captain Clarke, Warrant Officer Faulkner and Corporal Walters served with the Army Air Corps and were based at Royal Air Force Odiham in Hampshire along with Flight Lieutenant Chauhan who served with the RAF.
Group Captain Richard Maddison, Station Commander RAF Odiham, said: “It was only a week before the accident that I visited their unit in Afghanistan, and flew in a Lynx with Captain Clarke, Warrant Officer Faulkner and Corporal Walters.
VICTIMS: Corporal James Walters (left) and Captain Thomas Ellis Clarke (right) of the Army Air Corps [PA]We cannot begin to comprehend the tragic loss of a beautiful and loving husband, daddy, son, and brother
“It was an absolute pleasure to fly with them and to discuss their work. It was also incredibly reassuring to meet such professional and enthusiastic members of their unit.
“While on the ground at their base, I also spent time with Flight Lieutenant Chauhan, who was the same consummate professional that so many of us at RAF Odiham had come to know.
“They were fine ambassadors for their unit and for defence as a whole, and we shall not forget them.”
Captain Clarke’s family said: “We cannot express enough our devastation at the loss of a truly wonderful husband, son, brother and friend.
“Tom brought so much happiness and love to everyone he knew with his sparkling blue eyes and cheeky smile.
"He had an absolute passion for life and was the best part of us. We are all poorer today without him. ‘We carry your heart, we carry it in our heart’.”
Warrant Officer Faulkner’s family said: “Spen was a loving husband to Cally and devoted father to Natasha and Jack, and will be greatly missed.
“A huge gap has been left in our hearts forever. He has been tragically taken away whilst serving his country, a job he loved.”
Corporal Walters’s family said: “We cannot begin to comprehend the tragic loss of a beautiful and loving husband, daddy, son, and brother.
"James has left a huge hole in all our hearts.”
And Lance Corporal Thomas’s family said: “Oliver was a truly amazing person, living his life to the full, while fulfilling some of his many dreams and adventures.
Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas and Warrant Officer Class 2 Spencer Faulkner [PA]
An Army Lynx Mk9A helicopter - similar to the one which crashed [EPA]"He was very much loved and will be greatly missed by his grieving family and friends.”
Prince Harry, 29, served as an Apache helicopter commander with the Army Air Corps during his tour of duty in Afghanistan last year.
He was said to be “deeply saddened”.
The crash is the deadliest air disaster involving a British military helicopter in Afghanistan since the war began more than 12 years ago.
It is the third biggest single loss of life of British troops in the conflict and brings the total number of UK service personnel killed there to 453.
Military chiefs denied claims by the Taliban that it shot down the helicopter.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Taliban often falsely claimed responsibility for the deaths of Nato forces.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “Lynx Mk 9A helicopters have a good operational safety record and commanders have judged that it is safe for the fleet to continue to operate.”
No comments:
Post a Comment